Describe the climate of the New England colonies.

The New England colonies had rocky soil (the result of glacial deposits) that was difficult to farm. As a result, the farms in these colonies tended to be small. The winters were quite cold, and the colonies were not as fertile as those in the Middle Colonies and in the South. The New England colonies received a great deal of snow during the winters. They raised crops such as squash, pumpkins, corn, and beans. They also turned to the oceans for food, and they developed a shipbuilding and fishing and whaling industry. New England fishermen developed ties with other parts of the globe, including the Caribbean, through trade. In addition, the forests of New England were thick with trees, and the New England colonies developed a robust timber industry.