People in New England could not make a living from farming
because most of the land was not suited to farming due to the hilly terrain
and rocky soil. The nature of the soil was partially caused by the
Appalachian Mountains. Another factor that made farming for profit difficult
was climate; New England experienced moderate summers and cold
winters. The growing season was simply too short to make farming
profitable and most farms were small family ones. So rather than farming,
many people not involved in industries involving the water were either
skilled craftsman or shopkeepers.