thirty-six inches, whilst in Worcestershire, the land laying lower, and having fewer hills to attract and break the clouds in their flight from the Atlantic, a smaller quantity of annual moisture must be supposed to take place. As the

SOIL AND SURFACE of a county so extensive, and so varied in its outline, require a more accurate investigation than is within the power of the most accurate Tourist, it would be doing injustice to the subject, not to avail ourselves of the very diffuse observations of late Agricultural writers, who, of course must have paid particular attention to these very interesting features *.

The soil is various; consisting chiefly of rich loamy sand, in those districts immediately north of Worcester, mixed with a small proportion of gravel: this, however, relates principally to the central part of the county; for there is some very light sand, with a few spots of clay, and some of peat earth, towards the east: in the eastern district, indeed, the soil is in general a strong clay; but the waste land, which, when Pomeroy wrote, was very considerable, was principally of deep, black, peat earth. Between Worcester and the vale of Evesham, the soil is partly red marl, and partly strong clay, with some sandy loam; and there is also a small vein of land which partakes of each of these qualities; whilst the subsoil, more especially under the sandy loam, consists of limestone. In the vale itself, the soil is particularly deep; of a darkish coloured earth, with a substratum, in many parts of clay, and some gravel. Beyond this, on the confines of the county, and in the small detached parts, including a small part of the Cotswould hills, (that run into this county,) a limestone prevails on the upper land, and a rich loam in the lower. Between Worcester and Malvern, the general character of the soil is a clay mixed with gravel in different proportions. To the left of this line, including Malvern Chace, a deep surface of clay is found in some places; in others, a rich loam, inclining to sand; the substratum is supposed to be marl. In the central parts of

Pomeroy's Agricultural Survey.

the

the western district, a strong clay is sometimes found, becoming gradually gravelly towards the light sands in the north. In each of these districts, some rocky and stony soil is met; but according to Mr. Pomeroy, no traces of flint or chalk: nor did the editor of these sheets meet with any specimens of either, after a very careful investigation of the different lime quarries, particu larly in the neighbourhood of Abberley. Speaking of the vale of Severn, Mr. Pitt describes it as containing probably ten thousand acres of a deep and rich sediment, deposited from time immemorial, by the waters of this river, and by its tributary streams; this sediment in some places consists of a pure water clay adapted for brick-making, but generally of a rich mud, fertile, and favourable to vegetation.

Mr. Pomeroy has drawn an elegant picture of the landscape of this county; he describes the face of it, when viewed from any of the numerous eminences, in the surrounding counties, as approaching rather to a plain; the gentle slopes and risings to the east and west of Worcester, remaining scarcely any longer discernible. From these points of view, the state of its cultivation appears to very great advantage, as there are no tracts of any considerable extent, so barren, or so totally neglected, as to be without an agreeable and profitable verdure. On a nearer view, from the central hill, which rises more particularly to the east of the city, a most beautiful landscape presents itself; the whole of the back ground, which, at its greatest distance, does not exceed twelve, and no where approaches nearer than eight miles, (allowing something for the openings to the south-west and north) appears to be one continuation of noble hills, forming, as it were, the frame of the delightful picture that presents itself in the centre, diversified with all the beauties of hill, dale, wood, and water. If, continues Mr. P., the Abberley and Whitley hills occasion some irregularity in the frame, they will scarcely be thought to take off from the beauty of the piece; these and the adjoining hills, rising with a bold front, and most of them cultivated to their summits, recal to the mind, the enthusiatic de

scription

scription of Italy; and the sheep, hanging as it were, from the brows of others, illustrate the much admired idea of the Roman poet.

In this animated description, however, Mr. P. has not noticed the effect resulting from a nearer view of the hop grounds and flowery orchards, that fill the breast with supreme delight, whilst rambling over this fertile district; and it is to be lamented, that so few of our artists have ever thought of making it the subject of their studies. The late Earl of Orford very justly observes *, that in a country, like England, so profusely beautified with the amœnities of nature, it is extraordinary that we have produced so few good painters of landscape. As our poets, adds he, warm their imaginations with sunny hills, or sigh after grottoes and cooling breezes, our painters draw rocks and precipices, and castellated mountains, because Virgil gasped for breath at Naples, and Salvator wandered amidst Alps and Appennines. Our ever verdant lawns, rich vales, fields, and haycocks, and hopgrounds, are neglected as homely and familiar subjects. The latter too are entirely forgotten, although they are extremely picturesque, particularly in the season of gathering, when some tendrils are ambitiously climbing, and others dangling in natural festoons; whilst poles, despoiled of their garlands, are erected into easy pyramids, that contrast well with the lesser and upright ones yet standing. It is to be hoped, that some native provincial artist may yet start up to do away this just complaint, and we have no doubt that there are people of sufficient taste in the county, to give such an one, all the encouragement he might merit. It must not be supposed, however, that the whole of the county presents this picturesque beauty to the eye of the traveller. Several districts are rather deficient in it; particularly † from Droitwich to Bromsgrove, and its neighbourhood, where the road, in general, takes a high level, and occasionally affords an extensive view, but quite of a different nature to the other parts

Walpole's Works, Vol. IV. p. 450.

+ Vide Warner's Tour to the Northern Counties.

of

of the county If charmed with the rich luxuriance of vegetation, and the fine fringes of wood skirting the pastures which present themselves on all sides in the southern parts of Worces tershire; yet here the tourist finds them gradually to disappear as he proceeds towards the north, and meets with a nakedness and deficiency of the warmth of landscape, which can only be accounted for from the comparative poverty of the red sandy soil, and the greater elevation.

The general distribution of soil through the county, has been estimated on the following scale:*

Acres.

Light sand, sandy loam, gravelly loam, &c. . 120,000
Friable loam, adapted for turnips, hops, and fruit, 120,000
Strong clay loam, for wheat and beans, &c.
Natural meadows on the banks of rivers,

120,000

50,000

Grass land, including parks, plantations, &c.
Wood lands, roads, towns, rivers, gardens, &c.
Wastes and commons,

According to Mr. Pomeroy's statement, confirmed by Mr. Pitt, and agreeing with the observations of the editor, none of the farms are extravagantly large; some being small, from forty to fifty pounds, and thus increasing up to three hundered pounds per annum. Some indeed are larger, but the smaller class of

Vide Pitt's Survey, p. 11.

of farms predominate; and though the county may, by the advocates for large farms, be supposed to lose the advantages attendant upon them, such as experimental cultivation upon a large scale, improved instruments, &c. yet we are rather of opinion that all these advantages are enjoyed to a considerable extent in Worcestershire, and will soon be more so, as the number of Gentlemen who occupy land, has increased considerably of late years; several of whom hold forth very laudable examples of improvement. Amongst these we may enumerate the farms at Lea Castle, Wolverley; Mr. Lechmere's, at the Ridd and Severn End, the latter of which we believe is recently in other occupation; Mr. Carpenter's, at Chaddesley, &c. &c.

To give a detailed estimate of the Produce of the county, is far beyond our limits or plan; we must therefore refer to Mr. Pitt's Survey; but it will afford some slight idea of the subject, if we state his estimate concerning wheat. In 360,000 acres of arable land, he estimates 43,500 acres as laid down in wheat, yielding from twenty to thirty-two bushels per acre, or 1,200,000 bushels on an average. From this he deducts 108,750 bushels for seed, at 21 per acre, leaving a nett annual produce of 1091,250 bushels; a quantity which we hope will soon be much increased from the number of enclosures now in hand in various parts of the county.

Though the Rents in this county, as in all others, have been long paid in money, it excited some surprize, to find Mr. Pitt declaring that slight personal services are sometimes required, as team-work, keeping a game dog for the landlord, &c. This, however, we believe not to be very common; and we are sorry to find that a considerable rise in rents has taken place, even since he wrote in 1806. At that period, common field farms with inclosures near the homestead, were twenty shillings per acre; inclosed farms of inferior land about the same price, but those of a superior quality as high as thirty shillings. Some few instances, he says, then existed of whole farms let from forty to fifty shillings per acre, all round, but then these were of superior staple and contained a great proportion of pasture or meadow land,

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