128 Farming of South Wales. 



productions of llie Silurian deposits are slates; but lead, and even 

 silver are also found. 



The whole of the county of Pembroke, south of a line drawn 

 from Tenby to St. Brides, is composed of alternate lajers of the 

 old red sandstone and carboniferous limestone. The fertile level 

 of Lau2:harne rests upon the old red sandstone, which latter pro- 

 ceeds in a narrow strip south of the Silurian deposits, till it 

 reaches Brecknock, where it takes a tortuous course towards the 

 east, and runs into Monmouth south of Aberg^avenny. Its 

 breadth here exceeds twenty miles. It again makes its appear- 

 ance near Cardiff, and is distinctly visible, in conjunction with the 

 limestone, in the promontory below Swansea. It will be thus 

 seen that the old red sandstone occupies a very considerable por- 

 tion of Brecknock, extending over nearly 400 square miles. A 

 narrow belt of limestone and millstone- grit enclose, in an irregular 

 circle, the whole of the extensive coal-measures of Glamorgan. 

 These small veins commence at Kidwilly, pass north of Merthyr 

 Tydvil, and extend nearly to Pontypool. They again enter 

 Wales, about Caerphilly, and lose their distinctive form by 

 mingling with the^ lias shale in the region of Bridgend and 

 Cow bridge. In Pembroke the coal-fields form a strip of about 

 5 miles wide across the county south of the slate formation, and, 

 with the Glamorgan tract, constitute an area of about 900 square 

 miles. The red soils are variable, but, although there are many 

 shallow and light tracts, generally speaking the land is kind, 

 easily worked, and of superior quality. The principal valleys of 

 the red sandstone extend on the banks of the Usk and the Wye. 

 The former river flows only through this formation, and as it 

 brings down with it no tenacious earthy matter, the soil of the 

 valley is decidedly light, though kind and productive. By the 

 good agriculture found there capital crops of grain and turnips 

 are grown, yet the pastures suffer materially in seasons of 

 drought: the Wye on the contrary rises in the Silurian deposits, 

 and its clayey sediment improves the weakness of the red soil, 

 which thus becomes able to produce heavy crops of all grain. 

 The hilly tracts are grand and lofty, and contain the Brecknock 

 Beacons, which attain an elevation of 2862 feet, and are con- 

 sequently the highest mountains of South Wales. The pasturage 

 of all this alpine district is much superior to the higher portions 

 of the slate formations. Laugharne Marsh, which was originally 

 enclosed from the sea, is celebrated for its goodness of soil and its 

 luxuriant crops of wheat and beans. It is a beautiful sandy loam, 

 with a substratum of rich clay. The limestone land is always dry 

 and fertile when a moderate quantity of soil covers the rock; 

 should there be much clayey earth upon the limestone, the soil is 



