{[ 18 ] 
Gloucefterfhire is compofed, and which runs, with- 
out interruption, through the North-weft part of 
Wiltfhire, to its termination at Frome in Somerfet- 
fhire; the ftones being, in fome places, thin enough 
for flates to cover houfes; in others, Jaying in large 
flat beds, fit for pavement, and in fome afluming 
the fhape and qualities of freeftone; but, in gene- 
ral, lying in thofe loofe, flat broken pieces, fo well 
adapted to building the dry fence walls in com~ 
mon ufe on Gloucefterfhire hills, and in many parts 
of this diftrict, and lying ufually in horizontal 
beds, mixed with earth. 
The top-foil of this rock, or rather mafs of 
ftones, is chiefly that kind of reddifh, calcarious 
loam, mixed with irregular, flat broken ftones, 
ufually called “ Stone brath.” 
The goodnefs of this foil varies very much, ac- 
cording to its comparative depth to the rock} and 
according to the abfence or prefence of an inter- 
vening vein of cold, blue clay. This clay is of a 
marley appearance, but in general not fufficiently 
calcarious to be valuable as manure, and its pre- 
fence is obvious to every traveller, by its natural 
and fpontaneous production of oak trees; while its 
total abfence, or, at leaft, its lying very deep, is as 
ftrongly denoted by the fpontaneous and plentiful 
production of beautiful elms. 
The North-weft verge of the county, viz. from 
near Cirencefter, by Malmfbury, and on the Weft 
fide 
