[ i67 ] 

 Survey of Montgomeryshire, p. 12. 



BY MR. GEORGE KAV. 



Full one half of Montgomeryfliire, I was informed, 

 confifls of wafte lands, or commons, which are chiefly 

 depaflured by (heep, and innumerable ponies, with 

 a few cattle j and here, as in other Welch counties, 

 the commons are all denominated mountains ; altho* 

 fome extenfive tra(5ts are to be feen, as far as the 

 eye can reach, without the obftruftion of a hill of 

 any confequence. Thefe might be converted into 

 good arable land, (were the .prefent mode of com- 

 monage corrected) but at prefent are lying in 2. flate 

 of nature, without the veftige of a tree or fence to 

 fcreen them from the blafts to which they are now 

 expofed. After a divijion has taken place, {which, 

 for the good of the country at large, I hope is not far 

 diflant^ the firft thing to be attended to, in the im- 

 provement of land of this defcription, is draining; 

 and the next, fufficient fences and plantations, laid 

 out judicioufly, fo as to afford proper flielter to the 

 fields. Then crops might be raifed that would amply 

 repay the expence of improvement. In converfmg 

 with fome gentlemen in this county, about impro- 

 ving wade lands, in the manner I have now defcribed, 

 they treated the idea with ridicule, as being chime- 

 rical and too expenfive. That there are fome lands 

 incapable of being improved, or rather, that the 



proper 



