1846.] Jigriculture of Different Countries. 281 



serve for the pasturing of sheep. On the whole, England may 

 be regarded as not naturally a fertile country. 



Agriculture. — Notwithstanding the general inferiority of the 

 soil, England is under such excellent cultivation that the country 

 may be considered as one great garden. Farming, in many 

 parts, is conducted on a great scale, by men of intelligence, enter- 

 prise and capital; and the science, as well as practice, of agri- 

 culture is carried to a high degree of perfection. In the northern 

 counties, the farms are large and are leased for twenty-one years. 

 In the southern counties the farms are smaller, and the tenants 

 are often proprietors. The field pea and the tare are often sown 

 as a field crop. Saffron, which w^as formerly cultivated in various 

 parts of the kingdom, is now grown almost solely in Essex; 

 another singular product of Essex, is a kind of treble crops of 

 coriander, carraway and teazle; the two first on account of their 

 aromatic seeds, the other for its prickly heads, used by the manu- 

 facturers in raising the pap on woolen cloths. 



SCOTLAND. 

 Face of ike Country. — Two-thirds of the country are moun- 

 tainous. It is generally considered as divided into two parts, the 

 mountainous regions called the Highlands, in the northern and 

 central part, and the comparatively level country in the south, 

 called the Lowlands. In the north the mountains present nothing 

 to view but heath and rock, with innumerable lakes and pools, 

 darkened by the shade thrown from enormous precipices; the 

 whole forming a landscape wild and desolate beyond conception. 

 In the central parts the aspect of the mountains is less forbidding. 

 In the south is every kind of rural beauty, hills, vales, and culti- 

 vated plains. 



Climate. — The distino-uishino; feature in the climate is the ex- 

 cess of moisture. Fogs and drizzling rains prevail in most parts 

 for the greater portion of the year. Considerable snows fall in 

 winter, but are soon melted; sleighs or sledges are never used, 

 but the waters are sometimes so frozen as to permit skating. 



Soil. — In many of the valleys or straths, there are tracts which 



