[ 9« ] 



found. Should this be the case, many other profession and em* 

 ployments, which arc either mediately or immediately counectcd 

 with this manufacture, or otherwise dependant on the populousness 

 of the neighbourhood, will be ultimately affected. Further, the 

 agriculture of the western part of Wiltshire, and north western 

 part of Dorsetshire, must partake of the consequence af such a mi- 

 gration, for the lands about Frome, or Shepton, not being well 

 adapted to tillage, the inhabitants are chiefly supplied with corn 

 and grain from those counties. The assistance of machinery was 

 had recourse to by the manufacturers of Frome and Shepton from 

 absolute necessity; for had they continued in the old method, 

 their trade must have been lost, and indeed ?ionv the north country 

 manufacturers are beforehand with them, particularly in the appli- 

 cation of water, the best u primum mobile" of all machinery. 



It is much to be feared that the improvements already made, and 

 those now going on, will ultimately be the means of disseminating 

 manufactures in other countries, to the prejudice of the export 

 trade of Britain. 



Before we intirely quit Frome, or as it was anciently called 

 Froome Selwood, it may not be amiss to advert to the forest from 

 which it derives an appendage to its name. The ancient forest of 

 Selwood (on the verge of which the town of Frome stands) appears 

 to have comprized a woody vale of about 20,000 acres; about 

 1 8,000 of which are now cleansed and converted into pasture and 

 arable land, with a small portion of meadow ; the remainder con- 

 tinuing in a state of coppice wood. The chief sorts of timber in 

 these coppices are oak and ash, which, though not of large growth, 

 are very good of their kinds, and find profitable markets in the 

 neighbourhood : the oak selling from 50s. to 3I. 16s. per ton, and 

 ash from 45s. to 3I. The underwood is chiefly hazel, ash, alder, 

 withy, and birch ; some of which at 18 or 20 years growth sell as 

 high as 16I. per acre. To state the profit of these coppices in a 

 slearer light, I would remark, that the annual value per acre in 

 3 timbes 



