BERKSHIRE. 



471 



Berkshire, over this three feet of a coarse fuller earth ; and 

 v -' above all a very deep bed of clay, fit for tiles and 

 bricks. Sinr'n'r strata of sand, with oyster-shells, 

 are found for two miles round Reading, at various 

 depths, from 15 to 2.5 feet. Here likewise have 

 been discovered an inferior kind of ochre, and diffe- 

 rent species of echini. Fossil shells, sharks teeth, 

 parts of fishes, and other marine productions, are 

 found in various parts of the county ; and bones of 

 animals and branches of birch trees have been dug 

 out of the gravel pits and marshy moss-lands in 

 Windsor forest. Pipe-clay and potters-clay are found 

 in considerable quantities ; and shell-marl was disco- 

 vered in the vale of Kennet in 179+, though it does 

 not appear to have been applied to any useful pur- 

 pose. Sareden stones are irregularly scattered over 

 the downs of Berkshire. They are composed of a 

 fine siliceous grit, and are frequently blasted with 

 gunpowder, and used for pitching. But the most 

 remarkable mineral substance in Berkshire is its peat, 

 which is almost exclusively confined to the vale of 

 Kennet. It is defined by Mr Kirwan as a strati- 

 fication of fossil trees in all directions, mixed with a 

 reddish, or brownish-red slimy moss, formed of the 

 carbonic particles of vegetables, and united with 

 their astringent juices, and calorific oleaginous fa?cu- 

 ke." Mr Davy, who analysed this peat, found it to 

 consist of 



Oxide of iron 48 



Gypsum 32 



Muriate of sulphur and potash . . 20 



100 



At Cumner, near Oxford, there is a mineral spring, 

 which possesses a mild cathartic quality. There is 

 another of a mild chalybeate nature at Sunninghill, 

 near Windsor ; and Gorrick well, in the parish of 

 Oakingham, is strongly impregnated with steel, and 

 may be supposed to have some powerful tonic vir- 

 tues. 



The climate of Berkshire, though somewhat va- 

 rious, is in general pure and salubrious. In elevated 

 and exposed situations, particularly in the central 

 parts, along the course of the White Horse Hills, 

 the air is keen and piercing ; but in the more shelter- 

 ed and champaign spots, the atmosphere is equally ex- 

 hilarating, and .salutary to the most delicate constitu- 

 tions. 



There are few counties in Britain where the land- 

 ed property is so happily divided as in Berkshire for 

 the purposes of general improvement. Though its 

 annual rental, including houses, mills, and other pro- 

 ductive revenue, arising from, or attached to the soil, 

 car.not amount to less than 500,000, the largest 

 estate in the county probably does not exceed 8000 

 a-year ; a few more may amount, in annual value, to 

 5000, 6000, or 7000 ; but great landed owners 

 arc rare either among peers or commoners. Property 

 is least divided in the lower part of the county ; yet 

 even there the yeomanry is respectable, both in num- 

 ber and in circumstances ; and in the upper part are to 

 be seen several handsome seats on estates, not exceed- 

 ing 100 acres. One of the happiest consequences of 

 this wide and equal division of property, is, that the 



scale of rank ascends by almost imperceptible grada- Berkshire- 

 tions, from the lowest to the highest ; and all classes 

 of the community are connected by close and indis- 

 soluble bonds. The yeomanry, depressed by no 

 slavish dependence on superiors, nor overawed by the 

 glare of disproportionate grandeur, feel within them- 

 selves all the native dignity of man, and cherish those 

 lofty and generous sentiments of independence which 

 should animate every free-born heart. This exalted 

 character of the yeomanry has a reciprocal influence 

 on the character of the nobility and men of fortune. 

 Aware that no ascendency can be obtained over the 

 minds of their countrymen by the arts of corruption, 

 they chuse the more honourable way of securing their 

 favour, by meriting their esteem. No where, indeed, 

 are rank and property more impotent than in Berk- 

 shire. It was observed on a particular occasion by 

 the late Mr Pitt, whose authority on this subject is 

 unquestionable, that " no minister of this country 

 could command ten votes in Berkshire." A higher 

 testimony could not be given to the virtuous inde- 

 pendence of its inhabitants. 



From what we have said of the division of proper- 

 ty, it may well be supposed, that the number of free- 

 holders in this county is very considerable, and it is 

 regularly increasing. Estates are frequently pur- 

 chased on speculation, and sold out again in lots ; 

 and so general has been the violation of entails, that 

 few estates are now occupied by the lineal descen- 

 dants of those to whom they belonged two centuries 

 ago. The present value of freehold estates cannot 

 easily be ascertained with accuracy. Some estates 

 may be sold at 26 years purchase, and others as high 

 as 35 ; but the average value may be stated, perhaps 

 pretty fairly, at 28 years purchase, nett rent. It is 

 highly favourable to the agriculture of this county, 

 that the superintendence of few of the estates is de- 

 volved upon agents; and that many gentlemen of 

 considerable landed property are most zealous pro- 

 moters, and skilful judges, of agricultural improve- 

 ment. By far the greatest portion of the land in 

 Berkshire is freehold, though, in different parts of 

 the county, there are copyhold lands, held by diffe- 

 rent tenures, according to the customs of their re- 

 spective manors. The lords of the manor are, in 

 some places, dispdsed to enfranchise their tenants, on 

 equitable terms ; and the advantage of this practice, 

 both to lord and tenant, will probably soon make it 

 general. Leases on lives, and leases renewable every 

 seven years, under deans and chapters, and other cor- 

 porate bodies, are pretty frequent in Berkshire. But 

 the benefit of these leases is almost wholly destroyed 

 by the magnitude of the sum demanded at their re- 

 newal. A few estates are held by leases of 1000 

 years ; and others are leased on one or three lives, by 

 individual proprietors ; but this practice is rare, and 

 renewals are generally refused. The lands of Berk- 

 shire are parcelled out into farms of all sizes ; a cir- 

 cumstance extremely conducive to the welfare of a 

 country, as men of different capitals are thus induced 

 to apply themselves to agriculture, and to emulate 

 each other in their schemes of improvement, and in 

 their efforts to obtain an independent, or a comfort- 

 able livelihood. The rent is generally paid in money, 

 except when lands are held under colleges and chap 



