CASTLE OLIVER. 147 



ment than in thefe rich lands. The face of the 

 country is that of defolation ; the grounds are 

 over-run with thirties, (carduus) ragwort, (fe- 

 necio jacobtea) &c. to excefs ; the fences are 

 mounds of earth, full of gaps ; there is no 

 wood, and the general countenance is fuch, 

 that you muft examine into the foil before you 

 will believe that a country, which has fo beg- 

 garly an appearance, can he fo rich and 

 fertile. 



To (hew the rife of land, Sir Harry Harp- 

 fon has a farm of 400 acres, which his grand- 

 father let in 1676, at 45. 6d. an acre, and 

 thought fo dear that an offer of a fcore of fheep 

 and two goats were offered to be off; it would 

 let now at 305. I had this fact from himfelf. 

 The breed of cattle here is all long horned. 

 There are fome cows fattened alib, but not 

 near fo many as oxen. Likewife fome dairies, 

 which are fet, one cwt. butter, and 2os. horn 

 money. The dairyman's privilege is two or 

 three cows, a cabbin and a garden. The num- 

 ber of cows feldom above a fcore : but they are 

 found fo troublefome and impofing, that they 

 have taken a different method, and employed 

 dairywomen on their own account. 



Great quantities of flax fown by all the poor 

 and little farn.ers, which is fpun in the coun- 

 try, and a good deal of handle cloth made of 

 it. This and pigs are two great articles of 

 profit here ; they keep great numbers, yet the 

 poor in this richtracl: of country are very badly 

 K 2 off, 



