GLOUCESTERSHIRE. 
+ The Thames has its source’ in this county, about two 
miles south-west of Cirencester; it then enters Wilt- 
shire, and again becomes a Gloucestershire river at 
Kempsford, continuing the southern boundary of it to 
Lechtade, where it enters: Oxfordshire. The Wye di- 
‘vides part of Gloucestershire from’ Monmouthshire and 
: ire, and forms thenatural western boundary 
to the forest of Dean. The:canals in this county are 
the Stroudwater, which begins at the town of Stroud, 
and enters the Severn at ilode: its width is 42 
feet, its } nearly eight miles, and its rise above 
the level: of the Severn 102 feet. The Thames and 
Severn: canal begins at Walbridge, where’ the Stroud’ 
navigation’ends, and joins: the Thames at’ Lechlade ; 
its length is 28: miles; ‘its: general. breadth 40 feet ; its 
fall 180;feet.  Itruns by a tunnel through Sapertow- 
hill The Berkley canal, which was intended to open 
acommunication between Gloucester and the Severn 
at Berkley, has not been completed: The Hereford and 
Gloucester canal begins at Hertford, and joins the Severn 
yposite to Gloucester ; the total length is 35 miles. 
» mineral productions: of this county are not 
very numerous or i t, coal only excepted ;: this 
is found in abundance in almost every part of Dean fo- 
rest, where there are’ not fewer than 150 pits: the: 
ee the vale also. abounds in coal, but of a’ 
less sulphureous quality than that of the forest. Iron 
ore abounds in the forest, but only’a small quantity is 
raised. In:this district:also. a good ‘compact’ limestone 
is found, but inferior to that’ which’ forms vast’ beds’ at- 
the southern extremity of ‘the county: the lime made’ 
from this stone is uncommonly white and” strong. 
Blue clay-stone is found in the vale, in layers of from” 
four to ten inches thick ; it is useful for building: it 
contains a considerable: portion. of calcareous matter. 
Freestone, of excellent quality, is raised from the Cotes- 
_ wold quarries ;-and: paving stones: and grits’ are found 
in the forest ; of the latter, one of extraordinary hard+ 
nessrand durability; deemed: superior to any other for: 
cyder mills. Stone tiles are raised in the Coteswold 
_ hills;- and:inthe parish of Henbury there is‘a fine’ bed 
of plaster of Paris. 
5 e principal mineral water is at Cheltenham, which, 
for upwards of 30 years, has been much resorted to. Ac- 
cording to the analysis of Dr Fothergill’and other che- 
mists, its component: parts are m and Glauber 
salts, a'small portion of chalybeate, and’ some fixed air. 
It is:particularly efficacious in all’ disorders of the li- 
ver, See CHeLvrennam. ' 
. There are no very large estates’ in this county ; but 
the number of yeomen who possess freeholds is very’ 
great. About a fortieth part-of the whole land is held: 
under. corporations ; there is.very little copyhold. The: 
average size of farms is small, h there are some 
large: grazing farms in: the vale: Before the injudi- 
cious-rise in the rent of land, the-average rent’ on the 
Coteswolds was, for arable 15s. for pasture 258." per’ 
acre. In the vale, for arable® 20s. for pasture 30s. 
In the forest district, for arable'20s. for pasture 25s. 
peracre. Within the last century, more than 90 acts 
of: Parliament: have been - ‘for the inclosure of: 
waste and commonable lands'in this-county. 
ts Of the implements.of husbandry used in Gloucester- 
shire, the: waggon deserves: particular notice, being, in 
the opinion of Mr Marshall, the best/farm-waggon in: 
the kingdom. Its. most. stri peculiarity is that of 
a crooked side-rail, ing archwise over the 
|. hind wheel; the body: is wide in proportion to its 
shallowness ; and the wheels run very wide: its advan- 
tages. therefore, in carrying a tep-load, are. obvious. 
825 
The old plough, with one wheel, but shortened in the Gloucester. 
ire. 
beam, is‘ mostly used on the Coteswolds ; through the 
greater part of the vale, the old swing plough is retain- 
ed. There are but few thrashing machines in the 
county. A very useful cradle scythe is used in the 
vale for cutting beans. 
As tlhe’ forest of Dean: is’ still comparatively speaking 
a waste, the agriculture of Gloucestershire must be 
sought after in the other parts of the county. The 
vale of Gloucester is'a rich vale district, equally aban- 
dant in‘grassiand corn’; the Coteswold hills is an upland 
arable dietrict ; and’ the’ vale of Berkley is a grassland 
dairy country: It is computed that there are about 
300;000'acres under tillage in Gloucestershire. The 
most striking practice with respect to the tillage land, 
is followed ‘on the Coteswold hills, where the crops are 
generally sown after one te Fallowing is prac- 
tised.on the strong vale lands. In the open fields, be- 
low Gloucester, two crops and a fallow are the gerieral 
practice} and'three crops and a fallow above that city. 
On the Coteswold hills turnips are substituted for a 
fallow, after which barley, grass for two years, wheat, 
and’ oats, pease or vetches. Wheatis drilled and plant- 
ed'in some’ of the vale lands; and is carefully 
hoed while it is growing: The produce on the Cotes- 
wolds averages 15 bushels, and in the vale nearly double 
that quantity per acre. Barley forms an important crop 
in'the Coteswolds, but is seldom sown on the strong 
lands' of the vale. Oats are chiefly grown in the forest 
district:' Inthe management of all these crops there is 
nothing’ particularly striking or commendable ; but in 
the entire oe leah the bean crop, Gloncester- 
shire may afford'a valitable lesson to almost every other 
part of the Kingdom. Beans’ are principally the pro- 
duce of the clay soils of the-vale. th the ordinary prac- 
tice ofthe: district, they are’ planted’ by women, and 
hoed by wonien‘and children, always.twice, and‘some- 
times thrice; they succeed’ wheat or barley, The 
ground being ploughed nine or ten inches deep, ma- 
nure is seldom given: They are planted early in Feb- 
ruary; by ier 3 pins either across or down the ridges. 
The quantity of seed is'24 or 3 bushels. The distance 
between the rows from 10 to 14 inches; the distance 
in the rows: about’ two inches’; the depth two inches. 
The produce’ varies from’ 20°to 40 bushels per acre. 
Péase bol api grown on the Coteswolds. Tares, 
both winter and spring, are grown in all parts of the 
county, and’on all soils. Turnips are pretty extensive- 
ly cultivated ; they are seldom drilled; but always care- 
fully hoed, Swedish turnips are mostly confined to the 
rich lands of the vale ; both kinds are almost exclusive- 
ly given-to sheep. Rye'is grown in abundance in that 
part of the forest district called the Ryelands, but scarcely 
arly where else. Potatoes are particularly attended to in 
the‘southern parts of the county. The culture of flax 
and teasels ‘has much declined within these late years. 
On the banks of the Severn, and the other rivers Meadows, 
which flow through the vale, there are very rich natu- 
ral meadows and pastures; their fertility principally 
arises from: the mud which is deposited upon them 
during the inundations: The Avon is said to bring 
down the richest-deposit from the hills of Warwick- 
shire. The meadows on the banks of the Severn, con- 
sidérably below Gloucester, partake of the nature of 
salt-marshes. For some miles above and below that 
city, the meadows are mowed every year, and the ave- 
rage produce is two tons per acre, though no manure is 
Tillage. 
Beans. 
‘ 
ever laid on them. Sainfoin has been cultivated on the Sainfoin. 
Coteswold hills for u 
wards of 150 years, and is still a 
very general and useful 
crop there: its duration, how- 
