240 RURAL ECONOMY OF ENGLAND. 



vation by oxen is still sometimes to be seen there, but 

 this is becoming more rare in England every day. On 

 the coast, rents rise very high, and fall in proportion as 

 they near the mountains. Although the population is 

 greater than the natural resources of the country might 

 lead one to suppose, still they are throughout in a 

 flourishing condition, a considerable amount of labour 

 being absorbed by the coal and iron mines. 



Herefordshire exhibits fewer contrasts than Monmouth ; 

 it has less of mountain and plain, but the county gene- 

 rally is hilly. The average rent is somewhat higher than 

 in Monmouth. As to Salop, the last and largest of the 

 three frontier counties, one part of it is just a con- 

 tinuation of Hereford, the other is a transition between 

 the hilly country and the more flat county of Chester ; 

 its numerous iron-mines and potteries rival those in the 

 neighbouring county of Stafford. 



The chief agricultural occupation of this district is the 

 breeding of that fine race of white-faced red cattle known 

 by the name of Herefords. These cattle, which the graziers 

 of the midland counties, who purchase them for fattening, 

 esteem most highly, fatten more readily than any other 

 breed when put upon good pasture ; and their beef is 

 better than the Durham, but slower in forming. If, as 

 appears to be the case, the breeding of short-horns is 

 increasing in parts of the country where they have not 

 hitherto been reared, the most profitable occupation of 

 the Welsh frontier will be threatened, and the Hereford- 

 shire breeders will also be forced to turn their attention 

 to fattening. 



Lastly comes the county of Chester, the richest of the 

 six. Cheshire cheese has a fame out of England wider 

 even than that of Gloucester. The county contains 

 seven hundred thousand acres, one-half of which is under 



