374 



LETTER XXXI. 



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Castle Isle, Sept. 9, 1813. 



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THE valley of Limerick, so celebrated for 

 its beauty and fertility, is much indebted to the 

 latter for all it possesses of the former, as it is a 

 a flat, plain surface, of considerable extent, 

 stretching with few interruptions to the south- 

 ward, from the borders of the Shannon to New- 

 castle. Slovenly and bad as was the manage- 

 ment of the land before our arrival in Limerick, 

 on our departure, as far as we had an opportu- 

 nity of observing, it was equally censurable ; 

 nor do I conceive I hazard being unjust in sup- 

 posing it to be a fair sample of the agriculture 

 we shall meet in this most fertile level. 



A great number of orchards very agreeably 

 presented themselves, in which the trees were 

 heavily laden with fruit. This was no less a 

 pleasing than an uncommon sight, and must, 

 in the spring of the year, when the trees are 

 in blossom, highly contribute to that beauty 

 which the valley is reputed to possess. As 

 orchards add considerably to the comforts 



