e 
OXFORDSHIRE. 
Stonebrafh, and the Chiltern, The Re dland abounds aed 
in the northern diftri&, and is certainly the beit foil in the 
county. “It is deep, found, friable, yet casaule of pees 
city; and adapted to every plant that cau be trufted to it by 
the induftry of the cultivators.” The extent of land in 
which this foil prevails is 79,635 acres. ‘The Stonebrafh 
diftri& is more extenfive, | includes the Saeed part of the 
middle divifion of the county. It is eftimated to contain 
164,023 acres, almoft the whole of aie is inclofed. 
predominant feature of this traét is a “ furface of greater or 
lefs depth, of a loofe, dry, friable fand or loam, apparently 
— of abraded ftone, and abounding with many frag~ 
s of it.”’? It is excellently adapted for turnips, and is 
likewi iad for the wen of wheat. The Chiltern 
diftri& to the fouth confilts o 
_ 
o 
cay J 166,400 ul 
cae all forts a foil, from ‘lock fand to heav 
y be fu ah ig is con- 
real oe haat by the furface varieties we have juft men- 
and continue longer, than un the deeper lands in the vicinity. 
In warm feafons, the fame diftri@& is ufually moift, owing 
to the fogs, which are more frequent on the hills and woods 
than in the vales, 
Mineralogy —Oxfordhhire ae little to boaft of in 
mineralogical eftimate. Dr. » indeed, fuppofes slit 4 a 
filver_ mine was wrought (eae in the Chiltern diftriG, 
regard rather as an hypothe- 
tical poe dean than the refult of obvious dedu€tion. At 
prefent no metal whatever is found in any part of the county. 
Freeftone quarries, however, are frequent, and both lime- 
flone and flate are plentiful. Near Shotover is a confider- 
able quantity of ochre, which the learned naturalift above- 
ft of its kind in the 
08 
> 
ct 
ry 
J 
muft be admitted that only a few 
the denomination of confiderable rivers. ‘The prin sipel of 
them are the Thame, the Ifis, the Charwell, the Evenlode, 
the Glym, the Ray, and the Windrefh. The whole of 
thefe rivers unite with each other at different points of the 
county, and eventually conftitute the Thames or Thamitis. 
The chief branch of this river enters Oxfordbhire, under the 
‘Thence it con- 
tinues its courfe by Wallinaford Cone Whitchurch and 
the county of Berks, and exhibits in the {cenery of its banks 
much variety and go of afpe ct. 
8 to thofe mo 
En nglan. Freehold 
and copyhold leafes for lives are prevalent, but more par- 
ticularly church and college leafes, both for lives and for a 
certain term of years. e ufual fine is 
half’s rent. Eftates of courfe vary g e 
few noblemen and gentlemen have very large pofleffions here. 
Thefe, with the a ee belonging to the church, and dif- 
ferent corporate bodies in the Panay tk occupy a great 
proportion of the ade property of the county. 
are, however, many middh 
{maller clafs. A few 
latter, cultivate their own La and, generally fpeaking, 
appear to live in a r ble and comfortable manner. 
The price of land here ie averaged by Mr. Turner at 26 
ears’ purcha 
cafes, Siz of Farms, Rents, Tithes, &5e. — Oxfordhhire, 
notwithtlanding all the advantages of learning it poffefles, 
anked among thofe counties in which the leading 
Sane: of agricultural profperity are either mifunder- 
ftood, or neglected fi 
rom falfe an 
66 (pe all 
0 
g e injurious to 
the cultivator and - the landlord, mutt coueqrenly retard 
the ihe profperi 
n this ag differ praia l in extent, but 
they are othe inferior in fize to thofe in the other coun = 
of England. In the foreft — ha are few farm 
which pay more than 20 phil rent. 
Thame diftri& they feldom exce 
200 OF 300 
are in general 
larger, and fome {ma 
Youn ng 5 
6 erage, probably 
{omewhat increafed fince ie a of that Scanian $8 report 
180 
Tithes are of different saa a in this county, Some 
re€tors have one in fiftee one in twen 
The average of com aurdins for arable land fairly let, is 1s 
one-fourth of the rent. On other grounds, however, it is 
much lower 
Agricu inure. —Notwithftanding the difadvantageous cir- 
cumitances above-mentioned, it 1s but juftice to the Oxford- 
fhire farmers to remark, that the practice of agriculture has 
made rapid ftrides in improvement within the laf i 
h 
