ENGLAND. 155 



mention, to the most uninformed reader, in what plenty the most 

 excellent fruits, appies, pears, plums, cherries, peaches, apricots, 

 nectarines, currants, gooseberries, raspberries, and other hortulan 

 productions, grow here ; and what quantities of cyder, perry, me- 

 theglin, and the like liquors, are made in some counties The cyder 

 of Devon and Herefordshire, when kept, and made of proper apples, 

 and in a particular manner, is often preferred, by judicious palates, 

 to French white-wine. The natives of England have made the differ- 

 ent fruits of the world their own, sometimes by simple culture, but 

 often by hot-beds and other means of forcing nature. The English 

 pine-apples are delicious, and now plentiful. The same may be said 

 of other natives of the East and .West Indies, Persia, and Turkey. 

 The English grapes are pleasing to the taste, but their flavour is not 

 exalted enough for making wine ; and indeed wet weather injures 

 the flavour of all the other fine fruits raised here. Our kitchen 

 gardens abound with all sorts of greens, roots, and sallads, in perfec- 

 tion ; such as artichokes, asparagus, cauliflowers, cabbages, cole- 

 worts, broccoli, peas, beans, kidney-beans, spinage, beets, lettuce, 

 celery, endive, turnips, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, leeks, onions, 

 and shallots. 



Woad for dyeing is cultivated in Bucks and Bedfordshire, as hemp 

 and flax are in other counties. In nothing, however, have the English 

 been more successful than in the cultivation of clover, cinqucfoil, 

 trefoil, saintfoin, lucern, and other meliorating grasses for the soil. 

 It belongs to a botanist to recount the various kinds ol useful and 

 salutary herbs, shrubs, and roots, that grow in different parts of 

 England. The soil of Kent, Essex, Surry, and Hampshire, is most 

 favourable to the difficult and tender culture of hops, which are now 

 become a very considerable article of trade. 



Animals. ...The English oxen are large and fat; but some prefef 

 for the table the smaller breed of the Scotch and Welch cattle, after 

 grazing in English pastures. The English horses are the best in the 

 world, whether we regard their spirit, strength, swiftness, or doci- 

 lity. Incredible have been the pains taken, by all ranks, for improv- 

 ing the breed of this favourite and noble animal: and the success 

 has been answerable ; for they now unite all the qualities and beau- 

 ties of Indian, Persian, Arabian, Spanish, and other foreign horses. 

 The irresistible spirit and weight of the English cavalry render them 

 superior to all others in war ; and an English hunter will perform 

 what would appear incredible in a fox or stag chase. Those which 

 draw carriages in the streets of London are often particularly beau- 

 tiful. The exportation of horses has of late become a considerable 

 article of commerce. The breed of asses and mules begins likewise 

 to be improved and encouraged in England. 



The English sheep are of two kinds ; those that are valuable for 

 their fleece, and those that are proper for the table. The former are 

 very large, and their fleeces constitute the original staple commodity 

 of England. In some counties the inhabitants are as curious in their 

 breed of rams as in those of their horses and dogs : and in Lincoln- 

 shire, particularly, it is no uncommon thing for one of these animals 

 to sell for 50/. It must, however, be owned, that those large fat sheep 

 are very rank eating. The late Mr. Bakewell of Leicestershire was 

 particularly famous for his improvements in the breed of sheep. 

 Four or five hundred, and, according to some accounts, a thousand 

 guineas have been given for the use of one of his rams for a single 



