74 
The Agriculture of Pembrokeshire. 
and the subsoil plough are required over a considerable part of 
it. The coal itself is anthracite, and some of the seams are of 
the finest quality for malting, brewing, and distilling purposes. 
Thousands of tons are sent to Burton-on-Trent and other brew- 
ing centres, as well as to the large distilleries of Ireland and 
elsewhere. Thus, possibly, the coal-measures of this county 
benefit agriculture indirectly. The undulating conformation, 
together with the comparative absence of very stiff clays, com- 
bine to dispose of the rainfall so satisfactorily, that there is not 
much bog-land ; nor does the surface get flooded to any great 
extent in wet weather. 
The absence of an excess of alumina is shown also by the 
soil not being of a very adhesive nature, and it is seldom that 
there is much difficulty in working the land. 
Climate and Rainfall. — The weather is usually wet in January 
and the first part of February ; then a dry period occurs, perhaps 
to the middle or end of March ; April and May are generally 
rather cold, with easterly winds and variable rainfall ; fine 
Aveather, with occasional heavy showers, prevails during June, 
July, and August ; in September, usually a decided break 
comes, gales of wind with rain ; after this equinoctial disturb- 
ance the weather is generally for a month or so the most 
delightful of the whole year ; and often the fine bright days, 
with occasional fogs, extend on well into December. Severe 
frost is not common ; a light hoar in October and November, 
and again in April, often make up the sum total. The rainfall 
is pretty evenly distributed over the year, and, thougti suffi- 
cient, is not excessive ; the average for the greater part of the 
county is from 40 to 45 inches, and about 5 inches more for 
the bigh land. 
Roads, Fences, Sj-c. — The roads of a county have a close con- 
nection with its agriculture, and those of Pembrokeshire are, 
when taken as a whole, fit to compare in soundness and clean- 
ness with any. Off the turnpikes they are generally rather 
narrow, but the limestone of the south and the igneous rooks* 
of the north make splendid roads. In the wettest weather 
they are not puddly, nor in the driest dusty, as compared with 
roads on the oolite or lias. The fences predominating are 
banks formed of sods and soil, or sods and stones, and some- 
times these are surmounted witli thorn or gorse ; in the rocky 
parts stone and earth, or dry stone walls do duty. Large 
rivers there are not, but small streams are innumerable, and 
altogether the county is exceedingly well watered. 
* IgnoouE rocks : it is intended here to refer to the harder of the rocks 
included under the general term " trap." 
