The Agriculture of Glamorganshire. 
165 
VI. — The Agriculture of Glamorganshire. By W. Little, of 
Aberaman, near Aberdare. 
[Prize Essay, in competition for a prize of 25?. offered by Lieut.-Col. Picton 
Turbervill.] 
The county of Glamorgan is more noted for its great mineral 
wealth than for its agricultural products ; for, containing the 
largest area of the South Wales coal-field, it is at once the most 
important commercial county in the Principality, the most 
populous, and the most wealthy. Where Nature has stored up 
mineral riches in the bowels of the earth, the surface is generally 
infertile, and a very large area of this county is no exception to this 
general rule, but a prominent example of it. Notwithstanding 
this, the agriculture of Glamorgan, though not standing forth 
Avith any great prominence, possesses many features of interest, 
from which some profitable deductions may be adduced. 
The county of Glamorgan is situated between 51° 23' and 
51° 48' north latitude, and between 3° 3' and 4° 18' west longi- 
tude. It is bounded on the east by Monmouthshire, on the 
south by the Bristol Channel, on the west by Carmarthenshire, 
and on the north by Brecknockshire. Being a maritime 
county, it affords great facilities at its ports and harbours for 
the exportation of its mineral products. The coast-line is 
semicircular, its convex part being towards the Channel. The 
north and north-east parts of the county are mountainous, 
though none of the mountain ranges attain to great ele- 
vations. The highest mountain is Garn-fach, to the south- 
west of Hirwain, which is 1971 feet above the sea-level. The 
average height of the mountain ranges may be estimated at 
900 feet above the level of the sea. The whole surface of the 
county has a general slope or declination from north to south. 
Though the mountain scenery is subdued in tone, it is in many 
parts beautiful and varied. The ranges of high hills are 
generally intersected by comparatively narrow valleys, through 
which the mountain streams and rivers wind their way to the 
Bristol Channel. The sides of the valleys are in many instances 
picturesquely wooded, at least for some distance up, whilst the 
summits of the mountains are bare and ruffged. The farm- 
houses are chiefly planted on the sloping hillsides, and with 
their white-washed exterior lend a pleasing feature to the land- 
scape. The southern portion of the county, situated between 
the base of the hill district and the Bristol Channel, and 
commonly known as the Vale of Glamorgan, is level and fertile. 
In an agricultural sense, this is the most important division. 
The western portion, viz. Gower, is hilly and undulating in 
appearance, but the highest portions of it do not rise to the 
height of mountains. 
