Tour in England* 
the tenant was considered in the broad road to 
ruin, and certain it is, owing to the superior 
care bestowed in the cultivation, lands in Great 
Britain yield much larger average products 
than they do in the United States. We neglected 
to add in the proper place, that labor, clothing, 
and some other things are about 50 per cent, 
cheaper in England than in the United 
States. We may sum up its agriculture by 
saying, that many things there are worthy of 
all imitation by us, it is neater, more regular, 
and more scientific, and notwithstanding the two 
very adverse seasons of ’39 and ’40, owing to 
the indefatigable industry, skill and prudence of 
the English people, it is in a high state of pros¬ 
perity. The present years crop ( : 41,) was a 
good average one, though the season was called 
cold and rainy. The grain grew well and fair¬ 
ly ripened, and the root crops, which are equal¬ 
ly if not more important, were never more pro¬ 
mising 
The buildings are various, from the immense 
castellated pile of Windsor, the residence of the 
Queen, down to the humble hut of clay walls, 
thatched roof, and earthen or brick floor. But 
how rural and pretty were many of these last, 
with trim hedges and gardens around them, and 
how often have we stopped to gaze with delight 
at the tidy matron or blooming girl outside, 
watering the grass plot, trimming up the flow¬ 
ers, or cultivating the fruits and vegetables that 
always adorned them! 
The road? in Berkshire are thoroughly Mc- 
Adamised, even to the lanes; and the great 
Western Rail Road passes directly through 
here from London to Bristol, and is probably 
the finest m the world. There are several ca¬ 
nals here also, which with the slack water na¬ 
vigation of the Thames, create great facilities 
for travel and transportation. 
We found the people wherever we went, 
friendly and hospitable, and were treated with a 
kindness and attention there, and, indeed, in all 
England, that we did not anticipate. The far¬ 
mers live handsomely, as in our own country, 
with substantial furniture in the houses, books, 
engravings, and various knick-knacks floating 
about—keep their own gigs or pretty spring 
carts, and a pony chaise for wife and daughters 
to do their visiting, and take their airings in. 
They still wear white top boots and drab gait¬ 
ers a good deal, and the peasantry may be gen¬ 
erally seen in frocks, corduroy breeches, gray 
stockings., and thick, solid hob-nailed boots. 
They work moderately, and generally have 
enough.to eat and drink, and their clothes are 
comfortable and appropriate, and some of their 
cottages absolutely enviable. Occasionally 
there is partial work for them, and then comes 
the hated Poor-house, to which they are obliged 
41 
to resort. We heard many complaints of bas» 
tardy and drinking among them, but of these 
things, the higher ranks would do well to be 
silent, till they set better examples themselves. 
The peasantry are a sturdy race, and some of 
them would do credit to the roughest bluntness of 
our backwoodsmen in their speech and manners, 
while others are somewhat cringing and sub- 
servient. Upon the whole they are a free, 
hearty class, and we took great pleasure in chat¬ 
ting with them on every occasion, and only 
wished we could transplant about 50,000 of them 
per annum to our wild, fertile districts in the 
United States. They would soon get passing 
rich for them, and become valuable members of 
the great American family. The women are 
much out in the fields, hoeing turnips, raking 
hay, reaping, binding, gleaning, and harvesting 
the root crops. I liked to see them in haying 
time : it is clean, light, pretty work, and brought 
to mind all the poetry of Burns, and the en¬ 
chanting song-writing of the United Kingdom; 
and we can assure our readers, that we saw 
many a “charming, sweet, sonsie lassie” en¬ 
gaged in these rural occupations. They wore 
neat straw bonnets, and had cloaks and umbrel¬ 
las to guard against the frequent showers, and 
to our question as we passed, “ Well, girls, this 
is fine fun, is it not,—the hay harvest ?” they 
blushed and smiled, courtesied. and replied. 
“Yes, your honor,” or simply, “Yes, please, 
when weather’s fair.” We would very gladly 
relate many instances of manners and conver¬ 
sations that fell under our observation when 
abroad, but to avoid the possibility of trespass¬ 
ing in the slightest degree upon private life, we 
forbear. Perhaps, however, occasional scenes 
may come in hereafter, when nothing can be 
risked on this head, or kind hospitality appear 
to be betrayed. 
Markets are held somewhere in the county 
almost every day in the week, but the largest 
and most generally attended are those at New¬ 
bury and Reading, if we recollect right on 
Thursdays and Saturdays. Here you will see 
the farmers in neat, white tops, and drab gaiters, 
coming in from all quarters in their gigs, spring 
carts, and on horseback; sturdy peasant men 
and women on foot with baskets of sundry 
things in hand, and others with ponies and don¬ 
keys, balancing loaded hampers on their backs, 
while the more wealthy had their quadrupeds 
harnessed to market wagons, loaded with vege¬ 
tables, eggs and notions in general, followed up 
by the huge broad wheeled wagon, to which 
those of our native country are but cock boats 
to a frigate, and piled up with sacks of grain 
about as high as a load of hay. The roads are 
so smooth and perfect, that immense loads can 
be drawn upon them, and to this towering ve- 
