SOIL AND SURFACE. 
7 
county at Tenbury, and winds through it for about 
thirty miles to the Severn at Powick; it is somewhat 
more rapid than the Avon, but navigable for barges as 
far as Powick-bridge and a little higher: in its accom¬ 
panying vale are a great number of hop-yards and or¬ 
chards, and its banks abound with fertile meadows, and 
rich feeding pastures. 
The Stour from Stourbridge, after passing through 
the Staffordshire parish of Kinver, re-enters Worces¬ 
tershire at Wolverley, and runs through it in all ten 
miles to the Severn at Stourport; its banks contain 
some good meadow and pasture land, and some bog; 
this river is said to arise in the famous Leasowes of the 
poet Shenstone. 
The Salwarpe, a smaller river from Droitwich, falls 
into the Severn above Worcester; besides which, the 
whole county is intersected, in various directions, with 
brooks and small perennial streams, which empty 
themselves into the different rivers, and whose banks 
consist of rich pasture and fertile meadow land, pro¬ 
ducing an abundant supply of hay, not only for the 
consumption of the county, but large quantities are 
sent by the Severn,, and the Trent and Severn canal, 
into Staffordshire, 
From these rivers and rivulets, the upland gradually 
arises in gentle slopes and swells, to the height of 50, 
iOO, 150, and 200 feet above the level of the tide : few 
t 7 
instances of any extended plain of flat upland, but the 
country varying and waving in all directions; and as 
you approach the hills, and towards the north and 
north-east, rising to a greater elevation, the soil and 
surface may, I think, be properly divided as follow : 
1. The natural meadows and pastures on the rivers 
and rivulets as above named. 
2. The 
