138 
CHAPTER VIII. 
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GRASS. ' 
*ECT. I.—NATURAL MEADOWS AND PASTURES. 
The natural grass-land of this county is very consi¬ 
derable ; the Vale of Severn, as before observed, con¬ 
tains, very probably, ten thousand acres of a deep rich 
soil, in some places as level as can be conceived, to a 
large extent; upon this land great numbers of sheep 
and cattle are fatted. I have* seen a large meadow of 
this rich soil almost covered with sheep; the verdure 
too is early in spring, and late in autumn ; and where 
it is sufficiently elevated, to be pretty well secured 
from floods, it is very valuable for mowing for hay. 
The banks of the Avon, the Teame, and the Stour, 
abound in rich meadow and pasture land ; in some 
parts similar to the former, in others thinner of soil, and 
inclining to be swampy. The county is-also intersected 
in all directions with smaller rivers, brooks, and rivu¬ 
lets ; whose margins consist of good meadow and 
pasture. I have observed, in some of these low-lands, 
cattle fatting and doing well, notwithstanding the ap¬ 
pearance of rushes and aquatic plants. The soil origi¬ 
nally, from the rich upland, has a fertility, and gives 
