I 
provisions. 255 
i ;• 1 , i < 
cultivated parts, afford gorn, grain, and pulse, of every 
kind, much more than necessary for the consumption 
of the county. Sheep and cattle, and the various arti¬ 
cles from them produced, are in much greater quantity 
than the home demand requires ; and the surplus finds 
a ready market at Birmingham, and in the mining and 
manufacturing parts of Staffordshire, to which places, 
grain, and fat ware, are often sold, and the markets 
there almost wholly supplied from this county with 
fruit; corn and meat are consequently generally cheaper 
here than in the neighbouring places above named. 
In a hit of fruit, large quantities of perry and cyder 
are produced, and the growers of these articles, with 
their families and dependants, drink this beverage duty 
free ; but upon sale, wholesale or retail, it becomes 
subject to the excise. 
The various kinds of garden vegetables are raised iii 
great plenty, and some of the rarer and choicer kinds 
sent to the market of Birmingham. 
Excellent salmon, as well as shad, lampreys, and 
lampern, is caught in the Severn, in the proper season, 
not only for the supply of the county, but of the above 
markets; the county is also well supplied with the 
other kinds of sea, and fresh-u r ater fish. 
An exuberant supply of hops (when a crop) is af¬ 
forded, both for this county, and the contiguous parts 
of the kingdom. 
Salt .—The salt works of Droitwich afford an inex¬ 
haustible store of this article, and of the most excellent 
quality ; more particulars of which will be given under 
the article Commerce. 
The price of all kinds of provisions is very much 
advanced of late years, a principal cause of wdiicb, is 
the great increase of manufactures in the adjoining 
. counties, 
