280 
COMMERCE. 
consumption of landed produce, by people in trade, 
bears a large proportion towards one-half of the whole: 
this must have a very great effect upon the markets ; 
and if to this be added the convenience of being fur¬ 
nished with the manufactured articles at the best hand, 
there can be no doubt but the manufactures of this 
county (notwithstanding they increase the poor’s rates) 
are an advantage to agriculture and the landed in¬ 
terest. 
SECT. VI.—COMMERCE. 
The commerce of this county is considerable, from 
its own fertility and various products: the convenience 
of its navigable rivers arid canals, and its situation near 
a populous mining and manufacturing country. It 
consists in the surplus of its own manufactures, and 
the export of gloves, China ware, glass, hardware, 
and Kidderminster goods; but more particularly in 
that of the landed produce of this and the neighbour¬ 
ing counties; Worcester as named before, being the 
great mart for the hops, fruit, perry, and cyder, of 
this part of the kingdom, and which, in good years, 
amounts to a very great quantity of each article: some 
very good, and even large fortunes, have been made ip 
these concerns, and particularly in the hop trade ; for 
in a plentiful year of this article, the market is so over 
stocked, that the price is little or nothing more thap 
the amount of labour and duty, and the merchant who 
has the command of money, may buy up large quan- 
tities upon these terms for speculation, and they are, 
upon these occasions, good, and better, than in bad sea¬ 
sons j 
