1800]. 
indeed, thefe are not fuffered to prefent any 
permanent impediments to the freedom of 
the fleecy race: for make them as tight as 
you pleafe and as high as you pleafe, they 
are (ure to be regularly cleared, as foon as 
the winter fets in, of every thing burnable, 
living or dead, and your work is all to be 
renewed in the enfuing fpring. Alas! 
what chance in fuch a neighbourhood have 
your turnips to help out your hay, or for 
cabbages to fueceed your turnips. I have 
ventured to fow fome.of the latter this 
foring, and I fhall ventare (if Thave luck) 
to plant fome out this fummer: but I do it 
with avery lively apprehenfion that I am 
only {pending my time, my diligence, and 
my fub(tance, to fupport the freebooters, 
(biped and quadruped) by which this once 
famous refidence of Roderic the Great is 
now fo notorioufly infefted. 
One would think the evils that have this 
year refulted from-the want of fodder might 
urge our farmers to.adopt a more {pirited 
and rational fyftem for providing for the 
winter-keep of their ftock ; and alfo a plan 
of regulations neceffary for the encourage- 
ment of fuch improved cultivation : for be- 
fides the inconveniencies and impediments 
with refpect to fowing the {pring-corn, 
there have been great numbers of cattle 
that have perifhed abfolutely for want. 
At no very great diftances from this place, 
I have heard of one farmer who has loft 
eleven, and another nineteen, cows. Inae- 
pendent, indeed, of what may have hap- 
pened from the want of fodder, there feems 
to be! fome diftemper among cattle, fe- 
veral inftances of accidents among which 
have lately occurred. Amdng the reft, a 
very near neighbour of mine has loft two 
very fine mares; and I myfelf had a very 
fine cow (for which, lefs than a week be- 
fore the accident, I had paid the fum of 
131.) drop down and fuddenly expire, as 
fhe was grazing in the middle of the day 
upon one of my meadows. 
‘All thefe circumftances put together 
have occafioned every kind of ftock (and 
milch-cows more particularly) to fell at 
moft exorbitant prices at our late fairs: 
and indeed it is not to be difguifed, 
that we feem to be threatened with a ge- 
neral.dearth. Grain with us has rifen to 
a moft exorbitant price:—-Wheat as high 
as 24s. and Barley 14s. per cuftomary 
bufhel of 10 gallons; and what is worfe, 
there are many little neighbourhoods in 
thefe parts, in which none is to be had at 
any raté; and the werking people are 
obliged to lofe their time by going to dif- 
tant markets to procure it. And yet, as 
| have before obferved, our labourers (who | 
‘“Montary Mac. No. 60. 
Agriculture and Crops in South Wales. 
Bes . 
provide for thémfelves) have but 7s. per 
week. Some two or three there are who 
give eight; and there are fome few who 
have had the confideration to referve a lit- 
tle barley for their own labourers, and who 
fell it them fomewhat below the market. 
price. But the number is fmall that have 
any to.referve; and-I can {peak from my 
own knowledge, that, for a {pace of feven 
miles along our comparatively fertile val- 
ley, there are but two farmers who have a 
bufhel of grain of any defcription to fell. 
{ft the aflertions and inquiries of others are 
to be depended upon, the flatement might 
be verified to a much more confiderable ex- 
tent. In fhort, if I may judge of what E 
hear by what I know, I fear I may but 
‘too confidently affirm, that in this part of 
the country we have notnearly grain encugh 
to furnifh our {canty population till the 
next harveft: and I am forry to repeat, 
but it ought to be impreffed, becaufe time-~ 
ly attention might prepare, in fome de- 
gree, againft the evil, that the profpects 
for thad harveft (both on account of the 
circumftances already mentioned, and the 
prefent appearances of the wheats in genes 
ral) in thefe parts are far fron: being pro- 
mifing. 
I know there is a delicacy in many per- 
fons, arifing from very good, though I be- 
lieve very miftaken, principles, about bring- 
ing faéts of this defcription before the pub- 
lic: but I believe it would have heen well 
for the hali-famifhed poor of this nation, 
if the faéts and reafonings of thofe who had 
made obfervations on the prognoftics of the 
early part of laft fpring had not been fo 
faftidioufly fuppreffed. Jobbers, indeed, 
may take advantage of the public alarm: 
but their advantages are ultimately (in 
years of real fcarcity) a public benefit. 
Had grain been hitherto fold at the current 
prices of laft year; long before the next. 
harveft can come round, there would be 
none to be had at any price. Even as it. 
is, inthefe parts, I repeat it, I do not think 
that without auxilliary fupphes, cur pea- 
fantry, or even our little farmers, can be 
fubfiftted. Befides, might not the govern- 
ment, or, which is better, would not the 
merchant, from mere felf-intereft, iftimely 
apprifed, counteract the fpeculations of the- 
jobbers, by filling, and confequently fink. 
ing the market with foreign fupplies ? 
From thefe digreffive refieCtions fome 
general idea may perhaps be cojlected of 
fome parts at leaft of our agricultural eco- 
nomy in thofe parts of South Wales that 
furround this beautiful little village; and 
as I have now dipped into the fubject, you 
may perhaps (if this paper is found accep- 
2Z table) 
