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just to have stated its value at five shillings per acre, or even less than that, for a right of stocking could be rented for half a guinea per year.

"Nor is the improved value at all exaggerated. On the contrary, I am confident it will exceed thirty-five shillings per acre; for even in dry summers three tons of hay per acre have been cut on inclosed lands adjoining or near the moor, the soil of which lands is in no respect better than that of the moor."

"OTHER SEDGMOORS."

P. 197. "Besides King's-Sedgmoor, there are other similar tracts of land on the adjacent rivers Tone and Yeo, on which no improvement has yet been attempted, namely, Normoor, near North-Petherton; Stanmoor, Currymoor, West-Sedgmoor, &c. near North-Curry; West-Moor, near Kingsbury; Wet-Moor, near Muchelny;* amounting in the whole to about ten thousand acres, independent of many thousand acres of low flooded inclosed lands, which might be greatly improved by judicious draining.

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Many of these moors are superior in their quality to King's-Sedgmoor; and the example now set before them will, I trust, remove the mist from the proprietors' eyes, and make them see, in a true light, their own and the public interest."

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NATURAL ECONOMY.

SURFACE.-P. 263. "Quantock, Brandon, and Dunkry

Hills, may be noted for their wild and rugged scenery; and the part which is called Dunkry Beacon, is the highest land in the whole county."

CLIMA

"Most of these moors are now (1797) inclosed or inclosing."

CLIMATURE.-P. 263. "The climate, particularly of that part which is called the the Vale of Taunton Dean, is peculiarly mild and serene; and the soil highly fertile and productive. The eye is agreeably relieved by a judicious mixture of arable and pasture; and if it be contrasted with some parts of the Northern District, it may emphatically be called the Land of Canaan.

"There are, however, certain parts North-West of the said vale which are mountainous, and subject to that mutability of weather, and moisture of air, generally found on elevated situations."

SOILS. Of the Vale of Taunton.-P. 264. "The soil is a rich loam, interspersed in some places with clay, as part of Bradfield, Buckland, North side of Wellington, part of Sampford, Hill-Farrence, Ninehead, Oake, and Heathfield; and in other parts with sand, or a lighter mould; as Kingston, Bishop's-Lidiard, Halse, Fitzhead, Milverton, Langford, Thorne, and Runnington."

Of the Seacoast Districts." The soil of some part of this district is but little inferior to that of the former; but the hills and forests are for the most part left in a state of nature."

POLITICAL ECONOMY.

APPROPR

PPROPRIATION.-P. 286. "In an agricultural survey of the county of Somerset, it will naturally be expected that particular notice should be taken of the forest of Exmoor; its vast extent, and capability of improvement, render it an object well worthy of attention.

"This forest extends from north to south about eight miles, and from east to west ten or twelve; containing, according to an accurate survey lately made, about nineteen thousand nine hundred acres."

Mr. B. enters on a description of this forest; and makes proposals for its improvement. I perceive nothing, however, in his observations, that appears, to me, either sufficiently instructive, or interesting to the public, for extraction.

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P. 289. Besides Exmoor, there are several hundred acres of uncultivated land around Dunkry, and on Quantock and Brandon hills."

MANUFACTURES.-P. 295. " About a century ago the woollen manufactures in the town of Taunton were in a very flourishing condition, and of course some of their

benefits

benefits devolved to the agriculturist; but of late years the warmth of party at the elections of their representatives in parliament has run so high, that it has not subsided from one election to another; by which means manufactures declined, and have been removed to Wellington and other places. So that it may fairly be inferred, that if the right of election to members in parliament has been injurious to any borough in the kingdom, it has been so to this."

P. 296. "Though the trade of Taunton has declined, yet considerable manufactories are carried on at Wellington, Wiveliscombe, and other places; and many thousand hands are employed therein."

RURAL ECONOMY.

TENURE

ENURES.-P. 268. "The major part of the five hundreds of Taunton Dean, consists of customary lands of inheritance, held under the Lord Bishop of Winchester, paying an annual rent. These customary lands pass by surrender, paying to the lord fines and heriots on alienations. There are also many singular customs within the manor, difficult to be understood even by the tenants themselves. The descent is called that of Borough-English, with some variations. The wife is heir to her husband; and it is no uncommon thing for a widow, on the death of her husband, having children by hím, to marry again, and carry her estate into her second family, to the disinheritance of her first."

Wo

AGRICULTURE.

ORKPEOPLE.-P. 294. "The price of labour, throughout the whole district, is nearly the same, viz. Men, through the year, one shilling per day and beer; women, for weeding and common work, six-pence per day; and for mattocking the wheat and hay-making, eight-pence per day."

WORKING ANIMALS.-P. 291. "Oxen are principally used, and are for the most part worked in yokes."

P. 293. "The oxen of this country are large, well made, and beautiful animals. They are almost all red. They are yoked at three years old, and worked till they are five or six, when they are sold to the graziers, at prices from ten pounds to twenty-two pounds each ox."

ORCHARDS.-In a note, by R. P. appendant to the

chapter

ehapter "Orchards," of this Report, I find a few particulars, on cidermaking, that are new to me; not having met with them, either in the Glocestershire or the West Devonshire practice. The process is well described-concise, yet clear; and although the Writer's theory may be unsound, his practice, fortunately, does not bear upon it.

N. p. 282. "In part of this county, the art of making sweet rich cider, which sells from three to five or six guineas per hogshead, is reduced to a system; and there are some persons who, on being furnished with a sufficient quantity of apples, undertake to make and carry it through the whole process at the price of fifteen shillings a hogshead. But the method of doing this they endeavour to keep a profound secret. The Writer of this note, who is in possession of this method, and has practised it successfully for his private use, desirous that all makers of cider, who think it worth their attention, may profit by it, takes this opportunity of making it more generally known:

"The apples being ripe, but not rotten, and all of the same sort, that the fermentation may be more uniform, grind and press them moderately, but by no means closely. Pour the liquor into a tub to kive, and when the brown head (which will rise on it sooner or later as the weather is more warm or cold) begins to crack, and the white froth appears in the cracks level with the surface of the head, it must be drawn off in order for tunning into your vessel. At this time a great deal of feculence is thrown to the top, as well as deposited at the bottom, and if the liquor is continued longer in the tub, the head will sink, the bottom rise, and a strong fermentation take place, which it will be difficult to subdue, and which carries away the sweets. Proceeding in your operation, tun into a hogshead vessel three pail-fulls or about fifteen gallons of this cider. This done, burn in the vessel a strong match made with nearly a quarter of a pound of stone brimstone, stopping the bung as close as possible, that none of the fume may escape. When the match is quite burnt out, open the bung, and immediately pour in four ounces of sweet spirit of nitre. Put in the bung tight again, and roll the vessel strongly for near half an hour, by which time the smoke of the match will be destroyed and taken up by the liquor. Then set the vessel in its place, fill it to within a finger's breadth of the top, but no higher, and let it stand till the month of February. In this month it will be coming fine, and must be watched attentively, and examined frequently by a peg in the barrel. When perfectly fine, it must be immediately drawn off and tunned into the same vessel, after washing ⚫ut the lee, burning also at this racking a smaller brimstone

match

match. It is directed to be drawn off immediately when quite fine, because a very few hours produce an amazing alteration. It becomes turbid and foul, the" (a) "second fermentation is commenced, the sweets fly off" (!)" and all the preceding trouble is rendered of no effect. R. P."

LIVESTOCK.-P. 291. "The stock of Taunton-Dean, is principally neat cattle and sheep; the former of the North Devon, the latter of the Dorset breed, both excellent of their kind. Many graziers prefer the oxen bred in this district to those of Barnstaple, South-Molton, Torrington, &c. and the sheep are considered as equally profitable with the Leicestershire breed, which have been introduced, but do not gain ground.

"The dairy farmers are accustomed to take in sheep to keep during the winter, viz. from the beginning of October and November, to the 5th of April; the usual prices are, for hog sheep five shillings, and for ewes seven or eight shillings per head. The Dorsetshire flocks are greatly improved by this custom, and the price of keeping is on the advance."

SHEEP.-P. 292. "There are two sorts of sheep in this country, the one a native breed, without horns, well made, and covered with a thick fleece of wool, weighing in general seven or eight pounds; the other a small horned sheep, called Exmoor sheep, bought, when hoggits, at South-Molton market. The first is a valuable sort, not much unlike the Leicester breed; and their fleeces may be considered as a most profitable article to the breeder, as they sometimes reach even the weight of twelve pounds." P. 293." The second sort are kept on the forest of Exmoor, or the adjoining hills, for two or three years, merely for the annual profit of their fleeces; the weight of which seldom exceeds four pounds. They are fattened on turnips, and sold without their wool. Weight of carcase from fourteen pounds to eighteen pounds per quarter."

IMPROVEMENT S.

AT THE CLOSE of his Report, Mr. Billingsley inserts—

"a recapitulation of the Hints for Improvement, already suggested in the preceding pages, with some additional remarks."

But before I enumerate the subjects of improvement which Mr. B. conceives the County to be capable of receiving, I will place, here, his well expressed sentiments, concerning the RURAL PROFESSION.

P. 297.

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