It is noteworthy that the rapid development of road transport in the same period has effectually checked the tendency towards the concentration of the workers. Large numbers of them are conveyed by road from their homes in the villages and rural areas to the factories and works. The first iron works in Wales was established at Bersham near Wrexham (r70I) and the metal in dustries of the area continue to be of great importance; the manu facture of iron and steel, of galvanized iron and tin plates is carried on at several centres. There are shipyards and engineering works while the chief centre of the fine chemical industry in Wales is at Ruabon which is also famous for the production of terra cotta. Woollen, paper and artificial silk mills, having the most modern equipment, are found at Holywell and Flint.
North-west Wales (Carnarvon and Merioneth) is the principal seat of the Welsh slate-quarrying industry, of which the chief centres are Bethesda, Llanberis, Nantlle and Festiniog. This indus try is steadily reviving after the depression of the war years through the extensive use of modern machinery and of electric power and the utilization of the waste dumps for the production of commodities of commercial value. The annual output of Welsh slate is about 250,000 tons, valued at 12,000,000. The minerals of North Wales, excluding coal, give employment to about 33,000 workers and are valued approximately at £4,000,000 a year.
There is a rapid growth of hydro-electric enterprise. In 1907 the Aluminium Corporation laid down plant for the manufacture of aluminium at Dolgarrog and eventually combined with the North Wales Power company to provide electric power and light for North Wales. With Government support, schemes were un dertaken which were estimated to Cost. £2,000,000 and already three great power stations have been established. The power will tend to revive languishing local industries and to check rural depopulation. Large towns outside Wales, notably Liverpool, Birk enhead and Birmingham, derive water from the Welsh hills.
tural Waies is mainly devoted to the production of milk and meat.
About one-third of the agricultural land consists of heath land, rough pasture and bog. It is devoted to extensive sheep walks. The cultivation of wheat, which is particularly risky owing to the heavy rainfall, is confined entirely to the deeper river valleys and accounts for only 5% of the arable land. The greatest pro duction is in the Vale of Glamorgan, in the valleys of the Wye and the Usk in Monmouthshire. Barley and oats are grown fairly generally, the latter cereal being sufficiently hardy to return a good yield at a height of 1,00o to 1,50o ft. above sea level. Root crops for the feeding of store cattle occupy the remainder of the arable land. Cattle reared on the upland pastures of Wales are sold in great numbers to English graziers; they fatten rapidly on the richer lowland pastures. Wales maintains about 4,000,000 sheep, including the hardy native mountain breed, and these are likewise sold for the English market. In the past 3o years agriculture in Wales has made marked progress through the application of more scientific methods to all branches of farm ing in which the University colleges at Bangor and Aberystwyth, with the support of the Board of Agriculture, have rendered invaluable service. The extension of organization and co-opera tion have materially aided the farmers in tiding over the period of depression which followed the factitious prosperity of the war years. Agricultural co-operative societies, first established in Wales in 1901, multiplied rapidly and in 1922 a Welsh agri cultural organization society was founded.
Small mixed holdings of the average size of 47 ac. are char acteristic of Wales and the small holders were quick to grasp the advantages provided by the co-operative purchasing of foodstuffs, implements, etc. The independent Welsh Farmers' Union, founded in 1918, has recently been merged in the National Farmers' Union. The Government proposals of 1928 for rating relief in the case of agricultural land and for the provision of agricultural credit should produce, when carried into effect, a stimulating influence upon this vital industry.