Amongst the most rare of the indigenous plants of this county may be enumerated Lythrum hysso pifolium, grass-poly, or small hedge-hyssop, which grows plentifully in the fields between Oakley and Clapham ; Campanula latifolia, giant throat-wort, and Eriophoron polystachion, cotton grass, near Dun stable ; Geranium phaum, spotted cranes-bill, Eversholt ; Hyoseris minema, small swines' succory, near Aspley and Arnpthill ; and Ornithogalum 'talcum, spiked star of Bethelem, near Eaton-Locon. Dr Abbot, who has published a very ample Flora of the indigenous plants of this county, found the Euphorbia cyparissias, considered as a doubtful na tive plant, growing wild in Barton-lect woods.
According to meteorological observations made at Leighton-Buzzard, the monthly mean for four years, ending the 1st of January 1804, of the barometer, was of the thermometer, with a northern aspect, observed at eight o'clock in the morning, without the house, 47.2, within the house, 49.6; of rain, 1.93 inches ; and of evaporation, 1.05. The most prevalent wind, during that period, was south west by west.
The principal rivers in this county are the Ouse, the Ivel, and the Ouzel. The circuitous course of the first has been much exaggerated. As it is de scribed on Jeffries's map, which was made by a trigo nome.trical survey, its course does not appear to be more than 45 miles. It enters this county from Buckinghamshire, in the parish of Turvey, and, tak ing a winding course through fertile meadows, passes the town of Bedford, from which it becomes naviga ble, and makes its exit into Huntingdonshire. Its stream is remarkably slow, except in time of floods, when it is liable to great inundations. Its average 'depth is about ten feet. The fish of the Ouse are pike, perch, bream, chub, bleak, 'Cray-fish, eels, dace, roach, and gudgeon. The eels are of a very large size, in great abundance, and very fine. The Ivel enters Bedfordshire near Stodfield. At Biggleswade it becomes navigable, and at Tompsfurd falls into the Ouse. It is particularly famous for gudgeon. The Ouzel separates this county from Buckingham shire, in its course to Leighton-Buzzard. The Lea rises in Bedfordshire, and runs through the whole ex tent of Luton parish. The Grand Junction Canal touches the borders of this county for about three miles, near Leighton-Buzzard.
There are several very large estates in Bedford shire, the principal of which belong to the Duke of Bedford, the Marquis of Bute, the Earl of Upper Ossory, Lord St John, Earl Spencer, and Mr Whit .bread. The principal agricultural products are corn and butter. Much of the former is sent down the Ouse to Lynn, and the latter goes principally to London by land-carriage. This county has been long noted for its abundant produce of fine wheat and barley. The vale of Bedford is one of the most extensive corn districts. The rich dairy ground principally extends in a line, from the middle of the county to the south-east corner. In some parts of
Bedfordshire, especially in the parish of Sandy, gar den vegetables are raised in considerable quantities for the supply of the neighbouring towns. The agri culture of this county, it is well known, was ex tremely indebted to the judicious and liberal pa tronage and example of the late Duke of Bedford. His favourite pursuits were experimental agriculture and the breeding of cattle. For these purposes, he kept several farms in his own hand. The principal farm-yard is in Woburn park. The buildings of every kind are upon the most extensive scale, and abound in every convenience. One of the most re markable is the room constructed for showing the sheep at the annual shearing. On the farm at Wo burn is a mill for malting, thrashing, winnowing, &c. The cultivation of woad, mentioned by former writers as carried on to a considerable extent in Bedfordshire, has long been laid aside. On what are called the " woodland soils," and on the colder parts of the alluvial clay, particularly the steep sides of the hills, in the northern and middle parts of the county, there are between 6000 and 7000 acres of very old wood. There are also about 500 acres on the sand, where also large plantations of fir have been made. A considerable. part of the timber that is felled is sent to the sea coast by the Ouse..
The principal manufactures are the plaiting of straw, and making it into bonnets, &c. and thread lace. The straw manufacture prevails, and latterly has much increased, in the neighbourhood of Dun stable and Toddington, and on the borders of Hert fordshire. The employment is deemed more heal thy than that of lace-making, as the straw may be plaited by persons standing or walking. The earn ings, even of those who make the coarse plait, are higher than those of the lace-makers ; and the profit of making the fine plait is very considerable. Thread-lace, formerly known by the name of bone lace, was for a long time the staple manufacture of this county; but latterly it. has given way to the manufacture of straw ; and has farther declined in consequence of the general introduction of cotton lace. It is now made only in a very few villages in the neighbourhood of Buckinghamshire, and in the town of Bedford. It is not so fine in its texture as the lace made in some parts of Buckinghamshire. The average day's-work of an adult, when the ma nufacture flourished, was rather more than a shilling a-day ; the children earning from threepence to six pence. The posture in which the manufacturers _ sit, the sedentary nature of the employment, and the habit of working together in crowded rooms, ill ven tilated, give the manufacturers a weak and sickly appearance. In the neighbourhood of Dunstable, there is a whiting manufactory, which employs a few people.