The corn lands on the lower levels of the county are much more productive; but on those districts they have no occasion for sanfoin, and scarcely for clover, as their rich water meadows supply them with a sufficiency of hay. Some of, these meadows are perhaps the most valuable of any lands in this island, and are managed with great skill and atten tion. Where a rapid stream of water can be passed over them during the whole winter, it seldom be comes frozen ; and the grasses grow during the cold weather, so as to be fit for pasture at an early. period in the spring, before any traces of vegetation appear in the surrounding fields. This young grass is a provision for the sheep, when no other green food is to be found, and supplies them to the beginning of May, when it is laid up, and in six or eight weeks it is fit to be mowed, and • yields most abundant quantities of hay. There is much of this valuable description of land in the fertile valley that extends from Overton to Redbridge, by Stockbridge.
In the eastern part of the county, bordering on Surry, there are extensive hop plantations, the pro duce of which is equal-in flavour to those in the ad joining villages of that country near Farnham.
The original race of Hampshire sheep were white fisced, with horns ; but these have been so often cros sed with other races, that few are left of an unmixed breed. Most of the flocks now are of the South down kind ; they are found to be more beneficial, both on account of the superior quality of their wool, and the tendency to fatten with a less quantity of food than any others. The cows are not much at tended to, and are not generally of the best kind. The introduction of the Welsh breed has made some improvement, but there is room for much more.
The breeding and fattening pigs has long been a most important part of Hampshire husbandry. The bacon from them is the principal animal food of the rural inhabitants. In the vicinity of the forests they are fed on acorns and beech-mast; and those so fat tened are considered the best, either as pickled pork, or when converted into bacon. The average weight of these animals, when deemed fit for slaughter, is about 440 or 450 pounds, but many of them weigh 800 pounds.
The manufactures of this county are neither nu merous nor extensive, except those carried on at Portsmouth, for warlike purposes. Besides the ship building in the royal yard, there are many vessels, both for war and trade, built on the River Itchen at Buckler's-hard, on the River Boldre, and on the banks of Southampton Water. The manufacturing of their woollen goods upon a small scale is carried on at Andover, Romsey, Alton, and Basingstoke. Paper is made at Rummy, and at Overton. The mills at the latter place have supplied the whole of B the thin paper used by the of England for their notes, ever since the reign of George I. Ring wood has been long celebrated for the excellence of the strong beer brewed there ; but the quantity has declined of late years. On the sea shore at Lyming
ton, and on the island of Hayling, near Havant, some salt is made by the evaporation of sea-water. The quantity depends on the degree of heat which prevails during the summer season, as the first part of the process of evaporation is Performed by the heat of the sun alone; the brine is afterwards con veyed to iron pans, and the process completed by artificial heat, which, as coals, the only fuel, are dear, makes the whole expensive, • and prevents the pro prietors from competing with the northern manu factures of salt.
The foreign commerce of the county is inconsi derable. Many merchant-ships repair to Portsmouth, with stores for the naval arsenal, and, in time of war, many prizes are carried there for sale, which creates some extensive trade. Southampton imports much wine from Portugal, which, before the introduction of the bonding system, used to be deposited in the islands of Guernsey and Jersey, to save the interest on the amount of the duties. At Christ-Church there are a few vessels fitted for the Newfoundland fishery.
The most populous town in the county is Ports mouth, which, with its adjuncts, Portsea and Gos port, with the adjacent villages, contains between fifty and sixty thousand inhabitants. The far greater part of these are the families of officers of the navy, army, and marines, and of the arsenal, with the va rious artificers.
The harbour of Portsmouth is perhaps one of the best in the world. Its entrance is narrow, and, therefore, easily defended. The approach to that' entrance is defended by batteries, that can rake any ship before it reaches the fire of the castles, at the The most considerable places, besides the capitals of the provinces, within the kingdom, and their re spective populations, are Hameln, 5050 ; Nordheim, 5100 ; Mfinden, 4500 ; Osterode, 4180 ; Duder stadt, 4100 ; Elbingerode, 2380 ; Klausthal, 7100 ; Uebzen, 2550; Zell, 8360; Verden, 3520 ; Alten bruch, 2820; Pappenburg, 3250; Goslar, 5670; Alfeld, 2100 ; and Aurich, 2660. The principali ties of Kalenburg, Gottingen, and and a part of Hildesheim, are very mountainous, especially in the southern divisions. The other pro vinces form a part of that extensive plain which commences on the shores of the German Ocean, and terminates on the frontiers of Russia. The whole plain is a sandy soil, resting on a bed of granite, and is generally sterile, except on the banks of the vari ous rivets that water it, or near the cities, where cultivation has improved it by artificial means. The most fruitful part of the kingdom is on the banks of the Elbe, and near the German Ocean, where, as in Holland, rich meadows are preserved from being immersed in water, by broad dikes and deep ditches, constructed and kept in repair at a great expence.