Montgomeryshire

Another industry now in decay besides that of flannel manu facture is lead mining, formerly carried on extensively in the Llanidloes district in the south and in the neighbourhood of Llangynog in the north. The Van mines near Llanidloes were worth Ģi,000,000 in 187o. Attempts are being made to resuscitate some mines, and to get metal from the waste tips which disfigure many of the higher hill slopes. Slate quarrying is carried on at Llangynog and in the Machynlleth district, while hard stone for building and road mending is found in various parts. In general Montgomeryshire is a land of hill pastures, with small holdings having sheep rearing as their main occupation. The Kerry Hill breed of sheep, with characteristics embodying those of the Welsh and the Shropshire breeds, is justly famous. The eastern border and the valleys have much rich agricultural land, wheat and oats being the chief crops. Montgomeryshire is said to be the best wooded of all the Welsh counties, hedgerow timber being specially characteristic. The county was formerly a recognized source of oak timber for the navy. Since 188o there has been much plant ing of soft woods on the hill slopes below L000 ft., the Kerry

hills, reached by the branch railway from Abermule, being thickly timbered before 1914. Since then many acres, in part under Gov ernment supervision, are being planted each year.

Population.

The area of the administrative county is 510,110 ac., or 797 sq.m., with a population of 48,462 in 1931 (1901, for comparison, was 54,901). Much Welsh is spoken in the moun tain regions of west and north, but the towns and lowlands (except the Dovey and upper Severn valleys) are almost exclusively Eng lish in speech. The county returns one member to parliament. Llanfyllin (1,449), Montgomery (918), Llanidloes (2,356), Welsh pool (5,637) are municipal boroughs, while the urban districts are: Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn (5,152) and Machynlleth (1,892). The county is in the North Wales and Chester circuit, assizes being held alternately at Newtown and Welshpool. Welsh pool borough has a separate commission of the peace, but no separate court of quarter sessions. The ancient county (in Bangor, Hereford and St. Asaph dioceses) has 59 ecclesiastical parishes or districts, with parts of ir others.