The soil of the island is very varied, both in nature and fertility. That of the north ern half is, to a considerable extent, a cold, stiff clay, more suited for the growth of wood, especially oak, than corn. Of late years, however, much of the woodland has been cleared, and judicious draining operations, in which the late prince consort led the way on the royal domain of Osborne (near East Cowes), have produced very bene ficial results. Farming is still on the whole somewhat primitive; even on large farms the flail may still be seen in use. The soil of the s. half is chiefly a red loam, which is exceedingly productive, especially iu crops of barley, and in the more rich and shel tered lands, of 'Wigs. wheat. Red wheat is grown in abundance in other parts of the island; while the stiffer clays of the n. grow capital crops of oats. The chalk downs afford admirable pasturage for sheep, which are celebrated for the pureness of their wool, chiefly exported to Yorkshire, and which furnish the London market with early lamb. The chief exports are wool, corn, flour, cement stones (septaria), and white glass-house sand. The principal communication between the mainland and the island is by steamboats plying daily between Portsmouth and Ryde, at both of which places there are good landing-piers.
The history of the isle of Wight presents but comparatively few points of interest. It is supposed. with much probability, to have been the tin mart of the Greek traders mentioned under the name of Ictis by Diodorus Sieulus. The Romans knew it as ti(e)rs or Vectis, which is merely the Latinized form of the native name. It was conquered for the Romans by Vespasian in the reign of Claudius (43 A.D.). Cerdic, the founder of the kingdom of V essex, took the island 530 A.D. and handed it over to his nephews, Stuf and Wihtgar. In 661 A.D. it was reduced by Wulphere of Mereia, and given to Ethel wold, king of Sussex, from whom it was wrested (686 A.D.) by Ceadwalla of Wessex, to whom, under the benign influence of Wilfrid, archbishop of York. the island owes
the introduction of Christianity. During the three centuries preceding 06 Norman con quest, it was repeatedly devastated by the Danish pirates, who made it their strong hold, to which they retired with their plunder. William the conqueror gave it to his kinsman, Fitz-Osborne; Henry I. transferred it to the family of De Redy ers, in whose hands it remained till the reign of Edward I., when it passed by sale to the crown During the French wars of Edward III. and his successors, the island was repeatedly invaded and pillaged by the French. At the close of the reign of Henry VIII., the armada dispatched by Francis I., under the command of D'Annebault, made s(7eral landings the coast, and inflicted some damage, but were ultimately driven back by the prowess of the islanders. The most interesting event hi the history of the island is the imprisonment of Charles I. in the castle of Carisbrooke, after his flight from Hamp ton court, from Nov. 23, 1647, to Sept. 15. 1648. Carisbrooke was also the place of the im prisonment of his children, prince Henry and the princess Elizabeth, the latter of whom died there, and was buried in Newport church, where a beautiful monument by baron lfiaroclietti has been erected to her memory by queen Victoria.
Among the celebrated natives of the isle of Wight we may notice Dr. Robert Hooke, the experimental philosopher, born at Freshwater, 1635; and Dr. Thomas Arnold of Rugby, the regenerator of public-school education, born at East Cowes, 1795.
The antiquities arc not numerous. Sepulchral barrows occur on the downs, and Saxon burial places have been discovered in several localities. There are the remains of a Roman villa, with a tesselated pavement, at Carisbrooke. The remains of Quarr abbey, near Ryde, are very scanty. Carisbrooke castle is a fine ruin, occupying a commanding position. The churches are picturesque, but not remarkable for beauty of architecture. There are but few monumental brasses or other sepulchral memorials of luterest.