The principal rivers in Herefordshire are, the \Vye, the Lugg, the Munnow, the Arrow, the Frome, the Teme, and the Leddon. The Wye, so highly and deservedly cele brated for its picturesque beauties, enters Herefordshire near Clifford. Between Whitney and lIereford, its gene ral character is mild and pleasing, consisting of delightful reaches, with the most agreeable landscapes an 1 luxuriant scenery on both sides. From Hereford to Ross its faatures occasionally assume greater boldness ; but, at the latter town, it resumes the brightness and rapidity of its primi tive character, and forms the admired bending seen from the churchyard of Ross. Beneath the arches of Welton bridge it flows through a charming succession of meadow's : the peninsula of Symond's rock succeeds, round which the river flows in a circuit of seven miles, though the oppo site points of the isthmus are only a mile apart. New and pleasing objects now rapidly succeed one another ; and the romantic village of Whitchurch, stupendous hills, and hanging rocks, exhibit a rare union of what is grand, beautiful, and picturesque. _Shortly afterwards, the Wye quits the county and enters Monmouthshire. This river is navigable to Hereford in barges from 18 to 40 tons ; but either a large or small supply of water is fatal to the navigation. The Lugg, which rises in Radnorshire, enters Herefordshire on the north-west side : near Stapleton cas tle, below Leominster, it is joined by the Arrow and the Frome. Soon after its junction with the latter, it falls into the Wye. The Munnow rises on the Herefordshire side of the Hatterel mountains ; and, after many windings, forms the boundary between the county and Monmouth shire, till it quits the former. The Terre enters Here fordshire a short distance north-west from Brampton Bryan, but it soon enters Shropshire ; thence again it enters Here fordshire, but soon leaves it for Worcestershire, w here, having made a considerable circuit, it once more flows on the borders of this county, after which it falls into the Se vern. The Leddon rises on the east side of Herefordshire, and after running south, and giving name to the town of Ledbury, it flows into Gloucestershire, and unites with the Severn. The Arrow enters Herefordshire from Radnor shire, and, flowing to the east, falls into the Lugg near Leo minster.
The inland navigation of this county is very imperfect. The Hereford and Gloucester canal, which was begun in 1791, is not yet completed. It begins at Hereford, and is to fall into the Severn near Gloucester. Its total length is to be 35 miles 5 furlongs. At the beginning of it is a tun nel of 440 yards, and another about the middle of the sum mit 1320 yards long. The Kingston and Leominster canal begins at the former place, crosses the Lugg, and after wards the Teme, and is to unite with the Severn near Stourport in Worcestershire. The total length is to be 45 miles : on it there are two tunnels, one of 1250, and the other of 3350 yards.
The greatest estates in this county belong to Guy's Hos pital, the Duke of Norfolk, the Earls of Oxford and Essex, Sir George Cameral], R. P. Knight, Esq. ke. In that part of the hundred of Wormelow, called Irchenfield, the tenure of gaval-kind prevails, by which, in cases of persons dying intestate, landed property descends in equal divisions to all the sons. In the manor of Hampton-Bishop, which be longs to the see of Hereford, the tenure of borough-eng lish prevails, by which the youngest son succeeds, to the exclusion of his brothers. Copyhold property is not so common in this as in many other counties of England.
Leasehold estates are more common. They are for the most part held under the dean and chapter of Hereford, the corporation of that city, ,Se. It is estimated, that two thirds of the whole county is freehold, and the remaining third under the other tenures. The size of farms varies From 200 to 400 acres.
The produce of Herefordshire is uncommonly various. In a general view, however, it may be regarded as a corn county. The bottoms, nevertheless, furnish great quanti ties of grass ; and the sides of tLe hills produce in great abundance, and of excellent quality, most kinds of woods, especially oak. The immediate banks of the wallies, and the skirts of the higher hills, are covered with orchards. The objects of husbandry are, principally, cattle, sheep, swine, corn, hops, and fruit liquor ; but two products ren der Herefordshire particularly famous, its cyder and its wool.
The principal cultivated lands are under tillage. The wheat grown in the vales, in the vicinity of Hereford, and thence through the clays towards Ledbury, is of a remark ably fine quality. The lighter lands produce excellent barley. Ross is the centre of the principal barley district. Oats are grown in most abundance on the borders of Wales, and on the eastern confines of the county. Neither tur nips, nor artificial grasses, are sufficiently attended to.
The most fertile meadows lie on the banks of the Wye, Frome, and Lugg. For fattening cattle they cannot be ex ceeded ; but Herefordshire has no pretensions to rank among the dairy counties. Mr Knight has proved by ex periments, that equal quantities of milk in Herefordshire and Cheshire will produce unequal quantities of curd, highly to the advantage of the latter county.
Considerable quantities of hops are grown in this county, particularly about Bromyard, in that part of Herefordshire bordering on what may be called the hop district of Wor cestershire. They are of two kinds, the white and the red ; but the former are the most delicate, and are preferred by the buyers.
Plantations of fruit trees are found in every aspect, and on every soil ; but the most approved site is that which is open to the south-east, and sheltered in other points, but particularly in the opposite direction. The period when the orchards of this county acquired the high character which they still retain, seems to have been the reign of Charles I. when, according to Evelyn in his Pomona, by the noble exer tions of lord Scuda more of Holm Lacey, and other gentlemen, Herefordshire became in a manner " one entire orchard." Of the apples that are cultivated, there are various kinds, yielding liquors of different quality and strength. The Styre cyder is remarkable for a strength and body unusual to this liquor, and keeps very well. The pears most in es timation are the Squash, so called from the tenderness of its pulp ; the sack pear, the red pear, and the Longland. Every pear tree, when nearly fully grown, will afford an annual average produce of 20 gallons of liquor. Many single trees in this county have produced a hogshead in one season ; and an exhaordinary tree growing on the glebe land in the parish of Holm Lacey, has more than once filled fifteen hogsheads in one year. In other respects, this is a most extraordinary tree ; for its branches becoming long and heavy, their ends fell to the ground, where they took root, each branch becoming as it were a new tree, and in its turn producing others in the same way. Nearly half an acre of land is covered with this tree.