Montgomeryshire is rich in mineral treasures; the most important and abundant of which is lead. A considerable mine of this metal has been found at Dylipan, and ano ther on the borders of Cardiganshire, near a copper mine, the ore of which contains much silver. An un commonly rich lead mine was wrought many years with very great profit at Llangynnog, but it is now overpow ered with water at the depth of 100 yards ; it was disco vered in 1692, and contained a solid rib 31 yards thick of pure ore, affording for forty years a clear annual revenue of F2000; yielding about 4000 tons annually. There are still, however, obtained in this neighbourhood considera ble quantities of lead and calamine, which are sent in their raw state to the foundries near Ruabon in Denbighshire. From the lofty rocks of Llangynnog, a considerable quan tity of coarse slates is obtained. it is remarked, that the strata of these and other quarries which lie on the north side of the mountains incline to the cast, while in those to the south, the ore is reversed. Slate is also procured near the junction of the Fyrnwy and Severn, and sent clown to Bristol. Coal is found only at Coadwacs, on the borders of Shropshire : it burns rapidly. The Severn and its tributary streams are celebrated for the great va rieties of fish which they contain ; it is said that the salmon penetrates up the Severn almost as far as Plin limmon. This county was once well covered with trees, and is still well wooded; its oak has been preferred to all others for the use of the dock-yards ; in the year 1796, three oaks were cut down, which measured re spectively 525, 450, and 687 cubic feet.
The agriculture of this county presents little that is interesting ; in some of the vales a good system of arable husbandry is followed ; in the east part of the county hemp is much grown. Few cattle are fattened ; the
genuine breed are bad ; the best sheep are peculiar to the Corry hills ; their wool is tolerably fine. The hilly tracts are almost entirely sheep-walks; " and the flocks, like those of Spain, are driven from distant parts to feed on them during the summer ; the farms in the small valleys being only a sort of appendages for winter habi tations and provisions." A horse peculiar to the hilly parts of this country and Al erionethshire, is a small poney called rnyrlyn ; they are very hardy and active, and well adapted for the team upon mountainous farms. The roads are far from good ; from the returns to Parliament The principal manufactures are flannels, and other coarse cloths ; the principal manufactories for flannels are within twenty miles round Welspool ; at this town a large quantity is sold annually, chiefly the produce of manual labour, though latterly about forty carding and several spinning-machines have been erected. The flan nels of this county are from 100 to 120, and some of them 132 yards long, and seven-eighths of a yard wide. They are sent from Welspool in a rough state to Shrews bury, where they are finished. There is a great market for woollen yarn at Llanydloes. The following are the results of the returns relative to the poor for the year 1815 : One baptism to 36 persons; one burial to 63; and one marriage to 152 persons ; this last is a smaller pro portion than any other county in England or 1Vales, ex cept Monmouth and Flint ; the average of Wales is 122.
See Davis's Agriculture of North TVales. Beauties of .England and Wales, vol. xvii. (Iv s.)