About SO years ago, the government of this country endeavoured, by means of bounties, to encourage and ex tend the cultivation of flax and hemp ; but the bounties were soon withdrawn, it is said, because they indirectly went to the landlords instead of the tenants, the former expecting an increased rent for their land, in proportion to the bounties given. However this may be, flax and hemp are by no means extensively cultivated in Eng land; chiefly between Bridport and Bcaminster in Dor setshirc, about Frome, Crewkerne, Sze. in Somerset shire ; at Upwell and Chatteris in the Isle of Ely, in some parts of Lincolnshire, and on the strong lands of High Suffolk.
England has long been noted for its hops. They are cultivated in the neighbourhood of Canterbury and Maidstone in Kent, where there is a larger extent of ground under this crop, than in any other county in the kingdom : about Farnham in Surry, and the adjoining parts of Hampshire, where, from superior management, or other causes, their quality is so highly esteemed, that they always bring a much higher price than any other hops: in Worcestershire, particularly in the vale of the Severn and in the vale of the Team : in the vicinity of Stow market in Suffolk, and near Retford in Notting hamshire; but in these two places only to a very in considerable extent : in Herefordshire, particularly on the confines of Worcestershire: in Essex, about Cas tle Hedingham : and in some parts of Sussex. This crop is so much affected by the climate, and so much exposed to blights and other distempers, that its pro duce varies more perhaps than that of any other plant cultivated in the fields. This will sufficiently ap peal., from the following statement of the produce of hops in England during the years 1794 and 1795. In the former year, it amounted only to 5,000,000 lbs. where as in 1795, the produce was 42,528,587 lbs. The age, ascertained from the produce of a considerable num ber of years, is found to be 20 543,070 lbs. Hop grounds let at a higher rate per acre than any other kind of land not possessed of peculiar local advantages, bringing from L.5 to L.10 per acre ; and about Farnham, consi derably more.
There is scarcely a farm of any extent in the southern and south-western counties, which has not an orchard attached to it, containing apple trees at least sufficiently numerous and productive to supply the farmer's family with cider ; but it is exclusively or principally in the counties of Devonshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Monmouthshire, and Somersetshire, that cider and perry are made in very large quantities for sale ; and where the management of the orchards forms principally or exclusively the concern of the farmer. Petry is made chiefly in Worcestershire ; and the cider of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire is deemed of a superior quality to that of Devonshire. The actual
quantity of cider made in the cider counties has not been ascertained. Mr Marshall calculates that the produce of the four counties of Worcester, Gloucester, Here ford, and Monmouth, on a par of years, may be laid at 30,000 hogsheads; of this quantity it is supposed Wor cestershire supplies nearly 10,000 hogsheads of perry. Exclusively of these liquors, which are sent into all parts of the kingdom, these counties, which may be considered the principal fruit counties of England, send large quantities of fruit chiefly into the northern coun ties. The average tonnage of fruit sent out of Wor cestershire alone, by the canals, into the north, for three years, amomited to 1500 tons; and in one year it ex ceeded 2094 tons. The county of Kent is fatuous for orchards of another description from those of the western counties. These are orchards of cherries and filberts. The former are common in most parts of Kent ; the lat ter are principally confined to the vicinity of Maidstone, were they amount to several hundred acres.
The principal dairy counties have been already enu merated. Of those appropriated to the making of cheese, Cheshire and Gloucestershire are the most famous. Much cheese is also made in that part of Shropshire which bor ders on Cheshire, and in North Wiltshire ; the former goes under the name of Cheshire cheese ; the latter was, till lately, called Gloucester cheese, now it receives its appellation from the county where it is made. A strong cheese, somewhat resembling Parmesan, is made at Chedder, in Somersetshire. The rich cheese called Stil ton, is made in Leicestershire, principally in the villages round Melton Mowbray. A rich cheese is also made at Leigh in Lancashire. The other heescs made in Eng land, which have acquired a peculiar name, either rrom the quantity made, or from the quality, are the Derby shire, Stockton, Cottenham, and Southam cheeses. The two last are new-milk cheeses, of a singularly delicious flavour ; the places where they are made arc in Cam bridgeshire. Bath and York are remarkable for their cream cheeses. The county of Warwick, and Banbury in Oxfordshire also are remarkable for cheese : the for mer for the quantity made in it ; about 19,000 tons being sent annually to London, besides a very large supply to Birmingham. The cheese made at Banbury is distin. guished for its rich quality. The principal counties in which large quantities of butter are made, are Bucking hamshire, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Yorkshire, Dorset shire, and Devonshire. Cambridge, Suffolk, and York shire, annually supply London with about 60,000 firkins. Epping also is famous for its butter, nearly the whole of which is consumed in London; the quantity is about 20,000 firkins.