SAXONY, a province in the kingdom of Prussia, situated between 60° 30' and 53° N. lat., 9° 50' and 13° 50' E. long., is bounded N. and N.E. by the province of Brandenburg; S.W. by the kingdom of Saxony ; S. by Gotha, Reuss, Weimar, and Hesse Cassel; and W. by Hanover and Brunswick. It is divided into three governments, which, with their area and population, are as follows :— In 1852 the total population had increased to 1,828,732.
The province is composed of almost the whole of the portion of Saxony ceded to Prussia at the Congress of Vienna, to which the principalities lying to the north of the duchy of Anhalt and to the west of the Elbe and the Havel have been added. The three duchies of Anhalt, a great part of Schwarzburg, the bailiwick of Alstadt belonging to Weimar, and that of Kalvorde belonging to Brunswick, lie entirely within the territory of this province.
The principal river is the Elbe, which traverses the province from south to north, and is joined in the north at Werben by the Havel, and in the south by the Seale. The greater portion of the province, namely, the whole district of Magdeburg to its extreme south-western border, and the larger (or eastern) part of the district of Merseburg on the other side of the Seale, belong to the plains of Northern Ger many, and contain gentle eminences, but no mountains. The western or smaller part of the district of Merseburg and that of Erfurt are more mountainous than level, for on the one side branches of the Harz Mountains and on the other side those of the Thiiringer Wald run into it ; yet this part likewise contains extensive and fruitful plains, and the mountains and hills which traverse it are nowhere of considerable elevation, except in the detached circle of Henneberg; on the south-west border of the province is the highest mountain of Northern Germany, the Brocken, which is 3500 feet above the sea.
The soil, which is generally fertile, supplies the numerous population with the most important articles of food. The province is unquestion ably the most equally and the best cultivated in Prussia. Potatoes are very generally cultivated ; pulse, oleaginous plants, culinary vegetables of all kinds, are amply sufficient for the consumption of the inhabit ants ; a considerable quantity of wine is made, and with beer and brandy, the usual beverages manufactured in the province, is mostly used for home consumpton. In many parts of the government of Magdeburg wood is scarce, and there is barely sufficient anywhere except in the government of Erfurt. The breed of horned cattle is numerous, and Berlin is in part supplied from this province. The find wool of tho improved breed of sheep supplies not only the extensive woollen manufactures of the province, but furnishes a large overplus for exportation. The mineral products are—antimony, cobalt, iron, and copper ; there are also lime, gypsum, alabaster, freestone, alum, and vitriol. The porcelain clay obtained near Halle is of very superior quality, and the salt from the saline springs furnishes a large supply. The manufactures are—woollens, leather, calico, and linen. There aro several sugar-refineries in the province, tobacco-factories, and numerous brandy-distilleries. The exports are—wool, corn, woollen and cotton manufactures, brandy, copper, iron and stool wares, and salt. The governmeut is traversed by several railways which connect it with Berlin, the Baltic, the Elbe, Belgium, and Central and Southern Germany. The provinces are described in separate articles, which contain also notices of the towns. (Earmer ; MAGDEBURG ; 3IEFtSE BURO ; ABCHRRsLEBEN' BUBO; HALLE; HALBERSTADT, &c.)