The Greenwich railway, now leased to the South-Eastern Railway Company, runs south-east from London Bridge to Corbet's Lane, near New Cross, where it quits the county. The North Kent line also leaves the county at Now Cross. The Brighton and South Coast railway runs parallel to the Greenwich line nearly to Corbet's Lane, where it turns south, and with the exception of the short distance from near Forest Hill to Pengo, which is io Kent, it continues in a generally southward direction through this county, which it quits at Oakhesd, a few miles north from Horsham. The Croydon and Epsom line is a branch of the Brighton and South Coast line, which it quits at Croydon, and runs south-west to Ewell and Epsom. The Crystal Palace railway runs between the London Bridge Terminus and the grounds of the Crystal Palace at l'enge. Tho South-Eastern rail way is carried over the earns rails as the Brighton lino as far as Red bill, Reigate, where it turns eastward, and quits the county a few miles west of Godatono. The Dorking and Guildford branch quits the main lino at Reigate, and runs westward past Dorking to Guildford, where it joins the Guildford and blending railway. The main line of the London and South.Weetern railway runs from the Waterloo Bridge terminus, past Kingston, below which a branch runs off to Hampton Court, and Wcybridgc, where there is a short branch to Cherthey, and quits the county near Farnborough. At Woking Heath, a branch runs off southward to Guildford and Godalming. On the Guildford and Reading branch, a short lino branches south-west to Alton, quitting this county near Farnham. The Windsor branch quits the main-line near Battersea, and runs westward to Richmond, where It quits the county ; the Brentford loop-line quits this branch at Barnes Common. A lino to connect the West End of London with the Crystal Palace is in progress.
Climate, Soil, and Agneulture.—The climate of this county is favourable for corn and grass. Along the Thames and the other rivers of the county the air is soft and mild : where the ground rises into barren gravelly hills, or lies on the range of chalk which divides the county in a direction from north-east to south-west, from Croydon to Farnham, it is keener, and the winds are more boisterous. Generally along the sandy hills the climate is remarkably salubrious. The soil varies greatly in different districts. The richest is that which lies along the banks of the rivers, consisting chiefly of a deep alluvial loam. On this soil, in the neighbourhood of London, are some of those extremely productive and highly-cultivated market-gardens, which supply the metropolis with fruit and vegetables. The immense quantity of manure which is annually laid on the land so occupied, and the deep trenching and digging which are repeated at short intervals, have converted the whole surface, to the depth of three feet or more, into a rich black vegetable mould. On this soil are raised the best and earliest culinary vegetables, which so rapidly succeed each other that five or six different crops are sometimes gathered from the same ground in one year. There is another naturally rich black soil, which appears in small detached portions along the foot of the chalk hills, and produces fine crops of wheat. The next iu
fertility is a hazel loam, with a considerable portion of calcareous earth in its composition, which is found on the northern side of the hills about Cobham, Woking, and Hershill : the well-known hop grounds in the neighbourhood of Farnham are mostly on a similar soil.
The most extensive tract is that of the Weald clay, which is a soil with a smaller mixture of siliceous sand than most clays. This Weald extend's into Sussex and Kent, and occupies most of the southern parts of the county. This soil can only be rendered productive by very complete draining, and by correcting the tenacity by chalk or gravel, where they cau be found at hand, which however is seldom the case. The Weald is generally low and flat ; where it rises into hills the soil is more fertile. In the northern portion of the county extend ing towards Hampshire is a large tract of sandy loam of various quali ties, some of which remains in the state of heath and common. There are some sandy loams of a better quality between the barren soil known by the name of Bagshot sand and the chalk hills, as about Esher, Dorking, and Reigate : about Godalming it becomes of a very good quality, resting upon a sandstone. The poorer sands rest chiefly upon a yellow ferruginous gravel. The tops of the chalk hills are either covered with a short pasture, as downs, or where the soil is deeper over the chalk, it is mostly under the plough. Generally the most improved systems of husbandry, and the best implements, have been introduced ; and the local peculiarities of cultivation are fast disappearing.
Surrey is a favourite county for the residence of men of fortune. It possesses many beautiful sites, and the views from some of the hills are very extensive, such as Richmond Hill, St. Ann's,. Cooper's Hill, and Leith Hill. The villas within a short distance from London are very numerous, but few of them have more than a small quantity of pasture-land and pleasure-ground attached to them.
The 1Vealds of Surrey were, till within a comparatively modern date, one continued forest, and have been gradually cleared and culti vated. The management of underwood is well understood and attended to In the heaths and poor sands furze is often abundant, and is sold for heating bakers' ovens, and for the use of brick-makers and lime-burners.
There is no peculiar breed of cattle in Surrey. There is not much good grazing-land, and the beasts that are fatted or kept for mach cows are of all the breeds which are usually met with. Short-horn Alderney cows, and crosses between them, are very common in the pastures adjoining gentlemen's seats. Beasts of all breeds are fatted on the wash obtained from the distilleries near London. There was once a peculiar breed of heath sheep, which had a small fleece of fine wool, and very delicate flesh when fatted. The meat was well known by the name of Bagahot mutton. There is only a small remnant of this breed left. The farmers are partial to the South Down sheep. Several farmers about Ewell, Esher, and Walton, and towards Guild ford, rear house-lambs of the Dorsetshire breed for the Loudon market. The pigs are principally of the Berkshire breed.