HAMPSHIRE. The New Forest in this county has varied in area from time to time : at present it includes 64,000 acres, and is the property of the crown, subject to rights of common and other ancient claims. Much of the oak and beech timber for the navy is grown here. Alice Holt Forest also contains much valuable timber. The northern part of the county is naturally very unproductive, and till within a few years was almost entirely covered with a brown heath, on which some hardy forest sheep and a few miserable cattle were reared, and contrived to pick up a scanty liv ing; but a good deal of heath has recently been brought into cultivation. South of this district the chalk prevails, better adapted for pasture than for corn culture. In the valleys and along the lower slopes of the chalk-hills the soil is of a tough tenacious nature, very difficult to cultivate ; but it can be made to yield good crops of beans, wheat, and oats. Hampshire, although it cannot be compared with some eastern and northern counties for agricultural improvements, is not far behind them ; and there are some farms as well managed as any in England. The farm-build ings and the agricultural implements are gra dually improving. The native hogs, which
live on the acorns and beech-mast of the New Forest, although the flavour of their flesh may be good, are coarse, raw-boned, flat-sided ani mals, and are now seldom met with. The im proved breeds produced by crosses of the Berkshire, the Suffolk, Essex, and Chinese pigs, are those from which the Hampshire bacon is usually prepared. The excellence of this bacon is mainly due to the care with which the curing is effected.
Hampshire cannot be deemed a manufac turing county ; although there are several bustling towns. Alton is celebrated for its ale breweries, and for the hop-plantations near it. At Andover the chief business consists in malting, and in the manufacture of silk. The malting and corn trades constitute the princi pal business of Basingstoke. At Fareham considerable trade in corn and coal is carried on. At Fordingbridge there are some manu factures of sail-cloth and bed-ticking. Win chester depends more on its ecclesiastical an tiquities than on its trade and commerce. PORTSMOUTH and SOUTHAMPTON call for a word of notice elsewhere.