LEICESTERSHIRE. This county has coal-fields near Ashby, which furnish a cheap supply of fuel ; and there are also procured within the county coarse gypsum, lime stone, freestone, and brick-clay. The county is supplied with canals and railways, in amount quite adequate to its traffic. In respect to agriculture, the most fertile soils are almost invariably kept in pasture, for which this county is pre-eminent. Out of above 500,000 acres of surface, fully onelsalf is in permanent grass. Grazing and breeding cattle and sheep are the chief objects of the Leicestershire farmers, and they have succeeded admirably both with oxen and sheep. Most of the im proved modern instruments, such as scarifiers, spiked rollers and drills, have been introduced and are used in the larger farms, which are chiefly in the hands of the proprietors. The county contains many large dairies, and pro. duces excellent cheese, especially the Stilton cheese.
Leicestershire is the centre of the worsted hosiery manufacture, nearly all of which is conducted within this county. Leicester is the
chief town both of the county and of the ma nufacture. Most the principal manufactu rers are connected with the hosiery or wool trades. Some of the larger firms employ 2000 to 3000 hands ; and one or two spinning mills recently built would rival those of Lancashire. There are worsted spinners, lambs'wool spin ners, wool staplers, &c., to supply the raw material ; there are frame-smiths, needle makers, sinker makers, &c., to supply the working apparatus ; and there are thousands of persons to weave and sew the stockings. Market Harborough, Lutterworth, Hinck ley, Market Bosworth, Loughborough, and most of the villages between these towns, and between them and Leicester, are inhabited by the stockingers (as they are often called). See farther on this subject under HosrEar Maim FACTURE. The other departments of industry in Leicestershire are not very extensive. There were 35 spinning mills in this county in 1850.