For remarks and additional obſervations.

The county of Middleſex, may in general be very pro- perly conſidered, as a ſort of demeſne to the metropolis, being covered with its villas, interſected by the innumerable roads leading to it, and laid out in gardens, paſtures, and incloſures of all ſorts for its convenience and ſupport. It ſwarms with people in its numerous and extenſive vil- lages; but no large towns can exiſt in the neighbourhood of that, which attracts people ſo ſtrongly, from every part of the kingdom.

The Soil.—In the neighbourhood of London, Mid- dleſex is a diſtrict of no great natural fertility, its gene- ral ſoil being a lean gravel; nevertheleſs, in conſe- quence of its vicinity to the metropolis, and the uncom- mon ſhare of warmth and manure, refulting from that cir- cumſtance, even that part of the county is rendered very fruitful, and clothed with almoſt perpetual verdure. In regard to the more diſtant parts of it, there is a great deal of loam and ſtrong clay, fit for growing corn of every kind. All the level or flat lands on the margin of the Thames, are covered with a very rich mellow ſoil, with a few acres of gravelly ſoil interſperſed in it, but ſo trifling, as not· to afford more than one acre of gravel for 49 of good rich

land.

Garden-ground.—In the Eaſtern parts of Middleſex, round Bow, Bethnal-Green, Stepney,&c. you find the greateſt part of the land converted into nurſeries for raiſing plants, ſhrubs, and trees, of all ſorts. The grounds cloſe by Bow, in the hands of Gordon and Co. and other nurſery-men, ſeem, in point of extent, as well as management, ſuperior to any thing of the kind, in this part of the county. Fancy- flowers, and flowering ſhrubs, are the articles chiefly cul- tivated; but fruit and foreſt trees are alſo raiſed in very

conſi-