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A volume containing general observations and instructions relating to agricultural and horticultural matters, a corpus of data relating to agricultural practices, agricultural and rural economy, animal husbandry, horticulture, and related matters in various counties in England and Wales, ?incomplete accounts of journeys in parts of Wales [by Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg')], and other miscellaneous items, all in the hand of the aforesaid Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg'). The general observations and instructions relating to agriculture and horticulture have usually been extracted from such sources as, according to the superscriptions to the notes, 'Will's Almanack, 1804', [Arthur] Young: [The Farmer's] Calendar, and [ ] Lawrence: The New Farmer's Calendar. The data relating to agricultural practices, etc., in the counties of England consists mainly of extracts from, or notes based upon, sections of the published surveys of agriculture, etc., in these counties which appeared largely under the auspices of the Board of Agriculture in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, viz. those of Jacob Malcolm and William James for rather William, James, and Jacob Malcolm] for the county of Surrey, George Turner for the county of Gloucester, John Boys for the county of Kent, John Monk for the county of Leicester, Nathaniel Kent for the county of Norfolk, Robert Lowe for the county of Nottingham, John Billingsley for the county of Somerset, and John Middleton for the county of Middlesex. The data concerning agriculture, etc., in Wales relates to the counties of South Wales. Some of this data has been extracted from, or is based upon, published agricultural surveys similar to those for the English counties also made in respect of the Welsh counties, e.g., those of Charles Hassall for the counties of Carmarthen and Pembroke, John Clark for the county of Brecknock, and Thomas Lloyd and the Reverend Mr. Turner for the county of Cardigan. It would appear, however, that most of the data relating to the counties of South Wales has not been extracted from such sources but it may possibly be linked with the work which Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg') himself undertook in 1796 in surveying the counties of Glamorgan and Carmarthen on behalf of the Board of Agriculture and with the work he undertook in assisting the Reverend Walter Davies ('Gwallter Mechain') in collecting material for his review of the economy of South Wales subsequently published under the title General View of the Agriculture and Domestic Economy of South Wales . . . Drawn up for the Consideration of the Board of Agriculture and Internal Improvement (London, 1815) (see the introduction for references to the assistance rendered by Edward Williams to the Reverend Walter Davies in respect of this project). Pp. 73-88 of the present manuscript contain an account of a journey undertaken [by Edward Williams] in the course of which he passed through or by the following neighbourhoods, places, buildings, etc., commenting on the features noted in brackets after the names - Penygored or Llechryd (tin works, salmon weir, coracle), Kilgeran, Cardigan, Blaen y Ffos Baptist meeting house, Fryni Vawr, Llanfernach ('a rich lead mine on the Estate of Captain Lloyd of Bronwydd worked by Lord Milford about 7 years ago . . .'), Bribwll ('a large old mansion'), Glandwr Meeting House ('very large, Independants'), Llangludwen Mill ('saw the place where they had been without any success digging for coal'), Llanboidy (adverse comments on the inhabitants of the area and also on the 'Pembrokeshire Peasantry'), Meidrym ('a decent village'), Job's Well near Caermarthen, and Gillimoor near Caerm[arthe]n Town ('100 acres of the rankest moor or bog drained by . . . Philips, Esqr.'). (continued)

Pp. 149-71 contain further notes relating to a journey [by Edward Williams] proceeding from Aber Cothi via Llanegwad, Hendre Wencyn Farm, Plas Newydd, Middleton Hall ('fine seat of Sir William Paxton . . . highly finished appartments and numerous flourishing plantations'), Grongar Hill, Dryslwyn Castle, Llanarthne, Golden Grove ('a fine old Mansion'), Llandeilo ('an ill planned and in general ill-built Town . . . some good houses . . . a large clumsy old Church', adverse comments on the inhabitants of the district, comments on a local custom of hanging jugs on nails 'all round the rooms of their houses', rather adverse comments on Dinevor Castle, Dryslwyn Castle, Carreg Cennen Castle, and the tomb of Sir Rhys ap Thomas in the church of Caermarthen), Newton Dinevor ('Fine seat of Lord Dinevor, the Park . . . one of the finest in the whole Kingdom', report on a conversation with Lord Dinevor), Derwen fawr, Aberglasney ('Mr. Dyer's, the Birth place of the Bard of Grongar Hill', praise of Grongar Hill and the views of the surrounding country to be seen from there), Crongaer Farm House, and Cross Inn (a brief note on and a sketch of 'Caermarthenshire Gates and Posts'), to Allt y Gog (a note here on 'Caermarthen Trade' with mention of 'Vaughan's anchor smithery', 'Vaughan's foundery', shipping, and ship building). Pp. 177-205 contain a further account of a journey [by Edward Williams] from Landilo ('Scattered Town with some good houses others wretched') via Dinefwr Park, Dinefor Castle, Llanfynydd village ('neat without & whitened, dirty & black within'), Glyn Cothi Mountains, Bryn Llywelyn Mountain, Llanybyddar, Llanwnen ('people most intelligent of any in Wales, mostly Presbiterians, very little English'), Cribin Clottas, Silien ('a scattered village of shabby aspect'), Langybi ('Church no Windows . . . a grammar school in the church . . . women do all the works of husbandry, threshing, grubbing, hedging . . . . have a tone or brogue that is far from pleasant . . . meeting houses numerous'), Llonio isa farm house, John's of hafod's estate, Llonio Mill, Llan Ddewi Brevi ('large double Isle Church & large village'), Tregaron New Bridge, Tregaron ('ragged Town that has a market, inferior to a Glamorgan village . . . Church large and long a clumsy high Tower, no windows in front'), House of Twm Siôn Catty ('½ mile out of town in ruins'), Llynn maes y llynn, Pont Rhyd fendigaid, Ross Fair ('4 or 5 houses only'), Yspytty ystwyth, the great bog between Tregaron & Ystrad Meuryg ('the property of Johns, Lisburne, &c., who are paid 5s per day for as much as one man can cut . . . this is called Corsgoch ar Deifi'), Ystrad Meuryg ('a dry healthy place, fine views . . .', note on E[dward] Rich[ar]ds and his school and library), Devils Bridge ('meet Messrs. Boddington & Este . . . walk over Havod grounds'), Ystrad Flur (brief note on the ruins of the abbey), dreary mountainous Country for many miles in Lanbadarn parish (' the inhabitants very stupid and extremely ignorant . . .'), foot of Pumlumon, Glasbwll village, Machynlleth ('a very good Town for Wales, many neat houses, good hall recently built. . . '), Pennegos, Dolgeiog, Llanwryn, Llancemais ('Decent Church & good village'), Mallwyd ('a very pleasant village . . . Church is a rude building with a Tower of oaken boards constructed in 1640', notes on Dr. John Davies 'the saviour of the Welsh language', his 'grammar of the Welsh language', his 'Welsh & Latin Dictionary', his revision of 'the Welsh Bible and prayer book' and his translation of 'some useful books of practical devotion into the Welsh language'), Mallwyd Bridge (sketch of bridge), Dinas ym Mowddwy ('a Market weekly but its number of houses do not exceed 30, here is a new meeting house built about 4 years ago'), Abercowarch village ('many new cottages . . . a spinning mill at work', a note here on South walians who were thronging 'to the Methodist Association at Bala' and on one young woman whom the writer had met who had come '100 miles on a pilgrimage to this circulating Mecca of Welsh fanaticism'), and Llanymowddwy, as far as Bwlch y Groes (further note on the Methodists looking forward to hearing [David] Jones of Llangan preaching at Bala). The accounts of the three journeys noted contain observations on topographical, agricultural, and geological features of the areas through which the traveller passed.

Miscellaneous papers of Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg') bound together in one volume. The contents include pp. 13-16, notes on the Welsh bardic order under the heading 'Cadair Tir Iarll'; 21-3, an incomplete, draft or variant version of a 'letter to the reader' [which Edward Williams had written as part of the intended preface to his volume Cyfrinach Beirdd Ynys Prydain]; 25-8, notes on nine medieval kings of Glewisseg, the country 'lying between the River Usk on the side of Gwent and the River Elerch . . . on the side of Kibor in Glamorgan'; 29-31 and 37, transcripts of a Welsh poem entitled 'Cynneddfau amryw Barthau Cymru' attributed to Aneurin, and of a Welsh poem in the hexameter measure attributed to Dafydd o'r Nant; 34, a copy of a notice announcing that 'eisteddfodau' would be held at Corwen and Bala in [ ]; 39 + 42, a copy of an undated letter from 'D' to the editor of The Cambrian providing 'an English paraphrase' of a Welsh sonnet he had previously sent him; 45, a report in Welsh on opinions expressed by [John Moore] archbishop of Canterbury, and [Samuel Horsley], bishop of St. David's, in a debate in the House of Lords, 5 June 1793, concerning a proposal to send missionaries ? to India; 46, an incomplete copy of a letter in Welsh relating to the Moravian Church; 47-8, a transcript of a 'cywydd' attributed to Siôn Tudur; 49-52, a copy of the rules (English) of a society called the 'Berean Society'; 55, an incomplete list of ? the founders of churches in Glamorgan; 56, a note on Sir Robert Ffitsamon's policies in Glamorgan [late 11th cent.]; 60, a transcript of an English poem ? by E. Williams; 61, an extract relating to a nation of White Indians; 63, brief notes headed 'Bricks and Brickmaking'; 65-6, a transcript of a 'cywydd' attributed to Giles ap John; 67-8, an extract from the Gent[leman]'s Mag[azi]ne, April 1810, relating to the court leet of Pember, co. Hants.; 71-2, extracts relating to the use of a copper and tin alloy for making tools and weapons in ancient times; 73-4, an incomplete copy of a poem entitled 'Pennillion arferedig ym Morganwg ar ddydd Priodas'; 80, notes on the metrical foot in Welsh verse ('Corfannau Cerdd Dafod'); 82, ? an incomplete draft of the proposed title-page of [Edward Williams:] Cyfrinach Beirdd Ynys Prydain; 85-9, a copy of the rules, etc. (Welsh) of a society called 'Cymdeithas y Bereaid' (see ref. to Berean Society above); 95-7, an incomplete transcript of a letter [1782] from the Rev. David Jones of Langan [co. Glamorgan], to the Countess of Huntingdon published in The Evangelical Magazine, January 1811 [p. 13], with versions of the said letter in English and Welsh verse; 98-100, a copy of an English poem described as the 'Birth day song of the Cardiff Gazette which was intended to be published on Saturday, January 2d 1813'; 107-10, a copy of ? a section of a letter referring to certain Welsh poetic metres, the poetic tradition in Gwynedd, and a book to be published by recipient ?relating to Welsh poetry; 116, brief notes relating to the poets Rhys Goch o Dir Iarll, D[afydd] ap Gwilym, and D[afydd] ap Edmwnd; 117, biographical notes on Thomas ap Evan ap Rhys, poet, born in the parish of Margam [co. Glamorgan] circa 1474; 124, transcripts of two 'englynion' attributed to Benjamin Dafydd 'o Langeinwyr'; 127, draft proposals by Edward Williams for publishing a volume to be called 'The Bardic Triades . . .'; 160, a sketch plan of a 'gorsedd' circle; 161-2, extracts from [David] Powel [: The Historie of Cambria now called] Wales; 168, a transcript of a 'cywydd' attributed to Meiric Dafydd; 175-7, autobiographical notes [by Edward Williams]; and 179-80, notes headed 'Queries in Rural Architecture, oeconomy, &c'. Interspersed among the items already noted are miscellaneous notes relating to Welsh literary, bardic, and antiquarian matters, lists of Welsh words, brief lists of miscellaneous Welsh triads, stanzas of English and Welsh verse, etc. Some of the notes are written on the blank verso, the margins, and even across the face of copies of a printed handbill issued by Henry Walters, March 1784, advertising his printing office in the town of Cowbridge, printed proposals, 1762, for the publication by the Cymmrodorion Society of a 'Natural History of the Quadrupeds and Birds of Great Britain and Ireland', a printed handbill (undated) setting forth the programme, etc. of a 'Society for the preservation of the remains of ancient British Literature . . . and for the encouragement of the National Music', etc.