112 Agricultural Report.^ 



of hay and fodder. To anticipate, as every experienced farmer must, we have yef 

 to encounter or escape the risks of the flowering or blooming season, when the 

 wheat is so liable to injury from heavy rains or cold winds ; and next in succession, 

 those from the continued inundations of the notorious and dreaded St. Swithin, to 

 be or not to be, accompanied by N.E. winds, and the latest and most fatal species 

 of blight. 



The wheats, our most important concern, have experienced a most sudden 

 improvement in colour and healthful vigour, and are now universally promising. 

 On cold and poor soils, of course, they are not bulky, but their promise for a crop, 

 at present, far exceeds our late expectations : on strong and rich grounds, a risk 

 is to be apprehended from over luxuriance, the corn being so lofty as to be liable 

 to be beat down and laid by storms or heavy rains. The ears burst forth immedi- 

 ately on the favourable change of weather, and the critical season of blooming is 

 now in course. It is not possible, but that the wheats must have received con- 

 siderable damage during such a long continuance of unfavourable weather, and 

 the rust has been generally visible on the stems; but of this we shall have more 

 knowledge at harvest-time. Our old disgraceful theme, the weeds, is still upper- 

 most in accounts from all parts of the country, unfortunately, with no prospect or 

 even mention of a remedy. The spring corn, oats, barley, pulse, together with the 

 grasses, natural and artificial, have received their full share of benefit from the late 

 fortunate change, and are all in a most flourishing and improving state ; the 

 exceptions, in comparison, however hard upon individuals, being of small conse- 

 quence in a general view. We regret to say that our late and old opinions as to 

 double crops is too probable to be exemplified during the present season, to the cost 

 of many farmers; as we have gone over many pieces of early sown barley already 

 in a fair, or rather foul way to be over sopped and smothered by both clover and 

 weeds. In the irregular crops, the backward portion is shooting up with great 

 vigour, affording promise, should the weather continue favourable, of nearly an 

 equality of ripeness at harvest. Beans are short in the haulm or straw, and on the 

 poorest clays, not of very great promise, doubtless from the damage occasioned by 

 the blight insect. Peas, on the contrary, are generally large in the straw, however 

 they may ultimately prove in the grain. Both the artificial and natural grasses are 

 very luxuriant and bulky in the gramineous districts, that is to say, in the 

 S. Eastern and Midland, for the land of the Western Counties is not, in general, 

 equally productive of natural grass, whether as to weight or quality. Cutting of 

 artificial grasses, on the forwardest sorts, commenced in the first week of this 

 month, and hay-making of all sorts will now proceed with vigour, until it reach 

 the corn harvest, the early or late season of which must depend entirely on the 

 state of the weather ; a late harvest, however, is to be deprecated, as liable to 

 numerous disadvantages. Clover and tares are vast crops, the latter promising an 

 equal yield of seed. The tallest and heaviest bulk of clover that we have ever 

 witnessed has been in this county, 



Of live stock there is little novelty to report. Mutton, of course, must hold its 

 price, until breeding shall have repaired our late losses by the rot. This year's 

 fall of lambs, not unsuccessful, will avail us something. Sheep-shearing will soon be 

 finished, and the animals relieved of a cumbersome burden will improve in thrift, 

 beside the production of a new and thick coat for winter defence. The cattle 

 m arkets have rather advanced of late, though the complaint of low condition in 

 t ^e store stock is somewhat general. The Principality alone seems not to 

 j^re shared in this benefit, as the prices at the Welsh fairs and markets are still 

 O f a very low figure. In Scotland they appear to have improved. Pigs still hold 

 tne ir price, unless from an accidental surplus at market. 



Smithfield.Beef, 3s. 4d. to 4*. 4d. Mutton, 4*. to 4s. 8^. Veal, 4*. to 4s. Qd. 

 Pork, 4s. 4d., dairy fed, to 5s. 8d. Lamb, 5s. to 6s. Rough fat, 2s. 5d. 



Corn Exchange. Wheat, 50s. to 75s. Barley, 26s. to 36s. Oats, 15s. to 28s. 



The London 4lb. loaf, 10^. Hay, 50s. to 105s. Clover ditto, 55s. to 115s 

 Straw, 38s. to 40s. 



Coal Exchange. Coals, in the Pool, per ton, 1 5s. Qd. to 21s. 6rf. 

 Middlesex, June 25/A. 



