214 Monthly Agricultural Report. [Aua. 



several years 1 clip of wool, with certain other indications of a comfortable prosperity 

 the whole by no means sanctions those frequent gloomy bewailings of agricultural 

 depression and approaching ruin. 



On the best lands the labourers have, for some time, found full employment ; on 

 others, many are still rounding in search of employ too many of them compelled, by 

 dire necessity, to take up the trade of poaching, or other means of a still higher rate 

 of delinquency. The truth is, our national labourers are unable to bear up against 

 Irish competition ; and as England has ruined Ireland, she is thus taking her revenge. 

 But, according to the usual course of things, the burden and the misery fall up"o 

 the* lower classes of both countries. In order to the relief of both countries, a grand 

 stroke of policy is the desideratum with regard to Ireland. Half-measures and pal- 

 liatives can have only the usual effect of giving a somewhat longer life to an abomi- 

 nable system. 



It is only on the most productive lands that wheat is very bulky ; on the inferior, 

 though the ear be of fair size, the straw is not great. Harvest will commence with the 

 next month, or even the conclusion of the present, in the forward districts ; and barley 

 has been already cut in Dorsetshire. The barley crop is supposed to be the heaviest, 

 both in ear and stem ; oats the least so ; and the complaints of foul tilth seem to attach, 

 in the greatest degree, to the oat crop. Too many good old farmers appear yet to set 

 much store by double crops. 



The hops have certainly passed through the vicissitudes of the season with less 

 injury than was predicted; and there having been, for some seasons, a much larger 

 stock on hand than of which the speculators were aware, the article neither did, nor in 

 probability will, for a considerable period, reach the high prices of former days. The 

 hay is a general good crop, well got in, with the exception of that part of the lands on 

 which the roots of the grass perished during the drought of last year. Much grass 

 land is in a state to receive great benefit from being harrowed or scarified, and fresh 

 seeded, towards the end of summer. The first heavy showers, which laid the forward 

 barley, occasioned the young grasses to be smothered, and a considerable breadth of 

 them will fail. Thus, sometimes, the corn ruins the grasses; at others, the grasses, 

 being very forward and luxuriant, will nearly spoil a crop of corn. Furthermore, a 

 state of singleness is always best for both crops. But custom is ever better than best; 

 and few farmers, but the great farming patriot of Norfolk, COKE, have entire crops of 

 clover. The spring grasses, with tares, are a luxuriant and beautiful crop ; last year's 

 grasses, ia course, a failure. Beans and peas hold way with other crops in prospe- 

 rity, having resisted, with a similar degree of success, insectile attacks. 



That most important crop, the turnip, both white and Swedish, after some early mis- 

 haps, is in fair progress, and, at this time, undergoing the process of a second hoeing. 

 The late showers have been infinitely beneficial. Mr. Poppy, of Suffolk, a farmer of 

 great respectability, has lately received a society's premium for apian, by him lately 

 revived, of protecting turnip-plants from the flv/ ; and a very eminent patron of agri- 

 culture congratulates the country, in glowing language, on the advantages to be 

 obtained therefrom. Now, although we have no more faith in this than in the one- 

 hundred-and-one other plans for the same purpose, which have been promulgated in 

 our days since it is evident that, if we cannot prevent blight, we cannot arrest the 

 generation of insects, which are born to be fed-- we nevertheless do not envy Mr. 

 Poppy for his premium, nor attempt to treat the society with disrespect for conferring 

 it. In all such cases, it is wise in those who profess to encourage agriculture not 

 hastily to neglect any candidate who may exhibit proofs of a mind turned to research 

 and improvement. 



Enough of turnip-seed having been saved, the price, in course, has fallen greatly A 

 considerable quantity of bad seed has been put off during the present season, to the 

 great loss and disappointment of many farmers; but our inquiries have not produced 

 a single instance of this kind in the seed purchased of Messrs. Gibbs ; who, as far as 

 our experience has extended during upwards of twenty years, have always proved 

 worthy of dependence. 



Fruits promise to be a general crop, particularly apples ; with the drawback, so 

 annoying to the taste of foreigners, of too much acid in a great part, most in the cur- 

 rants and the absence of that grateful saccharo-subacid flavour in the juices, which 

 is never found in perfection in seasons when any considerable degree of blight pre- 

 vails. Nothing of novelty has occurred respecting the cattle markets. Fat things still 

 command a high price. Store pigs sell readily, at some advance. We may, however, 

 look for a considerable decline in the price of flesh meat in the ensuing autumn. Ordi- 

 nary horses, as usual, are plentiful, and not easy of disposal ; but saddle and coach 

 cattle, of good quality, have lately increased in demand and price. 



The old stocks of corn on the Continent are said to be at a low ebb, with considerable 

 quantitiea in very bad condition. Their new crops arc reported very large; and, 



