[ 488 ] [OCT. 



MONTHLY AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



THE same variable weather, characteristic of the whole past season, continues; perpetual 

 and quick alternations of wet and dry, heat and cold. The quality of the corn will necetf-. 

 sarily partake of this variety in the season. Corn, fortunately dried in the fields, will be a 

 fine sample ; but the greater part, it is to be feared, has not shared that good fortune. 

 Nor ought blame to be cast too hastily on the farmer for clearing his lands on the first 

 appearance of fair weather, the corn being in a questionable state ; since, aware of the 

 variable character of the season, he made choice of, in his judgment, the minor evil, dread- 

 ing most a repetition of moisture. Thus far, the accounts of superabundance, particularly 

 in the wheat crop, are fully maintained, and that part which has been saved in good con- 

 dition will prove a .heavy and fine sample. The present year has run counter to an old 

 saw. We always said, after our grandfathers a a dry summer for the wheat crop." 

 Now, our fanning sages attribute the weight and goodness of the wheat to the fertilizing 

 quality of the rains, an effect which they have indubitably had upon poor, sandy, and arid 

 lands ; and the uncommon large produce of such inferior soils has helped, in a material 

 degree, to augment the national stock. The great wonder is, how lands, loaded and 

 exhausted as our's almost universally are, could, possibly, in such a state, bear so abun- 

 dant a produce. As there is scarcely ever a benefit without its countervailing evil, may 

 we not apprehend that such an anomaly will have the unfortunate effect on the minds of 

 our farmers, as to persuade them that clearing land is labour and expense cast to the 

 winds. It would seem, however, that few of them need any persuasion to such effect. 

 The continent, according to recent accounts, has not shared our good fortune. In Russia, 

 and the northern parts of Germany, the crops have failed. The government of France 

 has forbidden exportation ; and as the crops have also failed to the southward, there will be 

 a considerable demand for exportation to the Mediterranean. This will cheer our farmers 

 by its necessary effect of preventing prices from suffering that great reduction which has so 

 long been expected in our markets. They have not, indeed, hitherto been overstocked with 

 new wheat, little of which has been offered in a fit condition for grinding. It will be to 

 the interest of the landlords to be as forbearing as possible in the collection of their 

 Christmas rents, that their tenantry may be enabled to hold their corn for an improvement 

 of its condition and for a market. 



Harvest will be protracted to a still later period than we stated in our last report : 

 according to our latest letters from the northern extremities of the country, there is corn, 

 particularly oats, which has not yet assumed the harvest yellow such will not be cut 

 until nearly the middle of next month. Wheat sowing will be necessarily late this year, 

 during the whole of which, harvest operations, instead of following in usual and regular 

 succession, have run one into the other. The low clay lands, foul as they are, will work 

 badly, and being so sodden with wet, it will be almost impracticable to draw any manure 

 upon them. Both oats and barley, though failing upon "many parts of the poor soils, it 

 is supposed, will be generally large crops ; but of the latter, fine malting samples, which 

 begin already to be inquired for, will not be abundant. Where oats have succeeded, 

 they are said to be the largest crop within memory, both in corn and straw. Lattamath 

 turnips, on some favoured soils, are spoken well of, and are said on others to have made a 

 poor progress. The turnips, though they escaped the fly, are very backward in the bulb. 

 The seeds have not greatly improved from want of a genial summer warmth, and the 

 young clovers have been pinched, and even mildewed, and the potatoe haulm blacked by 

 the severity of the night air. Quantity, not quality, will be the characteristic of the 

 meadow clover, and sainfoin hays of the present year. A decisive opinion of the bean crop is 

 not yet given, but there seems little apprehension of a failure ; as to pease, they are 

 estimated at half a crop. Of potatoes the supply will be satisfactory, both in quantity^ 

 and quality. Of hops no hope exists of any thing like a crop. As to fruit, as well as 

 other produce, we sages have most happily enacted the Comedy of Errors ; instead of 

 the predicted scarcity, or almost fruit famine, we hear of so great abundance in some 

 parts of the country, Suffolk particularly, that the growers scarcely know what to do 

 with it ; and Covent-garden Market exhibits such plenty and variety of every species, 

 that as a spectacle it is most pleasant and exhilarating. The plenty of all culinary 

 vegetables is most ample. 



On the whole our accounts from the country are by no means of that despairing tone 

 which so generally prevailed a few months past. With some exceptions, we look upon 

 them as rather consolatory and promising. We lately noticed a favourable change in the 

 sentiments of our Berkshire friends, who had previously been amongst the loudest com- 

 plainants ; as to those of Herts they had never despaired, and are now declaiming in heroics 

 on the immense productions of the present season, and the goodness of the times, won- 

 dering at, and even doubting the just grounds of complaint in other districts ; like a 

 certain class of doctors, who, blessed with a robust constitution themselves, prescribe the 

 strongest remedies to all patients alike. Herts is a fine, light and profitable country to 

 farm in, and profits much by the culture of kitchen vegetables. From Lincolnshire also, 

 the accounts are favourable, and the harvest described as the most successful and pleasant 

 both to farmer and labourer. 



From the cattle and horse markets, little of novelty presents. Pigs, it seems, have 



