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 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



Iy the present state of the atmosphere, an Agricultural Report is merely 

 the notice of a long-protracted, unfavourable season, of the continuance or 

 periodical repetition of which, we expressed an apprehension in our last. 

 The easterly winds and night-frosts still continue, in despite of all the 

 auguries that can be drawn from the phases of our lady the Moon, who 

 very seldom makes any scruple of deceiving those who place confidence in 

 her. Notwithstanding every disadvantage, however, the usual routine of 

 the season was observed, and all the various seeds were committed to the 

 soil, those on the heavy lands especially in a far better state than could 

 have been expected, an advantage derived from the drought and dust of 

 March, which, on the other hand, proved injurious to much of the dry, thin, 

 and poor land. In some parts, the barley sowing has been late, and must 

 extend to next month, for its completion. Of course all the spring crops, 

 though above gronnd, are backward, yet in appearance are to the full as 

 healthy as could be reasonably expected ; and should a truly genial season 

 succeed, may yet produce an ample return. The wheats on cold, heavy 

 lands, are indeed much checked in their inordinate growth, and discoloured ; 

 but on warm soils, retain a freshness of green, indicating thus far no consi- 

 derable damage, but the blooming season may be critical. The wheat 

 market, for a considerable time, has undergone very little variation, and 

 the continental markets, accustomed to depend on the export to this country, 

 are in a very stagnant state, the speculators being under the necessity of 

 holding their stock, for an opportunity of disposal here ; for though their 

 last crop was not equally productive with ours, they still possess a surplus, 

 which will be ready for any demand from hence, and which will generally 

 prevent any considerable rise in our markets, though, after all, many calcu- 

 lators insist that our last crop was below an average. The statement of 

 our case, a case of daily bread, is as follows, pro. and con. : the price of 

 bread-corn in England is nearly double that of France, and of the various 

 countries on the Continent; yet a certain eminent agriculturist, who now 

 and then publishes his sentiments on the subject, has lately hazarded the 

 opinion, that the present price of corn is too low, at least such is the ob- 

 vious import of his words. The question is, can our population support a 

 higher price ? As for th e weight of taxation borne by the two opposite parties 

 respectively, there seems much discrepancy. The manufacturing and 

 commercial interests, according to the representations of our economical 

 writers, have ever been the largest contributors to taxation, whilst it ap- 

 pears from the property-tax returns, that, with regard to such tax, the 

 agricultural classes contribute to the state more than three times as much 

 as the manufacturing and commercial classes of every description united. 

 Probably, however, such test is not decision of the question. Another 

 strange anomaly occurs from the complaints of distress and want in the 

 Metropolitan operatives, as contrasted with their appearance in the late 

 splendid procession, to present their rejected petition, by which most extra- 

 ordinary and extravagant act, their conjuring leaders completely and finally 

 deposited radicalism in the dust. A better warning could not have been 

 given to the middle and property classes. As a counterpart, on the com- 

 mencement of reform, universal suffrage was nearly the order of the day ; 

 up starts horrible incendiarism, and universal suffrage is no longer heard of. 

 Men who hold a stake and property in the soil, would scarcely be inclined 



