454' Obfeyvatiofis on the Grain Crops of 1804, ^c, Nov» 



TO THE CONDUCTOR OF THE FARMEr's MAGAZINE* 



Sir, 



I thank you for the honour clone me in inferting a paper of 

 mine in your laft Number. Conceiving it of importance to com- 

 municate the remarks I have made on the prefent crops, in the 

 couvfe of a journey through fevcral counties of the kingdom, I. 

 5hall now (when I have arrived at a place where I generally ftop 

 for fome time) endeavour to tranfmit my opinion, fo as to reach 

 you in time for publication in your next Number, fliould yoa 

 deem it worthy of infertion. 



Upon dry lands, and the beft loams, I think the crops of 

 wheat, oats, barley and rye, are generally as bulky as thofe of 

 lalt year, and beans and pens considerably more fo. Upon all o- 

 thcr kinds of land, they appear to me not to exceed three fourths 

 of the bulk of i£o3. From what information I can collect, the 

 yield from the ftraw is not fo great as in the preceding feafon,, 

 more efpecially that of wheat. Some accurate huibandmen have 

 ftated, that the quantity of that grain, which, upon m.oil lands,, 

 was laft year the produce of about fix ftooks (or 72 fheaves)i can 

 this year fcarcely be obtained from 8 ftooks ; that the quality is ge- 

 nerally inferior \ that in various diftrifts of England, feveral fields 

 are fo much injured by blight and mildew^, that their fcanty 

 produce will not weigh three fourths of the ufual weight per 

 buihel j and that fmut is unufually prevalent. My own obfer- 

 vations, I am forry to fay, have fully proved the truth of thefc 

 ftatements as to blight, mildew and fmut \ and I have but little 

 doubt of that regarding the yield and quality. Beans and peas 

 are reckoned, upon the whole, a very productive crop ; but pro- 

 per trials have not yet been made. The quality of barley, oats 

 and rye, is good •, the quantity of land, however, which was laft 

 fpring fown with the former grain, was much lefs than ufualj 

 which militates againft the arguments of thofe who think that low 

 prices will extend aration, and fecure plenty. As moft of our 

 tillage lands are either ftrong or wet, I conclude that the pre- 

 fent crop will not prove fo productive as that of laft feaibn. 

 I hope, however, that this misfortune will be imputed to the 

 real caufe, adverfe weather, efpecially to an extreme wet and late 

 fpring. 



Several weeks ago, I read in the Tyne Mercury a paper, of 

 which the following is a copy ; and as I have underftood, for 

 fome years paft, from information received from eminent breed- 

 cfs, both in the midland gpuntiies; *ind in the north of England^ 



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