278 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



likely to prove a full average. Beana are a luxuriant crop,aud 

 wc fear too much so to ensure a good yield. Peas, upoQ dry 

 Eoils, were never better ; we have seen some upon stiff land 

 perfectly valueless. Our maugold, swede, and turnip crops 

 will certainly be far below an average — much of the land 

 originally intended for these crops was not planted, and from 

 the lateness and peculiarity of the season those planted do 

 not present a luxuriant appearance, even upon our beat 

 adapted soils for them. The potato crop has suffered more 

 from disease than any year since 1847 ; the early sorts which 

 heretofore escaped (or nearly so) are this year much diseased : 

 even those planted on boarded floors for seed are going. Hops 

 are a complete failure; not so our orchard fruit. There will be 

 a large quantity of cider and perry made this year, but we 

 fear the quahty will be inferior from the want of sunshine. 

 Fat stock continues scarce, although there has recently been 

 an abundance of keep, but the grass and the animals have been 

 continually wet, aud unless where they were well supplied 

 with artificial in addition to the green food, they have made 

 little or no progress. In 1857, we commenced reaping on the 

 28th July; in 1858, on the 26th; and 1859, on the 25th of 

 that month ; this year, we hope to commence on the 27th 

 August.— August 24th. T. D, 



ISLE OF ELY. 



At this time last year the reaping was completed in this 

 neighbourhood, aud nearly the whole of the white corn in 

 stack ; and here we are, 22nd August, and scarcely a sheaf 

 cut, and nothing certainly in condition for cutting. Yester- 

 day was a fine sunny day, and we had hopes of an improve- 

 ment in the weather ; to-day has been a wet, gloomy, miser- 

 able one. Several of our farmers are just ready to make a 

 beginning, but the grain ia still soft and green, and would 

 well bear to stand another week. Hands seem to promise 

 plenty, as several strangers are about. The continuance of 

 wet, gloomy weather has since my last had a most prejudicial 

 effect on the crops, and the white wheats especially are much 

 injured, the straw is getting ripe, while the ear and grain re- 

 main soft and green, and must now, under the most favour- 

 able weather, prove a thin inferior sample, and the whole crop. 

 Oats and wheat are daily being beaten closer to the ground ; 

 cats thorough-growing and discoloured. The peas are wisped, 

 and lying on the ground ; they are well podded, but even 

 before reaping were almost rotten, and very much sprouted. 

 The mustard is mostly cut, but only partially stacked : the 

 crop is not well spoken of. Beans are mostly badly podded, 

 though a full crop. Potatoes every day get worse ; the dis- 

 ease is general, the tubers few at a root, and very small. This 

 is certainly a desponding report, but not more so than ap- 

 pearances justify. — Aug. 22. 



NORTH HANTS. 



Before harvest it has been our custom to report the state of 

 the crops, aud of agriculture generally, in this district. In 

 the hope of amendment we have deferred this duty until to 

 do so longer would be weakness on our part. This evening 

 (Saturday) we are writing with the rain falling heavily, which 

 has been the case without interruption for nearly forty-eight 

 hours, during the greater part of which time the wind has 

 been excessively boisterous. Come harvest when it may, the 

 injury now done ia irretrievable. Up to the middle of July we 

 had hope of the wheat crop turning out favourable. The thin 

 plant on the chalk soils — where sufficient remained to stand 

 (much had been ploughed up) — was improved by the wet sea- 

 son ; uow this crop, on both chalk and clays, is laid and blown 

 about in all directions, and where the crop is heavy it has 

 grown up through the straw afresh. Old wheat is reduced to 

 a narrow compass ; stock in few hands. Barley on poor chalk 

 not farmed highly may be yet pretty good in quality. High 

 farming this year proves a great loss. The straw had attained 

 an unusual length, aud was consequently weak and easily laid 

 by the rain and wmd. Where the farmer had an expectation 

 of seven or eight quarters of barley per acre may uow be esti- 

 mated at half the quantity ; the quality most inferior. Oats 

 have all along looked well, and where not too heavy may yet 

 be a fair crop. The same remark applies to beans ; they are 

 very high and r,eU podded. The crop of peas is variable'. A 



large quantity of sainfoin aud clover hay was stacked in good 

 condition ; meadow hay nearly all spoiled. The season has 

 not been suited to mangel ; the bulbs are small ; we have a 

 larger breadth planted this than any previous year. Swedes 

 are pretty good. Turnips too backward, and generally very full 

 oi weeds. No blame to the farmer ; his outlay for hoeing will 

 be heavy, and the labour is nearly thrown away. Potatoes 

 worse for disease than in any year since 1847. Sheep scarce 

 and very dear ; we may safely predict mutton will be Is. per 

 lb. within a twelvemonth. Six-tooth and four-tooth sheep 

 there are none, except ewes ; they have been long swept off. 

 This season the lambs have been sent to market in such num- 

 bers as to seriously diminish our flocks. Higher prices must 

 be the result. The national calamity of a very late harvest 

 appears now to be inevitable. We do not write in a complain- 

 ing, murmuring spirit ; we leave the matter in the hands of 

 Him who " doeth all things well," and who has said, " Seed 

 time aud harvest shall never fail." — August 25. 



SOMERSETSHIRE. 



The wheat harvest has now become pretty general, but the 

 weather has been so far most unfavourable, especially last 

 week. A good deal of wheat has been cut, but very little yet 

 saved. The crop is in general very good, and if we have a 

 fine mouth for the harvest the yield is likely to be considera- 

 bly above an average. Burgess and Key's excellent reapers 

 are gradually overcoming the prejudices of the farmer and la- 

 bourer, and are a good deal used. They answer well. Barley 

 is a fair crop — not a heavy one, nor is it spoken nearly as 

 highly of as the wheat : cot much has yet been cut. Beans 

 are a heavy crop, much above an average, but in many places 

 very foul, never having been properly hoed. The mangel crop 

 is decidedly good; not many swedes in, and what are look 

 rather bad. Few stubble turnips are likely to be drilled this 

 year, on account of the extreme lateness of the harvest. Stock 

 are likely to be short off for winter fodder, as the grass crop 

 was by no means a heavy one, though some excellent hay was 

 made in the early part of July. Potatoes, owing to the very 

 wet summer, are very bad, nearly all being rotten. If we can 

 only get a month's fine harvest weather from this time, the 

 farmer will, I think, have little cause to indulge in his fa- 

 vourite grumble, with the high price wheat and stock are likely 

 to be during winter. The sportsman's prospects are much 

 worse, birds being very scarce indeed, and the harvest so late. 

 No good bags are expected on the first. — August 26. 



SOUTH HERTFORDSHIRE. 



The weather becomes more and more serious. If possible 

 we have less sun, and we are now having much more rain. On 

 the 23rd, about 9 p.m., the rain fell in torrents, and it con- 

 tinued to fall heavily until midnight. To-day (24th) a steady 

 rain again set in at 11 a.m., and continues as we write. The 

 effects of the bad weather on all kinds of corn are painfully 

 evident, and the utter loss and waste of an enormous amount 

 of food is certain. Heavy and laid crops of wheat are mil- 

 dewing and rotting past redemption ; barley in a similar state 

 is sprouting before it is cut ; oats in the sheaf are also growing, 

 and peas shed whilst they are being cut. The under straw 

 of peas is rotten, whilst the upper straw is green and in bloom. 

 No great quantity of corn is yet cut, the weather being fre- 

 quently too bad for the men to work out of doors. The ter- 

 rible calamity of a bad harvest seems in store for us, which, 

 added to one of the most lingering and expensive haymaking 

 seasons ever known, must seriously reduce the capital of our 

 small farmers, and affect the price and quality of food for 

 many months, if not for years. The hay yet uncarted is 

 worthless, and the quantity in the fields is considerable. The 

 washy state of the grass prevents cattle laying on flesh. The 

 mortality in sheep, particularly lambs, is far beyond the ave- 

 rage. The root crops are backward, and in many places 

 smothered with weeds ; or if tolerably clean, cannot grow as 

 they should, for want of sun aud warmth ; therefore we see 

 little hope of meat being cheaper or more plentiful. Our 

 village clergymen offer special prayers on Sabbath-days for 

 the safety of the harvest, in which every lover of his lellov- 

 iniu and hia country must humbly though heartily join. 



