110 Agi'icuhuval Intelligence — England, Feb, 



I cannot fee how farmers are to p.iy their way, the expence of labour 

 and pii^^lic burdens bting now fo enormoufly increafed. 



* My Dorfet ewes are beginning to drop their lambs, which are doing 

 well, notwithftanding the weather has, for feme time part, been very fe- 

 vere. The a6l of Parliament for enclofing Needwood foreft, paffed, not- 

 withftanding the violent oppofition given to it by fome interelled men, 

 as hinted in one of my former letters. * 



Northumberland ^larterly Report, 



From the date of lafl Report to the beginning of November, the 

 weather continued very favourable for harvelling the moor crops of 

 corn, and the beans in the lower diflri^LS. On the 20th Odlober, we 

 had a fufficient quantity of rain, that left the Summer- fallows and bean 

 lands, which were before too dry, in a nne mellow ftate, peculiarly pro- 

 per for fovving wheat ; and this favourable opportunity was not let flip 

 by good farmers : probably the wheat feed was never put in under more 

 favourable circumftances with refpe6l to weather, to which caufe the 

 fubfequent healthy appearance of the crop may, in a great meafure, be 

 attributed. 



Through the greateft part of November, and beginning of December, 

 the general (late of the weather was wet ,* but not to fueh a height as 

 to prevent the ufual operations of hulbandry from going forward, par- 

 ticularly the ploi.ghlng for the next year's fallow and Spring crops, 

 which is everywhere in a great ftate of forwardnefs. The prefent froft 

 commenced on the jcth inftant, at a very convenient period for getting 

 out mai'urc, and forming dunghills in the fields intended for turnips 

 next feafon. 



it is much to be feared, that the continued rains In the month of 

 July, and the great flufn of grafs immediately fuccecding, has been pro- 

 duftive of the rot in fheep, as, on that account, many farmers have 

 (within the laft two months) been under the neceflity of feUing confi- 

 derable numbers of their flocks at a very reduced price ; and it feems 

 there are yet many more in a doubtful ftate upon moft of the lands that 

 are liable to that dcftrudive, and hitherto unaccounted for, malady. 



In laft Report, it was hinted, that the turnip crop was not good, ex- 

 cept upon dry loams ; but thefe, fince that time, have been confiderably 

 deteriorated, by their ftiooting out feed ftems iu the latter end of Odlo- 

 ber and beginning of November ; fo that, in many fields, there is fcarce- 

 ly a turnip to be found without a long neck, or a ftem from two to 

 three feet high : and, probably, fuch a general inftance of turnips (hoot- 

 ing before Winter, is not recolleded by the oldeft cultivator of that va- 

 luable root. 



1 he profpeft of the prices of ftock lowering in the latter end of Sep- 

 tember and beginning of Odobcr, was of (hort duration. At Ncw- 

 caftle fair, on the 29th Odlober, lean cattle for ftraw were never known 

 to be fold at fuch prices, nor fo few brought to market. Fat ftock hai 



aliQ 



