262 
injustice to use a fainter term,) with “ the 
Confessions of an English Opium Eater.” 
These essays absolutely abound both in 
medical and moral instruction—they are, 
besides, master-pieces of graphic style, and 
cannot, it is conceived, be perused by any 
Agricultural Report. 
[April 1, 
individual of taste and feeling without ex- 
citing a most powerful interest—without 
producing a lasting impression. 
D. Uwins, M.D. 
Bedford Row, March 20,1822. 
MONTHLY AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 
HE winter just closed, has been one 
of the mildest within memory or re- 
cord, throughout Europe; as a necessary 
consequence, deformed by storms, tempests 
and floods. Our clay lands sodden with 
constant moisture, without the benefit of 
frost, have worked heavily ; hence, in im- 
proved districts, the dibble has been much 
in use this season. Great breadths of 
wheat were sown last mouth, both in the 
south and in Scotland, on lands which 
could not be timely prepared in autumn, 
and on turnip land, where the plants were 
seeded and useless. Wheat, indeed, with 
some exceptions in the poor western dis- 
tricts, is a most extensive crop, more espe- 
cially in the north. Taken generally, it 
perhaps never looked better at this season, 
and that which is thinnest of plant, may 
not be the least productive in harvest. 
The yellow edges of the wheat leaf re- 
marked on cold and wet lands, some time 
since, was to be expected from the state of 
the soil, and the perpetual vicissitudes of 
the weather. The risk from winter frosts 
is now at.an end; that very critical one 
from those cold easterly winds in the 
spring, which, in regular atmospheric or- 
der, succeed a mild winter, are yet in 
abeyance. ‘There have been, however, 
fortunate exceptions; under one of these, 
from a great crop of wheat, will follow 
great effects. The appearance of the 
country, with respect to the lands and the 
crops, is universally favourable. Great 
evaporation has taken place, and the soil 
is every where getting into the finest state. 
The grass has a beautiful verdure, and all 
the spring crops are getting in with expe- 
dition, and without any hindrance from the 
weather. The fallof lambs has been gener- 
ally successful, and the country is so abua- 
dantly, and equally replenished with both 
liveand dead stock, that great and increas- 
ing as our population is, a riddance of the 
surplus, at any rate, cannot always be found 
in the markets. What say the disciples of 
Malthus, British or Continental, to a dis- 
pensation like this? Gocd corn-fed pork 
has been sold, in some distant country mar- 
kets, at 3d. per pound. Spring prices 
lower than the autumnal: @ certain sign 
of the natural and gradual descent to the 
lowest level. The shew for fruit is most 
luxuriant and beautiful. The farming in- 
terest, almost universally, is in a most de- 
plorable and heart-breaking state. Weare 
suffering the consequences of a “most un- 
just, unnatural and UNSUCCESSFUL war. 
The causes of our distress lie in the smal- 
lest possible compass, and it is lamentable 
to see the public mind yacillating and led 
astray, by such loads of inapplicable so- 
phistry and of fallacies, which are issuing 
from all quarters. Every projector—with 
the exception of those, who are obviously 
turning out a tub to amuse the great levia- 
than, and profit by the guidance of the 
. huge and ductile monster—naturally at- 
taches infallibility to his plan; but sueh 
do not consider we are actually under the 
influence of that dreadfal dilemma, in 
which, the relief fondly hoped for, is not 
within the immediate ken .or the reach of 
human wit. There are causes which are 
imperious, and must be left to work their 
legitimate effects. We would recommend 
to our countrymen, as a model, the noble 
and independent petitions from THORNEY 
in Ely. We lament the horrible dissolu- 
tion of morals among the country Jabourers 
in these religious days. Our letters from 
the Principality, we regret to state, give 
fresh instances of the inhumanity and im- 
policy cf landlords in their conduct to- 
wards their poor tenantry, who, on the 
contrary, have the most just title to the ut- 
most kindness, forbearauce and support. 
The season altogether has been one of 
the mildest upon record, the prevailing 
winds have been chiefly west and south 
west, nevertheless there has been little or 
no rain, but for weeks together, clear 
sunny days. The thermometer, through 
the winter has ranged between 40° and 
50°; and not more than once or twice has 
any ice been seen, while there has been 
no snow in Middlesex. Under these cir- 
cumstances vegetation was never more 
forward and promising, and most articles 
have appeared in Covent Garden market a 
month earlier than usual. 
Smithfield —Beef 2s.4d. to 3s. 3d.— 
Mutton 2s. 8d. to 4s. 0d.— Lamb 0s. 0d. to 
Os. 0d.—Veal 3s. 4d. to 5s.6d—Pork 2s. 4d. 
to 4s. 0d. (dairy) 5s. 0d—Bacon 3s. Od. to 
3s. 8d.—Raw Fat 2s. 7d. to 3s. 4d.—— 
Wheat 36s. to 60s. old 65s. to 70s.— 
Rye 0s. Od. to Os— Barley 16s. to 30s.— 
Oats 14s, to 28s.—The quartern loaf in 
London 10:d.—Hay 50s. to 84s. 0d.— 
Clover do. 45s. to 100s.—Straw 27s. 0d. 
to 39s. 6d.—Rye Straw 42s.—Coals in the 
Pool 31s. 0d. to 41s. 
Middlesex, March 25, 1822. : 
MONTHLY 
