1825.) 
Co4y5 1] 
MONTHLY AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 
"Re burden of almost every country 
letter is still—the state of the wea- 
ther; a topic which seems to interest the 
majority, full as much as that of the near 
approach of an attempt to amend the corn 
laws. The favourable state of the weather 
during last month, enabled all the farmers 
of dry sound lands, to complete that part 
of wheat sowing, left unfinished in the au- 
tumn. The seed chosen, for this period, has 
been chiefly the Spanish, or Talavera, and 
our early summer wheat. The wet lands, 
in course, not in a fit state to receive the 
seed, or indeed scarcely to be stirred in any 
way, must remain until fit for the reception 
of sorne of the spring crops. The weather 
during the present month, has not yet bene- 
fitted them, in any sufficient degree, and 
they have been tilled imperfectly, with much 
labour. On the best lands, they are getting 
forward with the spring crops; and our 
neighbours the Scots, among the most 
successful and least dissatisfied of farmers, 
began oat sowing, in some of their most 
favoured districts, as early as Valentine’s 
day. The wheat, on good soils, is large and 
luxuriant, yet, from excess of moisture, 
divested of that elasticity and curl which it 
would derive from a dryer state of the 
atmosphere. There will doubtless be abun- 
dance of straw, whatever there may be of 
grain. As to the crops on poor land, so 
long sodden with moisture, particularly on 
clays, they haye a most unfavourable ap- 
pearance, and can only be recovered by a 
continuance of dry and warm weather. The 
few frosts we have had, immediately alter-. 
nating with thaw and rain, or fog and 
high winds, haye greatly injured those 
wheats, by laying bare their roots, and 
even ejecting the plants from the soil. The 
slugs also haye continued their ravages, 
unmolested: nevertheless, we have for- 
merly seen crops, equally injured, prove 
successful, after a fayourable spring; the 
thinning of them (having been very thickly 
sown) actually turning out beneficial in the 
end, But every season brings with it its 
eyil as well as its good; and there is, in our 
happy days, such a world full of bread 
corn, that dearth or want seem fortunately 
quite out of view or, speculation. The 
chief apprehension arises from the long pre- 
valence of the westerly and southerly winds, 
and thence the probability of those in oppo- 
site quarters taking place during the spring 
and summer seasons, inducing a, low and 
irregular state of temperature, when genial 
warmth is so indispensable to the perfect 
maturity of all the earth’s products. In all 
our cattle markets, there is still a flowing 
tide of success, great plenty and high prices ; 
with some few exceptions, in regard to fat 
beasts, bought in the autumn, at too high a 
store price. Sheep most in demand, occa- 
sioned, no doubt, by the prevalence of the 
rot, which has in the present season, ac- 
tually oceasioned the ruin of some flock 
masters. Some men are yet amusing them- 
selves, with finding cures for that disease, 
which never did, or ever can admit of any 
other than prevention. The horned cattle 
in some instances, from long exposure on 
wet lands, and to a foggy relaxing atmos- 
phere, have been similarly affected. Wool, 
both short and combing, has had a most 
sudden and rapid rise, to the amount of 
perhaps thirty or forty per cent., and the 
demand is probable to be steady. Hops 
shew a considerable quantity on hand, in 
consequence, are a dull and falling market. 
It is pleasant to read the acknowledgments 
of farmers that rutabaga (Swedes) and 
mangel wurzel, formerly so ridiculed and 
neglected, are found really of superior utility 
to the common turnip. The demand and 
price for horses of all descriptions, however 
highly rated in former reports, has actually 
increased; materially on account of the 
considerable export to France, whence. pro- 
bably, English horses are distributed over 
the continent. Horse STEALinc, that 
regular trade, at which we glanced in our 
last, has lately increased beyond all prece- 
dent, the disposal of the article being so 
greatly facilitated by exportation. By way 
of an attempt at prevention, the old plan of 
Mr. (John) Lawrence, of a file-proof ring 
on the neck or fetlock of the horse, has 
been published by an artificer at Farnham. 
We have received no late accounts of a 
surplus of labourers, whence we argue 
favourably of their ability to assert their 
own rights to adequate wages, the too late 
law having wisely left them at liberty. The 
early lambing season has commenced fa- 
vourably, and ewes with lambs sell at a 
great price. 
Smithfield :—-Beef, 3s. 4d. to 3s. 5d.— 
Mutton, 45. Od. to 5s. 8d.—Veal, 5s. Od. 
to 6s. 6d.—Pork, 4s. Od. to 6s. Od.—Raw 
Fat, 2s. 9d. 
Corn Exchange :—Wheat, 48s. to '78s.— 
Barley, 32s. to 52s.—Oats, 22s. to 32s,— 
Bread, (London), Jld. the loaf of 41b.— 
Hay, 63s. to, 105s.—Clover 80s. to 110.— 
Straw, 33s. to dls, 
Coals in the Pool, 36s. Od. to 38s. 6d.— 
Middlesex, Feb. 21. 
MEDICAL 
