104 Agricultural Report. [July, 



late and scanty harvest, which was so universaUy apprehended and dreaded, should 

 fortunately the jiresent seasonable warmth of temperature continue, we may expect, 

 an early ripening of the crops, and a full average quantity upon all the best and 

 middling soils. Tlie most favourable circumstance to be recited is, the propitious 

 state of the weather for that vital but ticklish process, the blooming or flowering of 

 the wheat, which is by this time nearly perfected on all the luxuriant and strongest 

 crops. Thus, the abundant crops of all kinds, upon the early sown and middling 

 lands, will make a comfortable atonement in the national supply for the deficiency, 

 and such there undoubtedly is, on poor, half-cultivated, and late sown soils. Much 

 complaint of this deficiency comes from all the poor, wet, and heavy land districts, 

 and particularly in respect to the barley crop, which seems to have suffered most. 

 Even in the great barley county, Norfolk, it has not succeeded on the inferior soils. 

 Oats, beans, and peas, are the most promising of the spring crops, and are expected 

 to produce a full average, excepting lands where the forward field peas were nearly 

 cut ott' by the frosts of last month. The late drought has been extremely favour- 

 able to fallowing the land for evei*y purpose, and the greater part of the wet heavy 

 soils, previously impracticable to the utmost exertion, have since been turned up 

 with comparative facility, in a mellow and friable state. This important business 

 has thence been fortunately expedited, and in good time, so as not to interfere with 

 hay-making, and the sowing of Swedes, common turnips, and mangold, if some- 

 what protracted, will yet be in good season. The mangold u-wtzel, cattle beet-root, 

 so immensely productive, and almost universally cultivated of late years, has, it 

 seems, got into discredit, and the breadth sown in the present season is inferior to 

 any lately known. AVe adverted on its introduction to its inferior quality. Pota- 

 toes, that indispensable, and, happily, we may almost say, never-failing crop, have 

 thrown out a strong plant, and give fair promise of abundance, though, on some 

 soils, they are later than usual. The bulk of the spring business may be said to 

 have been successfully finished with the present month, and the interval be- 

 tween this period and' the commencement of harvest, will be filled up with the 

 finish of hay-making and with summer-fallowing the lands intended for wheat. 



The present hay harvest makes a very ditt'erent figure in comparison with the 

 last. Clover, tares, all sown grasses, are a general failure. The meadows and pas- 

 tures, retarded in the chief season of their growth by cold and drought, though 

 assisted in some degree by the subsequent warm showers, have not recovered, and 

 the burden of hay will be light on the best lands. The crop of clover hay is light, 

 but cut early on those lands intended for a second crop and for seed. The marsh 

 grasses have been remarkably dry and short ; but, with respect to the general short- 

 ness and want of bulk in the grass, there has been this countervailing advantage, it 

 has been additionally nutritious, and all stock has succeeded well upon it ; another 

 advantage, of high consequence attendant upon the drought, it appears that the 

 nutritious and drying quality of the grass has had a most salubrious eftect on the 

 constitution of the sheep, and, in all probability, will tend to stay the further pro- 

 gress of the rot. The short quantity of grass will be, in some measure, econo- 

 mized by the reduced numbers of sheep. Sheep-shearing is finished, and the number 

 sheared is supposed to be one-sixth mim(s, compared with any preceding year in 

 recollection. Much business is said to be doing in wool on the continental markets, 

 where buyers are assembled from all quarters ; a strong indication of an approach- 

 ing advance of price in this country, where the stooks of that important article 

 cannot be large. Our cattle fairs and markets, on the whole, have been abundantly 

 supplied, and, considering the advance of the season, and, with some few exceptions, 

 the prices obtained have been satisfactory. 



From Scotland our accounts of the wheat crop are not so satisfactory as from 

 other parts of the island ; and complaints from the north are more frequently urgent 

 than usual, of a deterioration of the land from overcropping, and want of cultivation 

 of manure. On the English border in the north bone-dust is extensively used as a 

 manure on dry soils. In South Wales lime is perhaps bestowed upon the land in 

 greater quantities than elsewhere, as an absorbent fitted to improve their moist 

 soils. The old story is repeated, even with additions, of the general foulness of the 

 tillage lands throughout the country ; and black gi-ass, twitc'li or couch, and char- 

 lock, make a conspicuous figure in these recitals. The sage practice is continued, it 

 seems, of beheading the charlock with a scvthe where it overtops the corn. 



SmithJield.—'Beer, 3s. 4s. to 4s. 6d Veal, 4s. to 4s. 8d.— Mutton, 3s. Cd. to 



4s. 4d — Dairy-Pork, 5s. to Os. Od.— Lamb, 5s. to 6s. Od.— Rough fat, 2s. 5d. 



Corn Exchange.— Wheat, 54s. to 78s.— Barley, 28s. to 46s Oats, 24s. to 33s.— 



Bread 41b. London loaf, lOd — Hay, 50s. to 90s.— Clover ditto, 70s. to 128s.— 

 Straw, 30s. to 42s. 



Coal Exchange — Coals, in the Pool, 2l3. to 353. 6d. per chaldron. 

 Middlesex, June 20th. 



Errata in last Report. — End of last column but one, for arable read acreable ; near 

 the end, for Lapland read ripland. 



