i829.] Agricultural Report. 231 



apprehension is entertained by them, not only on account of their rents, too many of them 

 in arrear, but of the needful for securing the approaching harvest. The opulent farmers 

 also, who held their wheat for a market, have made a most unfortunate speculation, tlie 

 generality being losers to the amount of from six to twelve shillings per quarter. The 

 complaints of the tradesmen, even in the best and most popular districts, are almost equally 

 loud and general. Money, if the Reporters may be credited, has nearly vanished, and 

 payments for cattle at fairs, are said now to be currently made in promissory notes. This 

 disastrous state of country affairs, at no rate to be totally discredited, appears, however, to 

 us to be assigned by the complainants to wrong causes, and the remedies, which they 

 deem infallible, namely, a re-issue of paper, and the old restrictions in the commerce of 

 corn, we really apprehend would be utterly delusive. The fact is, the universal national 

 interest was in so dangerous a state, in both those momentous concerns, that some prompt 

 and important steps could be no longer delayed, whatever temporary inconvenience and 

 distress might be the result ; and the immense populousness, prosperity and accumu- 

 lated capital of this country, leave no doubt of timely improvement, although no very 

 exalted degree of that can be expected, under the wastefol and profligate system of govern- 

 ment to which the nation has so long been exposed, and which, if not timeously remedied 

 by the besotted people themselves, will remedy itself in thunder. 



As to the crops, and first, of the wheat, we adhere to our former opinion : that golden 

 grain has, no doubt, received signal benefit from the late warm showers, but not in so 

 great a degree as was at first inspired by the favourable change of the weather. We have 

 never knoi^Ti so large a drought at a critical season, attended with cold and bhghting 

 winds, which did not induce radical, though perhaps not immediately apparent mischief 

 on the wheat crop ; and we have ever been accustomed to entertain apprehensions for the 

 wheat, whenever we saw the beans and hops pining under the inflection of vermin. In 

 Scotland, the blight-insect (to use a very unfashionable, yet expressive term) seems to have 

 made the greatest ravages ; and the Scots rural philosophers, as usual, to avoid the dis- 

 grace of equivocal generation, have mistaken, or chosen to take the effect for the cause ; 

 for surely, had there been no blight, they would not have had to complain of insects. 

 Thence they are gravely dissertating on the probability of finding a remedy, which, no 

 doubt, they might find, were they constituted atmospheric directors. Too much of the 

 wheat throughout tlie island is infested with those insects, which will much retard the 

 growth and vitiate the quality of the grain. How or whence these insects come, whether 

 equivocally, or in the ordinary course of generation, ah ovo, it concerns us little to ascertain, 

 since of this we are certain, they never fail to appear at the command of their sovereign 

 lord, if not their creator, the north-east wind. The late storms of wind and rain beside, 

 have laid much of the loftiest wheat, to its veiy considerable damage, the very short and 

 thin having better chance of escape. The present will not be a great straw year, in any 

 crop, nor a very productive one in any grain. It is held doubtful whether the richest 

 wheat lands will bear an average crop, witli no doubt that poor soils will be much below, 

 that medium. The continental reports respecting the wheat crop agree generally with 

 our own. 



The drought and cold endured too long for the following genial showers to have their 

 full effect on the spring crops. Barley, beans, and oats, appear too deficient throughout 

 to warrant an average crop, or of good quality. Peas and winter tares are probably the 

 best crops of the year. Much of the early sown beet and Swedish turnips failed from the 

 drought, and a considerable breadth of the former was ploughed up and re-sown ; where 

 these articles stood they are promising. The season for cabbage planting has been most 

 propitious, and also for that most important process, turnip sowing. Tiie turnips have 

 been some timeout of danger from the fly, and the Swedes this year will be a considerable 

 breadth. Drilling fortunately gains ground. Potatoes will be a crop, though tlie early 

 planted received some damage. Of hops nothing good can be said. 



Hay harvest has been, and continues most embarrassing and expensive. A very curious 

 addition to these troubles has been noted by several correspondents. During the drought, 

 many clergynnen put up prayers for rain, which were held by their farming clients, rather 

 mal-a-propos in hay-making time. A part of the earliest saved hay was fine, but the quan- 

 tity short, not only from tlie dry season, but the exhaustion of the lands by the vast 

 burden grown last year. As to the grass cut since the rains, the greater part lias been 

 reduced to the quality of straw ; and the weather since has been so uncertain, that they 

 who kept their grass, which many did till it shed its seed, will not secure the expected 

 benefit. The clovers and artificial grasses have been very difficult to manage — theswatlics 

 lying wet upon the land, and the second growtli rising up rapidly among it. in tliis case, 

 the additional trouble is repaid, of removing and carting tlie clover to a bare lii Id in order 

 to its making. After-growth of all kinds will be great. The quantity of fruit lias been 

 immense, yet the farmers, who have a dependence on their cherries, make comjilaints, 

 either from tlie damage the fruit has received from storms, or tlie lowness of tlie prices. 

 JIark, not so plentiful as in last year, being shaved and chopjied, obtains from 11!/. to a.l/. 

 per load, of 45 cwt. Wool has been sold more freely, perhaps wisely. The paradox has 

 appeared that lean stock, above the supply, iia.-! been in demand of late years, yet less flesh 



