No. 5. 



Crops in Scotland. 



159 



Crops iu Scotland. 



We insert the following, taken from the Keho Chro- 

 nicle, not entirely on account of the infurniation it 

 gives in relation to the crops, but partly as an illiis- 

 iration of the careful estimates made by our Biitish 

 friends, of every thing that throws light on the amount 

 of so important a matter as bread stufls. With their 

 dense population, and the consequent vast amount 

 daily consumed, these are all important to the welfare 

 and even existence of the people. With our vast ex- 

 tent of country, prolific soil, and sparse population, 

 we can scarcely comprehend the causes of anxiety that 

 exist in the older countries, about what seems scarcely 

 to cost us a thought.— Ed. 



The harvest being- now concluded, not 

 only in tliis district, but with few or unim- 

 portant exceptions, all over the coiinly, and 

 having had sufficient deliveries of the new 

 grain to enable us to judge of the quality of 

 the crop, and from the best information we 

 can collect to form an opinion of its extent, 

 we now do ourselves the pleasure of submit- 

 ting to you the following observations. 



In regard to the general course of the 

 weather during the season, we may remark 

 that oats, and the earlier sown barley, were 

 got into the ground under very favourable 

 circumstances, between the middle of March 

 and the middle of April; after which, owing 

 to rainy weather, the ground was never in 

 very good condition to receive the later 

 sown barleys; from the last week in May 

 until the last week in June, the weather 

 continued very fine, and during many days 

 it was oppressively hot, in fact, much more 

 so than is usual in this climate. Towards 

 the end of this time the spring crops on all 

 dry lands appeared to be suffering from the 

 drought. During all July and the greater 

 part of August, although we had a high 

 temperature and occasionally fine dry days, 

 tiie general character of this period was un- 

 usually moist with severe thunder storms 

 and deluges of rain, frequently sufficient to 

 raise the streams as high, or even higher 

 than during the winter floods. The first 

 week of August brought us to partial har- 

 vest, and in two weeks thereafter the whole 

 crop had ripened with extreme rapidity, but 

 the cutting down and carrying was much 

 interrupted by the unsettled character of 

 the weather, until the last week in August, 

 when it then became very favourable for 

 harvest operations, and has continued so 

 ever since; in fact, notwithstanding the 

 partial interruptions during August, we have 

 never known a season when the crop was 

 better secured, or with greater facility to 

 the farmer. 



Wheat occupied fully its usual breadth. 

 It is of fair quality, and with the exception 

 of a small portion carried too hastily, has 



been all stacked in fine condition. The 

 yield per acre maybe estimated at one-sixth 

 under an average produce, and the straw is 

 deficient in bulk. Some samples weigh 64 

 lbs. ; but best runs will not much exceed 61 

 lbs. to 62 lbs.; second, about 60 lbs. per 

 bushel, while some will come a little under 

 that. 



Barley held beyond its ordinary breadth. 

 It has all been stacked in fine order. In 

 bulk of straw it is very deficient. The yield 

 per acre we reckon to be a full fifth under 

 an average. Being well ripened, it is of 

 good colour, and has been found to malt re- 

 markably well. In weight it is nearly 2 lbs. 

 per bushel under last year's, but it is thought 

 its intrinsic quality will compensate foj the 

 deficient weight. Our best samples weigh 

 only 54 lbs.; good runs, 51 lbs. to 52 lbs.; 

 ordinary about 50 lbs.; and inferior as low 

 as 47 lbs. per bushel. 



Oats. — The breadth sown this year cer- 

 tainly did not exceed that of last year. This 

 crop has been well secured, and appears 

 bulky in the straw. The yield per acre, is 

 variously esfimated, and we have much diffi- 

 culty in forming an opinion; on hard soils it 

 is probably very deficient, while on the freer 

 or lighter soils, and even on high ground, 

 we consider it fully an average. On the 

 whole, we are disposed to estimate it at not 

 more than an eighth or a tenth below an 

 average. The weights, per bushel, are — 

 best, 42 lbs. ; second, 38 lbs. to 39 lbs. ; and 

 inferior down to 85 lbs. per bushel; being 

 from 2 lbs. to 3 lbs. per bushel lighter than 

 last year; notwithstanding which, their 

 mealing quality is much better than the 

 weight indicates. 



Beans occupied much more than their 

 usual breadth, and in some parts of the 

 county nearly double; but the yield per 

 acre, will not be half the usual average. 

 They have, doubtless, been well secured; 

 and the quality, of such as we have seen, 

 is satisfactory. They became prematurely 

 ripe, and appear to have been peculiarly af- 

 fected. Many think they sulliered during 

 the season in a manner analogous to the po- 

 tatoe, as the leaves were similarly blackened 

 about the same time. 



Peas. — The quantity sown in this district 

 is so very unimportant that we deem it un- 

 interesting to offer a remark on this portion 

 of the crop. 



Potatoes, whether planted whole or cut, 

 or whether the seed was tainted with dis- 

 ease or seemingly sound, seldom brairded 

 better, or had a more promising appearance 

 until about the third or fourth week in July, 

 when the tops were universally blighted, 

 and disease appeared among the tubers, 



