C ni ) 
had been generally prevalent throughout the preceding quarter 
continued, with the slight exception of the few days from July 
14th to 21st, until August 5th. This was followed by a period of 
42 days of warm and genial weather, extending from August 6th to 
September 16th, during which interval the mean excess of tempera- 
ture above the average was 4.j° daily. Prom this time to the 
end of the quarter the weather was again cold, and heavy rain fell 
everywhere ; the average deficiency of temperiiture was daily. 
In the middle of August all crops were backward, but the fine 
and forcing weather which followed brought them rapidly to 
maturity almost simultaneously. The gathering in of the harvest, 
however, was much delayed by the scarcity of labour. By the end 
of August a large portion of the crops had been stacked. At the end 
of the quarter the rain was very beneficial in the south of England, 
but interfered with the completion of the harvest in Scotland, and 
also in some backward Irish districts. There were considerable 
complaints about the spread of the potato disease at difl'erent 
times during the quarter, by the completely rotting away of the 
tuber, so that the stems were left without tubers attached. Generally 
the wheat crop was considered deficient. 
The mean temperature of July was 61°'7, being 0''*1 higher than 
the average of 100 years; in August it was 64°-8, or 4°-0 higher 
than the average ; and in September it was 57°"4, or 0°'9 higher than 
the average of 100 years. The fall of rain was 0-7 inch and 1-5 
inches respectively in defect in July and August, and 1 -7 inches in 
excess in September. 
Local reports relating to the harvest were as follows : — At Helston 
the report of the coming wheat crop, in July, was not encouraging ; 
it was said to be generally thin. Barley was also thin. Oats were 
better, but not abundant. Hay, though a fair crop, had been badly 
saved, and much destroyed. Disease had made its appearance in 
the potatoes since the hot weather set in. At Strathfield Turgiss, in 
Hants, in July of the previous year, farmers were busy carting 
wheat, whereas last year none was then ripe. At Halifax, in August, 
the grain crops were good ; in many cases a second crop of grass 
had been cut and well got in : and the turnip crop was plentiful and 
healthy. At Miltown, Banbridge, in Ireland, it was reported that 
the harvest was very good, wheat was a fair crop, oats extremely 
good, and green crops abundant ; the disease had, however, visited 
the potato crop, which had suffered severely. At Cumberland, in 
September, local reports stated that cereal crops were rather below 
the average ; turnips, swedes, and mangolds saved. Potatoes much 
diseased on strong heavy land, fully five-sixths of the crops destroyed; 
on peaty and sandy soils the result was more favourable. 
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