1802. ] Monthly Agricultural Report. 518 
The Weft India merchants, after feveral interviews with the Minifter, have declined preffing 
for a diminution of the duty upon raw fugar, fince it would have become neceflary to have 
adopted asa fubftitute, a heavy excife upon the refined article. 
The great importation of rice which has been the confequence of the permiflion granted by the 
Eaft India Company, in the beginning of laft year, to individuals, to fit out thips for this purpofe, 
has fo much reduced the price of this ufeful article, that it is now retailing at two pence per lb. 
and large quantities have lately been exported to the continent. i: 
In confequence of the orders fent out during the difpute between this country and the North- 
ern Powers, confiderable quantities of hemp, flax, jute, paut, and fun, have arrived from the 
Eaft Indies, which, from experiments that has been made, it is fuppofed, will make very good 
~ ropes, nets, twines, cloth, &c. and after having been ufed in that ftate, will furnith materials for 
a itrongufeful paper. 
The following ftatement of the price per pound of printing and writing paper, in the laft 
nine years, fhews the enormous.adyance which has taken place in this article, and obyioufly ac- 
counts for the decline of the export trade in ftationary and books. 
PRINTING DEMY.||WRITING DEMY. 
——-~A———-, aaa, 
Pri Pri | ; 
+ Price | Duty HES Price | Duty 
al, per lb. | per lb. || po | per lb. | per lb. 
Sa) alias d. Sees aly ae 
July 1793] 14.0 8 16, ||260]1 1 245. 
1794) £70 94 24 270 | rat 24 
1795) 17 6 | 1o a4 atl | ok Teen nae 
17961] 17 6 10 24 270} 1 14 24 
1797| 17 6 10 25 27 O08} ENTS 24 
1798| 17 6 | 10 24 276,432 | of 
1799| 19 6 | aiz] 2t 28.6) 1°22-) “2s 
1800] 24 0 134 25 34 24 1 5p 24 
1801|'28 0 | 16 5 410} 1 8$ 5 
The Poff Office have adopted meafures for extending the number of poft days to and from the 
Continent of Europe, in confequence of which the mails for France, Holland, and Hamburgh, 
are to be made up three times a week inftead of twice, and to be difpatched at ten in the even- 
ing, on Mondays, Wednefdays, and Fridays, We are perfuaded the alteration will be the 
means of increafiag this branch of the public revenue, and as under the new arrangement all’ 
letters muft be fent to the Poft-office before nine o’clock in the evening, the London merchants 
will be under no neceflity of detaining their clerks and fervants at bufinefs beyond midnight, a 
practice highly inimical to the health and comfort of fuch perfons, and unneceffary in a great 
Ba ay under proper management even at prefent. The new regulation commences from the 
1ft of May.. 
: A Castes ges is expected from France to arrange a regular fyftem of Commercial Intercourfe 
between the two countries, 
MONTHLY AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 
HE changeable ftate of the feafon during the early part of the prefent month, has not by any 
means been fo favourable as might have been expected for the various kinds of crops. It has 
retarded the growth of the wheat as well as the other forts of grain crops, efpecially on the 
more thin and light foils; the cold and frofty nights have alfo been highly injurious to various 
kinds of fruits, particularly thofe of the more early defcriptions. And allthe tender forts of 
trees have fuffered more than has’ been experienced for a great length of time fromthe fame 
caufes. Average price of grain for England and Wales, to the week ending May 15—Wheat 
64s. 4d- rye 41s. barley z1s, 8d- oats 18s. 10d. beans 33s. 11d. peafe 35s. 3d- 
The want of rain has likewife been very prejudicial to the grafs in the hay diftriéts, the crops 
in general at prefent appearing thin and very backward. The clovers on the lighier foils are de- 
clining, and feem to promife but an indifferent crop. 
The old paftures in many diftriéts afford but very indifferent crops of grafs for the feeding of 
cattle, This is probably a principal caufe of the continued high price of butchers’ meat. At 
Smithfield Market, on Monday, May 24, beef fold from qs. to gs. mutton, 55.44. to 6s. 
veal, 4s. to 5s. Gd. pork, 4s. 8d. to 5s. 4d. lamb, 6s. Gd. to 73.4d. At Newgate and Leaden. 
hall Market, beef fold from 3s. 4d. to 4s. 4d. mutton, 4s. 8d. to 5s. qd. veal, 3s. to 4s. 8d, 
pork, qs. &d. to gs. 4d. lamb, ss. 6d- to 7s. 
*  WHayison the advance. At St. James’s Market, onSaturday, May 22, hay fold from 31. €s. te 
gi. ras. ftraw, 11. 17s. 6d, to 21. 6s.6d. At Whitechapel Market, hay, 4l. to sl. ros. clover, 
r gl. tos, to 6l, tas, ftraw, 11 143. to ai. 
METEOROLOGICAL 
