408 ~ 
mer, whereby the grain was damaged, and 
it was alf> very light. 
1798. A cold and backward fpring, but 
a favourable feed-time. Of wheat, beans, 
peas, barley and oats, there was a tolera- 
ble crop, which was harvefted well, ex- 
cept the late crops, which were much da- 
maged by the rainy weather. A great 
quantity of land could not be fown to 
wheat, through the abundance of rain, 
which continued the whole of the autumn, 
and much of the wheat fown in wet land 
rotted, 
1799. A very wet winter, fpring, fum- 
mer and autumn, fo that full one-third of 
the land could not be fown to grain at all; 
a good deal of that which was fown pro- 
duced but little, and much was damaged 
by the wetne(s of the harveft, as alfo was 
moft of the hay. A vat deal of land 
could not be fown to wheat in the autumn, 
and of that fown much perithed, through 
the wetnefs of the feafon and badnefs of 
the feed. Severe frofts fet in early, by 
which the wheat in the ground was in- 
jured. 
1800. A wet winter and fpring until 
the middle of May, fo that in fome dif- 
triéts half the land intended for Lent 
corn could not be fown in feafon, and 
that which was fown late, came to little.. 
The latter end of May and beginning of 
June was a fine growing feafon, but the 
fummer afterwards was very hot and dry. 
,Dhe crops of corn were very light, except 
peas, but of thofe the quantity fown was 
very (mall, owing to the wet winter and 
fpring. Avery great {carcity in autumn ; 
but an unufual quantity of and fown to 
wheat, the feafon being very favourable 
until the end of the year. ; 
An old adage fays, “that a bufhel of 
March du&t js worth a king’s ranfom ;” 
and every one experienced in agriculture 
knows that rainy weather at feed-time as 
well as at harveft is very prejudicial to 
the produce of grain inthiskingdom. In 
fuch feafons, the greateft part of the 
arable-land cannot be ploughed to any ad- 
vantage, ard if grain is fown where the 
land is very wet, it feldom produces more 
than half acrop; but in many diftriés 
a fourth part’of the land cannot be fown at 
ail in rainy feafons. _ The vatle-lands, 
which in fruitful years are the moft pro- 
ductive, are moft affected by unfavourable 
feafons. ; . 
2dly. The many falfe paragraphs pub- 
lifhed in the new!papers refpeCting the 
crops of grain in this kingdom, have con- 
tributed nofa little to the high price ; and 
the confequences of them have been fevere- 
A 
Objervations on the Caufes of Scarcity. 
, fDee ok 
ly felt, not only in the difcontent and in- 
clination to rioting that appeared amengft. 
the people, and which, in fome meatfure, 
may be attributed to thofe paragraphs ; 
but we are informed’ by the Americans, 
that, had it not been tor fuch misitate- 
ments “as appeared in moft of the papers 
announcing the very great’ abundance of 
the crops jn the kingdom, the exportation 
of corn and flour from their country te 
ours would have been very great, four 
months fooner than it was, whereby wheat 
would have been prevented from rifing to 
the enormous price which it did. ‘The 
printers of newfpapers fhould, therefore, 
be efpecially careful to have their informa- 
tion from experienced men, and not from 
thofe who, travelling, perhaps, through 
a great part of the kingdom, form ajudg- 
ment by looking at the corn as they ride 
along; for it isimpofiible to aicertain the 
ftate of the crops, by viewing the fields 
in riding trom place to place. ~ The far~ 
mers themfelves are frequently deceived 
for want of more narrowly infpecting their 
corn, and often much difappeinted in the 
caft or yield when it comes to be threfhed. 
3dly. The war was, in fome meafure, 
a caule of the fcarcity; for, ina general 
peace, corn might be imported from any 
part of Europe or America, at a much 
lefs expence, and therefore rendered 
cheaper. ‘The demand for foreign fervice, 
expeditions, fea-ftores, &c. would alfo be 
lefiened. Beef, pork, cheefe, butter, 8c. 
are dearer, in time of war, from the fame 
“caufes. 
With refpeét to the great flu&ua- 
tions in the markets, they are not at allte 
be wondered at, if we reflect, that when 
corn is at a very high price, very few wha 
are eoncerned therein keep much ftock by 
them; and if the market happens to fall, 
they will not buy, until that which they 
have is nearly exhaufted; but being at 
Jength forced to purchafe, the market 
takes a turn, upon which they all eagerly 
purchafe, and the commodity, of courfe, 
is advanced in price. 
The importation of corn and flour has 
certainly been very great ; but when it is 
conlidered, that the confumption of corn 
in this kingdom amounts to, at leat, 
150,000 quarters per week ; the quantity - 
imported will appear comparatively tri- — 
fling. 
As to the 
keep up the price of corn by unfair means, 
lt ig'contrary to common fenfe; for 1s it)” 
reafonable to fappofe that many hundred 
thouland men, difperfed all over the king- — 
dom, can combire together fo as to keep 
up the price of a commodity 5 if fo, why 
co 
opinion, that farmers, &c. 
iy): 
