The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-04-12 00:00:00

THE AGRICULTURAL OUTLOOK.

Under the above heading the Daily Telegraph has an
article from which we make the following extracts:
Last week brought storms with copious rains, which
have not only had the effect of softening the air, but
of accelerating the growth of grass and green crops,
and of causing the heavier tillage lands to be prepared
much easier for seeding operations. These rains were
no doubt badly wanted in many parts of the country,
owing to some of the stiffer clays having become
almost unworkable, while a large class of soils could
only be cropped with obdurate, cloddy seed beds.
Not the least beneficial result of the change is
that the harsh, blighting winds which prevailed
previously have given place to lighter and warmer
breezes. These imparted to the wheat plant a yellow
tinge in some places, but the complaint is very much
restricted to exposed. badly farmed lands, and is by
no means general. In fact, up to the present, wheat
fields have preserved a remarkably luxuriant and pro-
mising appearance which could scarcely be otherwise,
considering that the entire winter was one prolonged
season'of mildness, actually springlike in well-sheltered
districts. The spring-sown crops of other cereals that
appear above ground also display a healthy and active
growth, so that if we realise in the future anything
like the favourable circumstances of the past, the year
is tolerably sure to have in its train a satisfactory
grain harvest. This will, however, so much depend
on the incident of a bright, hot summer that only
hopes can be advanced on this point as yet, that a
year which has commenced and continued thus far so
well will not disappoint in the issue. The over-
sanguine may, however, be reminded that only two
years since the state of things at the commencement
of April was very similar. There had been an un-
usually mild winter, wheat was forward and luxuriant,
without being winter-proud; there was an exceed-
ingly fine season for spring sowing, and the pastures
were full of early grass, yet, owing to an unfavourable
cold, wet summer, the harvest proved anything but
good.
The season is an admirable one for planting field
potatoes, and as seed tubers are cheap, and disease
, has been less rife in the past few years than heretofore,
probably larger breadths than usual will be put in. A
tvord of caution may not be out of place that some
varieties of the potato are much less liable to contract
disease than others, and that these alone ought to be
planted, to make sure of the best results. Champions,
perhaps, stand at the head of the list of those
most generally cultivated, as being among the 1
hardiest and having a considerable disease-re-
sisting power. But it is stated that the best and '
most robust variety soon gets enfeebled with old
age, and decays according to common methods
of propagation; and that the only way effectually to
prevent disease and ensure enormous crops is that of
each good variety being grown from the seed every
tenth year at least. A similar result has been ob-
served by scientific men with regard to the propaga-
tion of fruit trees. Every old resident in the country
has noticed that certain kinds of apples which were
abundant in his childhood are now very scarce, there
being few, if any, young trees to be found to produce
I them. The cause will be easy to understand when the
method of propagation is considered commonly to be
by grafting. But the graft is only a member of the tree
from which taken,and although parts of trees may have a
thousand transformations by being grafted into
younger stocks, they are, after all, only members of
the original tree from which the first graft was taken,
and, being so, they wear out and decay after a few
years. But there is a natural way of renewing the
vigour of apple orchards as well as potato fields, which
! is virtually the same, that of propagation from seeds.
IThis has to be done by killed nurserymen and horti-
culturists, and is the reason why we have so many
new varieties with each generation of both apples and
nntAtnas.

THE OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE BOAT
RACE.

The inter-University Boat Race was rowed on
Monday morning from Putney to Mortlake, the time
fixed for the start being 11.30. A more wretched
morning could scarcely be conceived. Rain had fallen
at intervals all night, and at daylight there was not a
break ii. the leaden clouds. By half-past eight it
was raining heavily, but despite the unpromising out-
look, large numbers of persons assembled at the
various stations, and the Putney-bound vehicles on
the road were well filled. But the unfavourable
weather had the effect of greatly diminishing what
would, under more agreeable circumstances, have
been a more than ordinarily crowded attendance, for
various circumstances combined to render the fixture
specially attractive.
By eleven o'clock most of the spectators had got
into their places on the grand stands attached to the
various hotels and dwellings, and boat-houses, or on a
line of vehicles which extended from below the Ship
to the footpath, which immediately approaches the
point opposite the winning-post. There was little to
interest until the start. Upon the opposite shores,
isolated, oilskinned, and umbrellared, stood on the
sodden grass, with commendable fortitude, not as on
a fine day, when there would be presented to the
view a rustling, tumbling, shouting crowd. The Post
Office telegraph officials had a damp and uncomfort-
able job enough. The van was on the ground
as usual, and the tent for the punchers pitched
in its rear. However, the manager of the corps
of telegraphists had to face the difficulty of allowing
his staff to do their work with a few inches of watery
thin mud underfoot, and he met it by withdrawing as
many from the tent as could be accommodated in the
van, where as much of the business as possible was
transacted. About the time of the start Mr.
Farnie, of Cambridge, was seen to be busy about the
winning-boat, and getting in readiness for his im-
portant duty, which for so many years was performed
by John Phelps. As the time approached for the
final struggle of the rival crews more excitement was
manifested.

The Cambridge crew got afloat just after half-past
eleven, and rowed down the river, going round the
steamers on their way to their starting boat. -Pitman set a
steady stroke, which was beautifully responded to, and
obtained the plaudits of the assembled crowd. This
had much increased with the past half hour, a thick
fringe of spectators lining both banks. It was not,
however, the assemblage one is accustomed to see, but
rather that which would be expected on the occasion
of a championship professional sculling race. The
Oxford men left the London Boat-house fully five
minutes after their antagonists had passed there, and
rowed away in nice form to their starting-boat, amidst
some cheers. This was reached exactly at a quarter
to twelve. No time was cut to waste, by the crews
stripping immediately, and passing their sweaters into
the attendant wherries, to which they were being held.
At six minutes to twelve the voice of Mr. Lewis Lloyd,
starter, was heard for the third time, asking, "Are
you ready?" and precisely at five minutes to twelve
the word "Go" was given. The Cambridge men
gripped the water first, and gained nearly a lead of
half a length. The Oxford men, with a slower but
longer stroke, caught them within a hundred yards
from this point. The tussle was a ding-dong one, and
as far as could be seen the Cambridge crew had just
regained the lead as they rounded the point at Craven
Steps.
At Hammersmith-bridge Cambridge held a lead of
a quarter of a length, which they had increased to
three lengths opposite the Doves. From this point
Oxford lessened the interval between them and their
opponents to a couple of lengths at Barnes-bridge.
Here Cambridge went away and won easily by three
lengths.