The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-09-17 00:00:00

THE HARVEST.

To the finite vision of man it might well appear
strange that the oldest avocation in the history
ef the world, and the most venerable of all of
our industries, is still entirely dependent for the
success of its operations upon the favourable
nature of the weather at the time of the harvest.
This year, no less than its predecessors, has
spoken with unmistakeable voice the unshaken
sod indiAputable truth, that although man may
bend science to his will, tunnel the mountains,
bridge the seas, and pierce the everlasting bills,
there is one thing which he cannot do, and that
is to adjust the forces of Nature, or to control
its laws.

The year which is now upon the wane has
wi eessed some of the most extraordinary cli elate
changes which have been compressed into any
few months during the present century. It was
nut three weeks old when a winter of almost un-
paralleled severity set in, and the busy commu-
nities of mighty cities found their locomotion
paralysed by such a fall of snow as had not
been expeeienced within the meoae)ry ( f the pro-
verbial oldest inhebitent. The frost, at the same
time was one of .reet everity, our navigable
rivers were lock :d up ii iee, a sheep was roasted
whole upon the congealed surface of the Thames
and wid-earread misery was wrought by the
abnormai cold. The activity of labour in many
departments of work ceased, and the fall of the
thermometer by only a few degrees more than is
usual with us in the winter season was a mani-
festation to how entirely our existence relies
upon the ease working of those natural laws to
which we have been accustomed. The cold
wave which thus visited our latitudes showed an
extreme reluctance to leave them. There was
an inclement spring, with dry piercing winds,
and a little of that rain which has lately done so
much damdge to the crops would then have been
particularly welcome to the parched and thirsty
soil. Then after a few weeks followed one of the
most remarkable features of this singular year.
This was the intense heat which prevailed in the
first fortnight of July, more especially on the sth
and the 15th when the temperature exceeded
that of the East Indies and of the equator. We
seemed scarcely to be living in the same world
as that which had borne the burden of the fierce
cold of January ; the As appeared as though it
were composed of burning brass, and scarcely
a breeze relieved the oppressiveness of the torrid
air.

The hopes of the harvest which prevailed up
to the end of July have been unhappily dashed.
For many years past August has been more or
less a broken mouth; and although last year it
was not so much so as in 1879, it hal now
secured the reputation of having brought ruin
and disaster upon English agriculture. The
bright prospects which seemed to shine in bril-
liant skies have been utterly and irretrievably
dashed. A little rain would have done good,
but the relentless downpour which characterised
a considerable part of the month of August has
inflicted incalcuable and irremediable injury.
No industry is more entitled to man's sympathy
than that conducted by the farmer. tie
on his his work in the face of all weather, aLiti in
spite of many adverse circurastane,a, Hitetty
hoping for the best, and when gloom overi3preads
the firmament, looking forward to a brighter and
more cheerful day. The manufacturer and the
mall of science can protect, like the tradesman,
tbeir capital from the damaging effects of the
w.Atther ; not so the linnet.. A day or two more
or less of rain at i crii.ical time in the history
of the harvesi., atidets ti,e result of months of
work and anxiety, .111,1 in t!ti cgse of a prolonged
adverse season it I tmato btand iieplessly by,
aali witness Mt; dest:tt: lvt fruits of his
Let:. 111 this respect sei,,kee has yet to come to
his aid to enable hiai to reap the reward of his
labours.