The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1866-10-06 00:00:00

THE AGRICULTURAL CROPS OF 1866.
Mr. H. J. Turner, Land Agent, Richmond, York-
shire, has sent the following letter on the Harvest for
publication

The Iniportstice.of this subject, anti the unusual weather
which we have experienced during the last two months, will,
I Omit, be deemed a sufficient excuse tor my troubling you
with another letter.
. . _ . .

Up to last AI Ay I thought I never remembered • year when
there appeared to be so little difference between the
southern and borthern counties In the forwardness of our
grain crops, but after that time and throughout iummer we
have had very little sunshine in the North, and ceder the
general coldness of our climate crops progressed very slowly.
and as hart long been foreseen, a very late harvest over all
the country north of Perby has been the consequence
Even the molt southern counties have had • lingering
Larvest, and at this very time many held. of pun,
especially of barley and oats, may be seen standing out In
most of them . . . . .

I have by me samples of Wheat which I have Rot myself,
or have had sent to me by kind friends, from most a our
best counties, and all those secured early are excellent In
quality and In maid condition The best specimen I have
is • white wheat from Cauthrldgeshire--the grains In it are
rather small, hut they are even, plump, and with skies no
line you can see the flour through them.
The continued reins during the last month especially—
even where the grain has not sprouted—have deprived the
wheat of the northern countlea of the quality and con.
ditioa above described, and there Is unquestiumbly, much
of our wheat that Is more or leas unsound, while a con-
siderable part of that which has been carried into the
stockyard will certainly not be fit to grind before next spring.
Your readers have, doubtleas, heard much about crops of
grata which have been flooded, and It is painful to see, as I
did recently, wheat standing, some cut and some uncut, in
what might justly be describe]., ogreat lake. hut although
such floodo have been disastrous to individuate, the area of
land so effected is comparatively small, and the effect upon
the genial al question of our food supply would scarcely have
been perceptible had it not been Joined with the greet loss
in quality on the whole crop over a very large extent of
country. . . . ..„

.....
In a former letter I stated my belief that the wheat crop
was a little below an average one. That opinion was of
course formed under the hope and expectation that the crop
would be secured sound Unfortunately, that hope has only
been partially fulfilled, and we are now to try to get some
general idea of our present position.
I consider that the grain over one-half of the kingdom has
been exposed to the heavy roles of the last month, and no.
cording to the hest evidence I have been able with much
diligence to obtain, and from extended and claw personal
observation In various counties, I think one-filth of the crop
so exposed has been rendered useless for human food If
am right in this data It follows that one-tenth of the wheat
crop over the entire kingdom has been lost
This Is a serious deficiency, It Is right, however, for us
to remember that it was quite • fortnight later than usual
before any of thb year's crop could be brought Into use, and
should next year's harvest be at the ordinary period, we
shall have only fifty instead of fifty-two weeks te provide for
with this year's produce.
Barley and oats have suffered much in colorer and in
quality, and have been, and sre being, stacked in very soft
condition ; but, owing to the cold nights and high winds,
actual sprouting Is not no mineral as might, from so much
rain, have been expected.
The root mope generally are good, tint the humid season
is in some diatrict• producing a great deal of disease among
pOtatoes.