The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-08-01 00:00:00

THE CROPS.

Mr. Thomas C. Scott, writing from 19, King'. Arms-yard,
Moorgate-street, London, to The Times of Monday, says:—
The premature ripening of the corn crops, arising
from the excessive and continuous drought, has brought
on harvest a fortnight earlier than was lately antici-
pated, and in the Eastern Counties a week ago I saw
several fields of wheat and barley cut and carried. The
importance of this circumstance cannot be over-
estimated, RS there are good data for believing that
there is literally no home-grown wheat left in England,
and that nearly all the granaries of the world have beea
swept clean. In ordinary years this circumstance
would have been a source of national regret, because to
make good flour and bread it is usually necessary to
mix a certain quantity of old wheat with the new ; but
this season the almost ricey character of the grain will
enable it—barring unexpected wet weather--to go
straight from the growers' to the millers' hands. In quan-
tity, quality, and weight wheat is unquestionably the
crop of the season, not only in this country but in all
others. The area, too, in the United Kingdom is un-
doubtedly excessive, reaching, probably, 4,090,000 acres ;
and if this affords, 1113 I estimate it will, an average of 32
bushels an yore, the produce will be 16,000,000 quartertr,
or within 6,000,000 quarters of our old estimated con.
gumption. This is less than half the foreign importa-
tion of 1872-3, and than what is likely to be found to
be that of 1873.4. In inspecting the wheat through.
out the midland, eastern, southern, and western coun-
ties during the last three weeks, I have scarcely found
a defective wheat field anywhere. On inspecting 31r.
Mechi's crop a week ago, I found red insects, which
could only be detected by the aid of a microscope,
eating the kernels of the wheat, confirming his letter
which lately appeared in your columns; but this is
not general, and the vigour of the plants, earen in his
case, is overcoming the ravages of these insects. The
probable outcome of Mr. Mechi's wheat crops I
estimate at from 48 to 56 bushels an acre, and nothing
below. In contradistinction to his system—which is
that of rich manuring—l have visited Mr. Prout's farm,
in Herta, and Mr. Ni iddleditch's in Wilts, where deep
steam cultivation is substituted for live stock and
manure, and I must say that their wheat crops sur-
pass anything I have seen or heard of this season.
Mr. Prout has had no live stock on his farm for 13
years, and Mr. Middleditch for four, and yesterday the
latter sold nearly 500 acres of wheat at £ll an acre on
an aver age, some reaching £l7 Is. Either of these
gentlemen might challenge England for wheat crops,
and, though this may not induce landlords to relax
prescriotive—l may almost say restrictive—clauses in
their leases in favour of enterprising and intelligent
tenants, it should at least make them and their advisers
think. Barley in general is under an average crop,
but in certain districts a perfect failure. Oats in Eng-
land under an average, in Scotland half a crop, and in
Ireland barely an average. Potatoes everywhere good,
and likely to be available for cattle food as a substi-
tute for Swedish turnips. Mangold regular, but small in
the bulb, and not an average weight per acre. Swedes
are not half a crop, and do not occupy half the usual
area. Heavy rains from the present time may improve
them, but cannot make them come to more than half
the usual supply of stock food. All substitutes and
provender of all kinds must, therefore, be dear, es-
pecially as there is an extra head of stock to maintain.
Fodder and cake, in the great grazing districts of
Bucks, Leicester, and Somerset, are now being given
to stock on pastures where usually there was snore
keep than animals to consume it. In some districts
treacle, costing £l2 a ton, or the same price as linseed
oil cake, is being used as a condiment in connection
with cut hay and straw for the maintenance of live
stuck. Unfortunately, straw this year, except in the
case of wheat, is almost as deficient in its growth as
grass, and will afford but a limited substitute for
fodder. Hay is not only a deficient crop, say one
third of an average, but from the necessity of stock
owners, not more than three fourths of the usual
acreage has been gone over by the scythe. Saintfoin
and lucerne, which revel in calcareous subsoils, have
been the only good herbage crops of the season. Hops,
from spring frosts and vermin, are not likely to be
more than half a crop, and on rank, cold soils less than
that. In regard to labour, it is only necessary to say
that it is everywhere abundant, and that supply and
demand, and not unions, regulate its price. 'lire up-
standing wheat crops of the season render reaping
machines universally available, but I know of many
cases where they have been offered to the harvest con-
tractors for nothing and declined, on account of the
abundance of labour."

Mr. Meehi, of Tiptree-hall, writes to The Timrs

" Now that the wheat is well ripened, thanks to the
tropical heat, and harvest has commenced, a more correct
estimate can be formed attire crop. Despite a certain per-
centage of blight in the tender white wheats, we have (ac-
cording to my own observation and the replies of numerous
visitors to this farm from many parts of the kingdom) a
more than average crop of wheat and of barley, the
grain being plump, firm, anti of auperior and well-ripened
quality.
- - • - • - • -

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" There are complaints of drought from some light land
districts, and the hay crop is short, but the warm, dry season
has been especially favourable to the cold, stiff, and other
wheat growing lands.

All aroarni this neighbourhood, both field and garden
crops are highly satisfactory. and I have reason to believe
that this promises to be a happy agricultural year as com-
pared with the last two disastrous ones.
. .

Factors are anticipating considerable fall in the price
of wheat, but old stocks have been much exhausted."

On the harvest prospects, the Daily Telegraph re-
marks :

Our anticipations, recently expressed, of a good harvest
over the greater part of Britana and the corn-producing
countries of Europe, appears now almost sure of realisation.
From almost every quarter reports are favourable: upon
our own fields the wheat stands strong and thick, reddening
fast for the mowing-machine, and Mr. Hecht, who three
weeks ago was rather despondent, now promises us "a
more than average crop--the grain being plump, firm, and
of superior and well-ripened quality." It will be, he
believes, "a happy agricultural year as compared with
the last two disastrous seasons." We have before now
explained what an enormous gain it is to every interest
in the country to get an extra eight or ten bushels
per acre: it keeps vast sums of money at home,
stimulates trade and commerce, encourages marriage,
and adds the easiest and happiest of profits to the general
wealth of the community. But the blessings of a rich harvest
at home is doubled by knowing that our neighbours will
share the bounty of Nature. France, which needs so mocha
little good luck after her many and sad calamities will
this year benefit to the extent of fourteen or fifteen
millions sterling by the fruitful yield In 1873 she was
obliged to buy from abroad as much cereals as cost her
£12,000,000; this year there is every prospect of her being
able to produce all the flour which she needs, and to
send abroad wheat to the value of £3,000,000 or
, even £1,000,000 sterling. She will profit, also, by a
: very excellent vintage, to judge from good authorities,
which contradicts the statements—too often put about with
Interested motives—of damage to the vines. This fortunate
yit-lo in France helps our ovrn people because it obviates any
drain upon the English markets ; and with the present
eminently favourable weather—quiet, warm, and yet now
and again cooled by refreshing little showers, which iwell
the ripening kernel—we should not be at all surprised if a
very appreciable fall this week at Mark-lane presaged general
cheapness and a twelvemonth of easy times all round.