The Express.
London, England, 1853-08-29 00:00:00

CROPS, PRICES, AND PROSPECTS.

(Rim the Economist.)
What precarious weather ! We scarcely have
two fine days together, are the again universal exclama-
tions throughout the rural districts. The past week has
►een wet, on several days with very heavy dews nightly, so
that little progress has been made with the harvest. In
the light land districts about two-thirds of the wheat has
been carried and in good condition, though in Mark-lane the
new w►eats have scarcely come up to the expectations at
first formed of them. On the heavier lands there is much
wheat not cut, ens: scarcely ripe enough for cutting. Even
on the light lands the crops vary considerably, the indiffer-
ently farmed land producing very moderate crops of wheat;
while a very high farmer on the light land of Hertfordshire
tells us that his "wheat crop is very good, and the sample
will be the stoutest he has had for some years." The
crops around him, however, are below an average. On the
same farm there is s very heavy crop of barley much beaten
down, the cutting of which has commenced, but with such
weather as that of the put week, when it will be stacked
forms a matter of doubt and anxiety. The price of wheat
rose in Mark-lane on Monday list some 3e. or 4s. per
per quarter, mainly, it was said, from the occurrence of
French end Belgian demands, but the now-recognised de-
ficiency of our own growth is sufficient to account for •
comparatively high range of prices. In the country mar-
kets the price of wheat remained firm, notwithstanding the
considerable tall in Mark-lane of the previous week— s
circumstance which is noted as indicating that farmers and
others in the provinces regard the crops as unsatisfactory.
So little effect on the provincial markets, from a heavy fall
in price in Mark lane, is quite unprecedented. Barley
will, undoubtedly, be a large crop, and the breadth sown
is unusually great, so that with fine weather for getting it
in, the return will be satisfactory. Bat the present aspect
of the weather causes much anxiety. Oats are not gene-
rally so good SI barley, but probably in many extensive
districts will be an average crop. Spring beans, and in
some places peas, premise well ; but the potatoes are decay.
ing with great activity. In Ireland the weather has been
fine and dry, cad the harvest has made satisfactory pre
gress, the greatest difficuly having been caused by defici-
ency of manual labour. There the potato disease is said
to have just appeared and then abated its symptoms, and
present reports of the condition of that crop are satisfactory.
The price of all kinds cf stock continues high, end, es
might have been expected, our prices hive given a stimu-
lus to the imports of fon i 412 stock. Thus two weeks ago,
17,000 head of live stock were imported into the port of
London from various foreign countries, of which 12,000
were sheep. This is the largest supply ever received in
the same perird. The principal part of these importations
came from Holland, the remainder from the Hanse►tic
states, and to a smell extent from Belgium. Among the
events of this season may be noticed the gradual adoption
of the reaping machine, especially amongst Scotch farmers.

ST. PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL, DUBLIN.-1 turn into
Bull Alley, • very narrow and filthy little bulk-headed
avenue of butchers' stalls—the very counterpart of a street
in Stamboul. I have but time to notice that the butchers'
wives and daughters are very rosy and comely looking—as
all butchers' wives end daughters in all climes and countries
seem to be— and make my escape as aeon as ever I can;
for Ball Alley has anything but an agreeable perfume, and
there are puddles of blood between the uneven paving-
stones, and should an animal of the species from which Bull
Alley derives its name be disposed to manifest himself therein
(which I do not conrider nnl•kely), slung to frenzy by a
'sense of injured merit," I would rather (Bull Alley
being but contracted) be anywhere else, sal wend my way
into Patrick's Claws. Where:looming large in the very midst
of the old clothes, dirt, bare feet, slaughter-hones and
whirky shops, is the metropolitan church of Dublin—the
Cathedral of St. Patrick. It is • venerable majestic build-
ing—a chaste and elegant example of that most glorious
period of pointed Gothic architecture,the close of the twelfth
century. Originally built, so it is said, by Bt. Patrick, the
present church dates from the year one thousand one hun-
dred and ninety, when John Crony°, Archbishop of Dub-
lin, demolished the elder structure. It is magnificent in
conception and detail, built in one uniform style, with a
glorious nave and transept, a chapter-house and a Lady
chapel. Tha banners of the Knights of St. Patrick hang
over the arches of the nave. Them is a lice choir, and
monumental tombr, and cathedral service daily ; but
within and without the whole fabric is in a lamentable state
of decay, and the feelings that come over one in gazing on
it are inexpressibly melancholy. With its gray tower and
noble proportions it dominates the city; but it stands here
an anomaly, a discrepancy, an almost unused fine, unre-
verenced, nnsympathised with, unhononred, disavowed, dis-
liked.—Dtekena's Household IV ords.

FALLING STAIIB.—M. Charier has just communi-
cated to the Academy of Sciences some observations on the
falling stars of the month of August. The following are
the numbers observed by him at midnight ; August 5, 20
stars; 6, 19 ; 7, 23 ; 8, 33; 9, 49 ; 10, 56; 11, 38; and the
12th, 34. The result is, that the greate-t number took
place, as in preceding years, on the 10th. It appears, how-
ever, that the number seen is decreasing year by year. In
1837 there were seen 69 stars; 1838, 62; 1839, 66; 1840,
68; 1841.72; 1842, 76; 1843, 78; and is 1844, 80. Ac-
cording to M. Gravier's personal observations, there were
seen in 1845, 9.5 stars; 1816, 9'2; 1847, 102; 1848, 113;
1849, 98; 1860, 83; 18.51, 71; 1852, 60; and 1853, 52.
Should this rate of diminution continue, in 1860 the falling
stars of August will cease altogether. It is also to be re-
marked, that the falling stars of the month of November,
which are infinitely more numerous than thaw of August,
are diminishing in numbers.—Galignani.
PEEBLES RAILWAY.—The first general meeting
of this company after the passing of the act last session was
held at Peebles last week, Sir G. Montgomery in the chair.
The report stated that the contractors had undertaken to
esecute the works, exclusive of rails and station houses, for
36,9821. The first turf was turned on the 3rd inst. The
19 miles of line will be constructed at 4,0001. a mile, and
be completed in 12 months. The rails have been contracted
for at seven guineas a ton from the North British. The
soopuy's capital is 70,0004

INTBLLIGENCA.
CASUALTIES.
Australia, from Grimsby to Rio Janeiro, which put int,
the Itnols, with rudder iaost,•;?;;;;;„, has !one riehore, and
unless the weather moderate, it is ezpeeted the 7!11 W. I
eom4 a wreck.—Shoreham, Aug. 26.
Brenda, Beckham, from Quebec to this port, waterlogged
and with mainmast sprung, stern stove, and rudder gone,
in running for the harbour, struckoutside to the eastward
of the esstern pier, and it is doubtful whether she will be
got off —Newhaven, Aug. 26.
Cubs, Woolly, of and from London, for Algoa Bay, struck
upon Cape Recife, carried away her rudder, drifted
off the land, and was fallen in with, July 15, in lat. 3.5 S.,
100. 24 E., with sic feet:water in her hold, and the crew
(eacept the chief mate, carpenter, end one seaman, who
refused to leave the vessel) taken off by the City of Cal.
cotta, Connell, from Calcutta to London, end kirkman
Finlay, Muir, from Bombay to Liverpool.—Cape Town
(Cape of Weil Hope), July 20.
}lnge'ton, O'llounell, from Quebec to Gloucester, ran
ashore near Sully Island, yesterday, and remains tilling
with the tide.—Cardiff. Aug. 26.
Lobstree, from Calcutta to Loudon, has been abandoned off
the Cape of Good Hope ; crew saved and landed by the
American ship Malay, at St. Helena.
Moffatt, Taylor, from Himbey to London, arrived here,
July 2.5, leaky, and with pert of cargo thrown overboard,
having encountered heavy weather off the Cape of Good
Hope, end must discharge to find out the leak.—St.
Helena, July 30.
Mary Ann, of Weymouth, Attwood, from Dantzie to Glou-
cester, has been totally lost on the Newcome Sand ; crew
saved.—Lowestoft, Aug. 27.