The Express.
London, England, 1847-07-15 00:00:00

THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.

CAIIIIRIIIOI.—The weather is everything that could be
wished for by the farmers, who are proceeding rapidly in
securing their hay, the crops of which are generally very
heavy. Grain of every description is looking remarkably
healthy, and, as yet, the appearance warrants the hope of
an abundant crop.
CCMDZILLAND.—Wheat was never known to look better,
and oats are flourishing beyond all expeetation. Barley.
promises well. Potatoes, except in two instances, appear
exceedingly strong and healthy.
DIVONSHIRE.—The corn-fields look very premixing;
wheat, in spots near the coast, is in blossom. Good harvests
of wheat, barley, and oats, are anticipated. Parsnips and
canots were not very plentiful; the latter had failed. Where
the ground had been dragged with tarred canvass, the turnips
were healthy and abundant; but where this or some ether
precaution had not been taken, the bud had been destroyed
by Hy.
GLoreEsrEnsinnit.—The wheat is in healthy blossom,
and continues to give promise of an abundant harvest. The
crop will be fit for the sickle in about fire weeks. The bar-
ley looks well ; but in the bean fields the black blight is very
prevalent. We hear nothing now of the potato disease; the
early descriptions are yielding an extraordinary produce, and
the late sorts to the present time look healthy and very pro-
Tinting.
lien esitt EE.—The crops continue to look most promising.
In some districts they have commeseed mowing peas of the
very finest description. Wheat and barley will be fit to cut
in about a fortnight.
ISLE or W tour.—Wheat looks well, but generally speak-
ing thin. It has greatly improved during the last week.
We shall not have a forward harvest ; for the last few days
we have had heavy fogs, accompanied by thunder and
lightning ; since then the wheat plant has been covered with
a slimy substance; what the result will be is yet to be proved
by time. Barley, oats, beans, and peas look remarkably well.
KENT.—The reports respecting the appearance of the
growing grain crops are highly satisfactory.
LANCASHIRE.—Since our last we have had broken weather,
accompanied by thunder and heavy rain ; but there has not
yet been any excess of moisture, even for the corn, and the
rain has greatly improved the appearance of the green
crops. The latter have continued to grow most lux-
uriantly, especially during the last two or three days, when
the temperature has been that of a hothouse. A eon-
tinuance of this close, moist weather would stimulate the
plants too much; but, as the glass is rising steadily, we
shall probably have a return of hot, dry weather before long.
The wheat has, in general, stood the heavy rains of last
week very well. The only places where It is beaten down
are those in which it has been forced by excessive manuring.
Grain crops of that description, though pleasing to the eye
so long as they stand erect, are seldom profitable, as
they are usually injured by the rains of July. As the
wheat plant, in general, is by no means too thick on the
ground, it has sustained little, if auy injury from that
cause. The accounts of the barley crop are uniformly
good, but those of the oats, though favourable on the whole,
are not so universally. Still the spring crop, as a whole,
promises to yield well, which is one of the most im-
portant differences between this year and last. The rye crop
on the Continent has been secured in some districts, and
it is said to promise well in all. The bean crop, which has
been planted in many. places as a substitute for the potato,
has grown most luxuriantly everywhere ; but within the last
week it has become excessively infested with insects, in several
districts. The heavy rains of the lest few days must have
been very useful in washing off these destroyers, which in
some places absolutely blackened the plants. The early
varieties of the potato are yielding very well, and
the later and more important sorts promise well, up
to the present time. Since the late rains they have grown
much more vigorously than they did previously inthisneigh-
bourhood, and have lost the appearance of dinar ea
their leaves. After the experience of last year, when the
potato crop passed suddenly from an appearance of the
utmost luxuriance to almost total ruin, we hesitate to speak
with any confidence as to the ultimate result ; but the ap-
pearance of the crop has certainly improved on our own farm,
and on several others which we have had the opportunity of
inspecting, bath in Lancashire and in Cheshire. The late
rains have been most serviceable to the turnip crops and to
the pastures. The former are recovering from the ravages
of the fly, which has been exceedingly troublesome in many
districts.
LEICESTZESIIIRE.—The growing corn crops, in all di-
rections, are represented as looking most delightful,
promising to to bil,rweeed/.forl htlie4sesale.muchryeulier than usual.
NORTHUMBERLAND.—The prospect of a productive har-
vest has been materially Improved by the warmth which we
'e last fortnight, r '

have had during the and a continuance of the
same genial weather will render grain crops ready for cut-
ting some time earlier than was at first anticipated. In
many places wheat exhibits a beautiful bloom. The spring
corn stands thick on the ground, but, as a general rule, u_yet
short, and with partial signs of shooting into ear. The
potato is still healthi,
Normowsu.—With regard to the growing crops of
grain, we have nothing to add to the gratifyin; statements
we have already made on this almost all.engrcesing topic.
We hear of the wheats being light here and there—and as
they may be ; but we stake our responsibility upon this in-
disputable fact—that the corn crops, taken generally, never
looked better ; that there never was less cause of complaint
or more for congratulation i and that, should the weer
prove what we hope and believe it will, the coming hamlet
will prove one of the most abundant within the memory el
any one living.
BOMERBETSHIRB.—The growing crops have made mid-
derable progress towards maturity. All the corn crops con-
tinue to look well, with the exception of the Beans, which
have become much blighted. About a month since man
pieces of potatoes suddenly became curled in the leaf, which

caused some apprehension for the safety of the growing amp,
but the plants affected soon recovered. The early potatoes
are now secure, and, on digging, prove to be a heavy crop
and of good quality.
8011TH LANCASHIILL—After such intensely hot weather
as that we have recently had, a moderate supply of moisture
will do more good than harm, provided the showers are not
so heavy as to break off the dower of the wheat,
or to beat down the crops. July always the most critical
month in the whole twelve ; and this year, when so much
depends on the successful perfecting and ingathering of the
crops, it is doubly so ; but up, to the present time all has
gone on as well as possible. The root and grass crops will
be decidedly improved by moderate rains.
Sussex.—As regards the crops, all accounts universally
concur in representing them in splendid condition. The
anxiety with respect to the potato crop continues to decrease.
It is, perhaps, as yet, too early to speak with positive cer-
tainty as to the result, but the present appearance of the
crops affords every reason to believe as well as to hope that
the much dreaded disease of recent seasons will not affect
this year's produce.
WoaltBol'.—The potato plots generally are in a remark-
ably healthy condition, and those which have been taken up
ate every way suitable foe culinary purposes.
YORKSHIRE.—The appearances of the growing crops are
matt glorious. The accounts of the potato crop are some-
what of the same character. Many persist that the disease
has made its appearance, but the general reports deny any-
tangbet a partial affection in some localities, which is also
MOM to be very dissimilar to the disease. In our own
lesallty we see and hear of nothing but rich promise and
.11isaltity appearance.
,Ipssu•sus.—Tba estavasitiffaialla •_ • ores are, without
d angle exception, highly favourable. In the counties of
Carlow, Limerick, Oalway,Antritn, Tyrone, Donegal, Down,
' and Louth, all kinds of crops, including the potato, are de-
' scribed as giving promise of a harvest of far more than an
average abundance.
SCOTLAND.—The weather has been somewhat variable
daring the present week, thoughotill of a character calcu-
lated to exercise the most auspicious influence in advancing
the crops. Hay harvest is now universal, and in many
eases it has been brought nearly to a close. The
yield is represented as being more abundant than
daring any season for the fast twenty years. The
appearance of the potato crop is most encouraging ;
even where disease was exhibited, the plimt has thrown
it off, and we have rarely, iu the most favoured seasons,
seen the stem present a more vigorous aspect. Altogether
the appearance of the crops is so promising, that farmers who
had planted only a very few acres, in timidity and uncer-
taints., now regret that they had not increased the breadth
tenfold. The market is abundantly supplied with new
potatoes of excellent quality, at Is. 2d. per stone ; and even
potatoes of last year's growth are still to be met with at a
moderate price. It will be observed that the price of grain
is falling at all the leading markets. The amounts from
other districts as to the progress of the crops are equally
favourable.—Glasgow Courier.—Much uneasiness has been
felt in this locality in consequence of very distinct reports
having been put in circulation that unequivocal symptoms of
blight bad appeared. It is gratifying, however, to be able to
state, on most undoubted authority, that these rumours are
quite groandlers, that all the potatoes in this neighbourhood
are as healthy and free of taint as could possibly be desired ;
some isolated cases of disease have appeared among the
early potatoes, but nothing to justify any fears in regard to
the general crop.--North British Mail.

EXPLOSION AT FAVEILSNAIL—Yesterday forenoon
• loud explosion took place in the neighlxiurbood of this
town, and, on investigation, it was found that the powder-
mill of Mr. Hall, used for the manufacture of gun-cotton,
was in ruins. Of the fifty persons reported to ha‘e been
employed upon the premises not one escaped : all were either
killed or wounded. tip to last evening sixteen persons bad
been extricated alive, many of them being very much
injured; and eleven bodies had been dug out of the ruins
frightfully mutilated. Persons were still employed upon
the ruins, as it was feared that many persons were still
beneath.

COMMERCIAL 4 MARKETS.