The Express.
London, England, 1860-07-04 00:00:00

THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.

The month of June was more hie the weather of
an ordinary March than that of summer. Vegetation makes
very little progress, and although on some days we have had
• Bide warm sunahine the nights have been invariably cold.
A season so backward as the present bas not been known for
many years. The time of the wheat crop coming into ear,
generally at the beginning of June, will be delayed this year
for three or four weeks, end considering the wet and un-
genial state of the ground the harvest must be a late one.
That sown on sandy and gravelly soils has suffered least,
but on the strong claysoils, which in ordinary years produce
by far the largest crop, the appearance is unfavouralde,from
the amount of surface water left on the ground by the heavy
cold rains. Barley looks beet on the light lands, but the chance
of a crop is not very cheering. Oats have suffered from the
backward semen, and are very patchy. Beam and peas on
some light lands promise an average crop, but on the heavy
land, on which the bulk of the bean crop is generally
grown, the yield will be small. Cherries are plentiful at
places, but very small, from the want of sun. Apples
promise • much better crop than last year ; the show of
pears is good. Plums look well at places, but in some dis.
trims are thin. Both filberts and walnuts are short, baring
suffered much from the wind. Potatoes have grown
largely, but great jeers are entertained of the blight. The
man gold crop has been much injured by the wet, aud many
have been ploughed up. Swedes, if up,
piecesl well; but the bulk of them have not made
their appearance, the min having delayed the sowing.
Oar reports from the several hop
.districts this week ex-
hibit less uniformity, and speak in a less desponding
tone, than any we hare previously received, though they
are still far from being encouraging as to the
prospects of a timely or an average crop. In Mid-
Kent generally
.the bine is stated to be:very uneven,
though there is little vermin about to retard their
future progress in the event of fine weather ensuing. In
most places there has been considerable growth of the
pilule during the hat two or 'three days, though w many
instances we still hear of • shortness of bine. In the dis-
tricts around Tunbridge, Ightham, and Sevencake it is
aid that fly still abounds most of the grounds, and that
the backwardness of the season is extreme, while in the
Weald oar Horernonden correspondent informs us that
" While some of the plantations are growing luxuriantly,
over the poles, and are clean and healthy, and throwing out
their Midsummer shoots, others are in • deplorable state,
the bins not being more than aft. or 6ft. high, and looking
very sickly, with the hind in the worst possible condition,
so that nothing can be done in the way of cultivation for
several days to coins." This is borne out by our Brenchley
00-amondent, who adds "The plantations are in • deci-
dedly ous state." From Canterbury we are
fspestthat " During the last two or three days the bine
hes made great program, being over the poles in
some of the plantations, and looking generally healthy.
There are grounds, however, in which it is still very weak
and yellow, and where many of the hills are completely
dying away. In places we have • considerable Marna of
fly and lice, from the effects of which the plantations affec-
ted are far from being out of danger. On the whole, how-
ever, appearances are decidedly more favourable than they
were lest week. From Worcester we learn that there is a
decided increase both of fly and vermin, and the bin
so backward that a great deal of it has sot even yet
lashed the tops of the poles.—Sesith Reefers Gazette.

TESTIMONIAL FROM PRINCE FREDERICK OF THE
NETHERLANDS TO CAPTAIN RTA.R—During the heavy es
which raged with such unabated fury at the end of rch
and the beginning of April last, his Royal Highness Prince
Frederick of the Netherlands wee a passenger to London on
beard the steamship Cologne, Captain Rvsui. The intensity
of the storm may be gathere from the fact that the voyage
across occupied nearly twenty hours more than the usual
period. The lives of all, in fact, were in imminent danger.
His royal highness at the time expressed his satisfaction at
the cool, skilful, and intrepid seamanship of Captain Ryan,
and proceeded on his way to the west of England. On
Monday last, having returned to his own country, he caused
to be made and forwarded to the gallant captain a magnifi-
oeat large inkstand, of a very novel character. The base is of
marble ; the ink bottles of heavily cut glass, with massive
silver evraved tops ; while between them is a handsome,
full-rigged ship, of said elver, rising out of water of the
same material, the workmanship of which is most chaste.
The gift was accompanied by a oomplimentag letter.
OPENING OF THE NEM COMMERCIAL EXCHANGE AT
Labe.—The first meeting of the proposed Commercial
Exchange, Leeds, was held yesterday, in the Commercial
News Room, West-bar. In the unavoidable absence of the
President of the Chamber of Commerce there was no
formal inauguration of the proceedings, but a bell was rung
at twelve, to indicate the hour of opening, and et one to in-
dicate the hour of closing. From sixty to seventy gentlemen
were in attendance during the meeting, including repre-
sentatives of the !siding firma, in all departments, not
only in the town but in the immediate district. The
woollen, flax, iron, leather, dryealting, and other trades,
were well represented, and there was a good deal of con-
versation, the chief topic being the heavy failures in the
leather trade, telegraphed this morning. On the whole
the meeting was a success, and we believe the committee
will be prepared to make such alterations u to the boor
of meeting and other regulations as experience may show
to be necessary.

day.
Prince Albert wu on the gronod during the afternoon.
The number of spectators wax of course much less than on
Monday, but the attendance was quite equal to what tho
association expected.
The volunteers were paraded and diamissed at 6 o'clock.

STATE OP THE RIVER THAMES. —At a meeting
of the City Court of Sewers, yesterday, Dr. Letheby re-
ported that the river up to the present time has not been
offensive, and is in its normal condition. This satidactory
state of things, he says, has evidently been obtained by the
continuance of wet weather. In the month of May last
year the total nun-fall in London was but two inches under
the corresponding month of this year, when it amounted to
3.7 inches. In June last year it was barely two inches, but
in the three weeks et the present month it has been
4.6 inches. The report goes on to state that Dr. 11`William,
of her Majeety's Cuitorns, has so recently inquired into
the effects of the river nuisance, and has so clearly shown
that they have not yet produced the injury which was
anticipated, that Dr. Letheby considered it unnecessary to
discuss the subje rt in this report, mid be says it is evident,
happily, that some condition w still wanted to make this
" filthy river capable of g crating claiV2 or of forming a
soil fit for the germination °Vibe:. ~,of that disorder
when introduced into it." Der no argument for the
neglect of sanitary precautions , r disregarding every
means for abating the eff the river • nor
is it a reason for temporal by resorting
to any doubtful ex lent that ma merely serve as a dis-
guise for the nuisance. •
HEALTH or LONDON.--it strews from the weekly
return of the Registisr.fleental that the 441111
registered in London in the ..week that ended at
Saturday, were 1,001, and exhibited a slight increase on the
number (955) returned in the previous week. In the ten
yearn 1850.9 the average number of thiglis in the weeks
corresponding with last week was 1,106 ; Ltd as the deaths
in the present return occurred in an increased population
they should be compared with the avenge when it is raised
in proportion to the increase, namely, with 1,217. Hence it.
appears that the deaths of last week were less by 216 than
they would have been if the average rate of mortality at
this season of the year had prevailed. The births registered
exceeded the deaths by 731. The deaths by symotic
diseases were 197, the average number in corresponding
weeks corrected for increased population is 274. Under
this head are included 65 deaths by measles, 10 from small
pox, 25 from whooping-cough, 23 fromscarlatina, and 8 from
diphtheria. Pulmonary diseases, exclusive of phthieis and
whooping-cough,s were fatal in 130 cases ; bronchitis carrying
off and pneumonia 49 persons. 118 persons dial from
affections of the brain and nervous system, 49 from diseases
of the heart, and 56 from diseases of the digestive organs.
Three deaths are recorded from tetanus ; two of these cases
were the result of injury ; the third case is that of a female,
aged 22, who died from tetanic convulsions." No death;
are returned this week as arising from burns or scolds, which
is rather an unusual but gratifying circumstance. Five
infants were suffocated in bed, and the wife of a coalwkipper
was suffocated in consequence of the abuse of intoxicating
drinks. A child, aged 11 years, was accidentally poisoned
by strychnia. Four nonagenarians died during the week
the oldest was the widow of a coachman, who had attained
the age of 97 years. Last week the births of 859 boys and
872 girls, in all 1,731 children, were registered in London.
In the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1850-59 the
average number was 1,634.
THE WAGES MOVEMENT IN THE BUILDING
TRADS.—About ten days ago a meeting of the operative
joiners of York was held for the purpose of considering the
advisability of endeavouring to obtain an advance of
and a diminution of the hours of labour. It was thewitir-
cided that in consequence of the enhanced price of food, and
for the purpose of bringing the scale of wages in York ispon
a nearer equality with other towns, an advance of 2s, per
week and a diminution of one hour and a half in the time
of labour should be demanded from the master joiners. This
demand was submitted to the employers, and on Satur-
day evening last the operatives received a reply, in which
the masters agreed to concede the dam made upon
them, both as to the advance of wages and diminution of
time. On Monday morning the masons of Leeds " struck"
work to the number of 250 : and, this day (Wednesday),
unless their demands are meanwhile conceded by their
employers, the bricklayers and bricklayers' labourers will
follow suit in the movement. Their grievances may be
briefly stated. They wish, on Mondays, to have the hours
of labour fixed at seven to half-past five o'clock ; and on
other days, from six to half-put five o'clock, except on
Saturdays, when they wish to leave work at four.
BRITISH STEAMERS AND AUSTRIAN PORTS.—
Friday's Gazette publishes a cop of a despatch from her
Majesty's minister at Vienna, enclosing a declaration of the
imperial Austrian government, to the effect that, in put*:
seams et as arrangement agreed to, British steamers shall
enjoy the full liberty of transporting passengers, their bag-
gage and effects, between any Austrian and any foreign
port, and vice renal, and in such wise with the privileges of
the treaty of commerce and navigation of July 3, 1838, end
that for this object on the
part of the imperial government
an exemption will be made in favour of British steamer in
the applieschn Sec. 1G of the Austrian postal law of Nov. 5,
1837, conosraing the periodical passenger tragic.
aroma, grateftil smoollheiris, mid Invigorating pro
wed Its einerst estreatia as a breakfast Cense. Vb..
and 110. peckish, Ana A. girth., by the petedpal grocers.
Errea HOINEOPATHIO COCOA. —lta delioiout
r I belied ...him,' rppi He uropathic Chemist, (odors."—Ad-
I vartteential