The Express.
London, England, 1866-09-14 00:00:00

AosicuLTras.

The Times, in the present lamentable aspect of our fields,
asks whether mechanical genius cannot aid us in the diffi-
culty. Grain, it appears, b now extensively dried, and
brought from bad condition into good by currents of air
forced through it by steam power. The Austrians have
adopted the plan in their Italian fortresses, and it has
been lately introduced into our oorn warehouses in this city,
at Liverpool, and elsewhere. Surely the same process is
applicable to grain in the ear, though it would probably
require to be laid shallow and exposed to a very rapid cur-
rent of air from a ventilating fan. All that would be
necessary would be just sufficient dryness to allow the ear
to be threshed, when the grain itself might be subjected to
a further process, and found to be perfectly effectual.
The Post suggests that much of the anxiety is due to the
readiness with which millers and bakers raise the price of
' breed on the least pretext, and to the gloomy views to
which from habit agriculturists are prone. The barometer
is rising, and the greatest exertions will now be used to
secure the remainder of the outstanding grain. Oats
and beans are hardy cereals, and so long as strong
winds prevail they suffer little from rain if in stook.
Mangold', turnips, and swedes look extremely well. The
late rains have swelled the bulbs to unusual pro.
portions, and an abundant root crop may be con.
fidontly expected. Pastures are plentifully supplied
with gram, and ea the cattle plague is gradually dying
out, graziers and others are likely to find themselves better
circumstanced at the close of the year than they had any
reason to expect. It is satisfactory, moreover, to know
that there is plenty of corn in Egypt as well as in Russia,
and in many other countries besides; and that large
quantities may be expected to arrive in England.
Repeating some of the gossip of Mr. Disraeli at Hughen.
den, the Telegraph adds that not one word of all this
rhetorical syllabub, this whipped•eream of rural joy and
repose, is natural to the statesman. He knows that
the condition of the English labourers is shame-
ful; that their masters are good, ignorant people,
whose fortunes have been made by free trade, against
which he drilled them to howl, though they still
believe him to be infallible. His tongue is in his
cheek all the while he prepares and delivers the
Doric stuff, and "babbles o' green fields ;" while
if he did not despise his audience he would speak to them
as Englishmen—speak to them of Ireland trembling with
the passion of rebellion ; of Europe in throes of recon-
struction ; of " the labouring classes" not " justly appre•
elated," but insulted and excluded from their rights.
Very wisely, he leaves these topics alone in Bucks, and—
to turn to Shakespeare again—" he hath," instead, " songs
of all skies—the prettiest country songs, with such deli-
cate burdens of " ' dildos' and hidings.'"

ICS TOPICS.

The military history of New Zealand supplies, the Times
thinks, a useful lesson in the reform of our military system.
Our system of drill which prevented the regular troops
from doing what the New Zealand volunteers were able to
accomplish very speedily, while it harasses the men and
renders the service unpopular is, the Tines believes,
actually more damaging than advantageous to the general
efficacy of the troops. Not only this example but the
enlarged experience of European warfare show that high
drill is by no means identical with perfect efficiency. The
knowledge of a few simple movements, combined with ex-
pertness in the use of arras, and, above all, with that
muscular training which gives the greatest amount Of
activity and endurance, would form a very good qualifica-
tion for a modern soldier. We seem to be taking snob
excessive pains in the manufacture of soldiers that the
product itself actually 'niers in the process. A simple
system, with more useful practice and less drill, more
freedom of mind and muscle, and less complexity of
exercise and routine, would probably give us at once a
better army and make that army a mom popular proba-
tion.