The Express.
London, England, 1850-07-23 00:00:00

THE APPROACHING HARVEST.

Just at this season the corn markets are as sensitive
to atmospheric changes as the baruw.eter. Two or
three rainy days will often add as many shillings to
the price of the quarter of wheat, while a hot sun and
clear sky for four or five days will and down the
price of grain faster than the ascent of the mercury.
Our corn markets are at present strictly " weather
markets," intimated by every variation of the weather
from day to day which is calculated to affect, favour-
ably or otherwise, the growing crops. Now, too, the
result of the coming harvest will be watched with
even more than ordinary attention. Friends and
foe. of free trade alike regard this, the second crop
reaped since British husbandry has been subjected to
the world's competition, with something, which if it
is not anxiety, is nearly akin to it. Neither party
can feel quite certain that all their hope. or all their
fears will be realised; and the probability is that
neither the cheep loaf, which, from a com-
bination of camas, our population has en-
beyed for the last year, will continue to
obtainable quite so cheap ; nor will the " inun-
dation " of foreign grain our protectionists dread,
occur. Exception has been taken to the remark that
free trade in grain is an experiment ; and, on the
fact of that remark having fallen from a member of
the government, the protectionists have chosen to
found one of their air-built moles, that ministers may
even yet propose a return to protect:on. The Prime
Minister has distinctly and emphatically repelled
the conclusion would-be monopolists drew from
that expression ; but, without such declaration, no
reasonable person ever imagined the people's food
could ever again be taxed to keep up or advance the
rent of land. The hands which were powerful enough
to win free trade from landlordism are more than
sufficiently strong to retain the fruits of their victory.
In tact, a Stanley-Disraeli-Gladstone cabinet would
not dream of anything so preposterous as a return to
protection on agricultural produce. The utmost that
combination was to have done in that connexion, had
the reins of government been seized on a recent occa-
sion, was to make free•trade or protection an "open
question !" More treachery this for the seareity-price-
lov log corn growers. Nevertheless the alteration from a
restricted to an open trade in corn is an experiment
in this sense, that neither foreign nor home growers nor
dealers here or abroad have yet ascertained the ordi-
nary prices of eon in this country under average,
abundant, or deficient crops, or the circumstances
tinder which operations in the corn markets of a
speculative character are feasible or safe.
It is the total absence of anything like speculation
which during the last year has been one of the great
causes of low prices. Nobody has bought more than
from hand to mouth, and now all the dealers being
entirely bare of stock, every threat of a precarious
harvest brings an access of purchasers into the
market. And it is worthy of note that fee some time
past the tendency of the grain markets has been up-
wards, the tall consequent on fire weather having
invariably proved lees than the rise of price resulting
from a stormy week.
Since we last adverted to the state of the crops,
though the general fact of much abundance remains
untouched, the particular circumstances of many
districts are somewhat less favourable than
we then reported. In the variuus districts,
too, there has been a good deal of differ-
eoce in the weather. In the west and south of
England there was a week or nine days of stormy,
wet, and blowing weather, then an interval very hct
and dry, and latterly there has been a good deal of
warm rain. In the east of England something like
drought has been experienced; while in Scotland,
where in the earlier part of the season there was a
constant succeed= of genial showers, an absence of
moisture has latterly been a good deal omplained of.
The bulk of the wheat crops everywhere are on the
whole good, the complaints and doubts arising only
from wind having o.:curred during the blooming sea-
son, and from some of them being partially laid. A
few of the details received trom the different districts
will give a tolerably accurate notion of the prospews
of the approaching harvest. In the Lothians it is
stared there is every appearance of continued drought.
" Water ponds are becoming shallow, streams dimi-
nishing, and springs getting scant of water. Wheat
promises to be an abundant crop, and with the conti-
nued fine weather must be of a superior quality. Barley
is also good, but the drought is telling upon
oats, which will be short in straw. Potatoes
look remarkably well, but many of the earlier varie-
ties suffer from want of moisture. Turnips, particu-
larly the latter sowings, want rain. The hay is
generally cut and well got, but the crop is °clew an
average, and there is no old hay in stock. This, com-
bined with there being little appearance of second
crop, will cause hay to be higher than for many sea-
sons past."
13 the Carse of GOWTIO it is said that the recent
dry forcing weather has so far advanced all the grain
crops, that they will be quite as early as in an ave-
rage of seasons. There, too, rain is much wanted for
turnips. Swedes sown in May hare been thinned,
and are doing wall ; but later sowings have suffered
from the fly. Hay hu not been so bare in the Carse
for years. The wheat is here said to have "got
rather a thin, lightish appearance." But, "what is
a much greater calamity, the lirle yellow fly has
again done its work; on examining the eau, it is
evident that the bloom is coming very irregularly
out, and where the wheat should be forming, the
young maggots are all alive and have begun their'
work of destruAion ;" and a somewhat gloomy appre-
hension is expressed that the Carse farmers will fuse a
third of their wheat from this cause. We believe this
to be an exaggeration. In Forfsrehire there has
been no rain sires June, and complaint of want of
wet is loud and general. Wheat is strong and large,
and an early harvest is expected. Barley, too, is
earlier than usual. Oats and potatoes are reported
as very healthy and promisiog. And from other
districts in Scotland recent accounts are very similar.
Coming southward to Northumberland, we meet
with a very short crop of hay; dry withering winds
have prevailed, and the wheats, which were just
coming into bloom, are said to have suffered serious
damage. Turnips were sown, came up, and ;oat
thinned earlier than usual; " yet the dry, withering,
frosty winds have completely checked progress, and
many a broad acre on light sandy soils has been up-
rooted, and the soil entirely blown into eddies, like
drifted snow."

In Norfolk dry weather has been almost uninter-
rupted, and rain is much wanted in most places. It
is said " the appearance of the crops is satisfactory, in
exact proportion to the quantity of rain that has
fallen. Along the coast, in particular, the drought
his been uninterrupted, though inland some showers
had fallen. The dryness of the present season in
Norfolk is however shown by the fact, that com-
paring the first half of the present year with the
average of the first six months of the last five years,
the quantity of rain has been very little more than
half the tuna amount, yet the temperature has been
an average one." Hay crops, though light, are well
secured, and consequently will go far in providing
provender. The promise of the autumn sown wheat is
generally very good, as are the early sown barleys;
" but for spring-sown wheats, oats, and late barleys,
the drought ham been too severe, and their crops have
suffered. It is the opinion of many experienced men
that the crop of corn will hardly reach the average;
yet the dry weather being in favour of the blossoming,
it will most likely yield well in proportion to the
bulk." The present prospect of the turnip crop is by
no means good. In places where no showers have
fallen the seed has not vegetated at all, or very liar-
tially ; white in the more favoured localities where
rain has occurred the plants are growing freely. On the
other hand mangold wurxel is in most planes " well
planted." Here we have another illustration of the
value of mangold worsel in the south and east of
England as compared with turnips. It is planted
earlier and thrives well in dry weather, besides pro-
ducing heavier crops peewee than the turnip; and
three years out of four we have in these districts a de-
ficiency of moisture in May and June, the tornipssason.
The drawbacks on mangold are, that it requires more
manure than the turnip, and cannot remain to the fields
throughout the winter, as it is destroyed by severe
frost. Though sheep pastures are short, the stock is
reported as healthy; and we are glad to find no men-
tion is made of the sheep-pox, which committed much
ravages in Norfolk two years ago.
From the Weald of Sussex and Surrey amounts of
the wheat are good. " Wheat is looking admirably;
sad, where we have met with a shabby piece, we
have traced, without trouble, the effects of bad or
careless farming. It has come ipto ear evenly ; and
the ears are of good aim." Some damage is maid to
have been dose in West Surrey by thunderstorms,
bet it is ast samaissed mine. Ala was "sating

fa Wallis, and oats were net regarded as promising
much abeadance ; both will probably restive great
beet fit from the retest rains.
In this district raaegold is said to bare suffered
both from the fly sad from drought.
Passing to Bockieg%amshire, we find the hay-
making retarded by frequent showers, and tin-
settled weather, but that the wet has net
bees sniffiest to spoil marsh hay, and a con-
siderable balk of the hay crepe has boss wowed
in good order. The mischief of a showery
bay-making season to the farmer is chiefly the ex-
pense incurred, for eery little rain renders it neon-
sary to dry the bay again • and as many bands are
required to be kept oa and supplied with beer, the
difference of cost in making hay in dry or showery
weather is immense. In this department the hay-
making machine forms one of the many illustrations of
the oaring effected in husbandry by the use of ma-
chinery. Is certain parts of the proems of making
meadow hay the machine drawn by one bores is
reckoned as equivalent to twenty hands. Fears of
.4 red rust" and es forth are entertained as the conse-
quence of the high winds while wheat was blooming;
but the appearance of the crops indicates a good
yield. It is said that " the recent rise in the wheat
trade has set holden of old corn on the qwi rive, and
thrashing machines are goirg in every direction to
take advantage of the market. The state of the
weather has been assigned as a reason for the brisk-
ness of the corn trade ; but the wet on the aggregate
has done more good than harm to the crops on almost
every variety of soil ; indeed, if inch dry hot weather
as we hada-fortnight ago bad continued till cow, a
great deal of the wheat on high and ordinary dry
land would have been scorched up. Specu-
lation need not be based on the weather.
Barley, oats, and beans are doirg very well in
general, but peas present a very sorrowful aspect from
the attacks of the fly and various kinds of insects."
Turnips hate largely been destroyed by fly, but man-
gold wwzel is looking very well. At the recent wool
fair at Leighton Buzz ard, the trade was animated ;
" 30e. per tod (28th..) was a general price, and some
lots went as high as 325. even." In this county
labourers are well employed.
We can notice but one other district, aid select

Somersetshire. There it is said the harvest will be •
late one. Sums time since it was thought the high
temperature would hasten it, but heavy thur.der-
storms, accompanied by hail, p•r'icularly in the
southern parts of the county, laid the strong fine,
pieces of wheat. This hu been followed by rain,
high winds, and a much lower temperature, ' unpro-
pitious to the kerning of the wheat." Here, too,
we meet with complaints of the wheat-fly.
" About the time of the wheat coming
out in ear, a number of small flies was
observed on the ears, and on examining them it is
found that a good many of the corns, or where they
ought to be, are occupied by a small yellow msggct.
It is precisely from the same cause that the yield was
complained of last year." There is also some rust.
Winter beats are umewhat blighted. These things
betoken a moist eimate, and probably a soil insufi•
deafly, perhaps not at all, drained. The barley is
promising where not laid, and oats are likely is
productive. In this county we meet with the potato
disease, which has appeared on the ash-leaved kidneys
in close situations. In a garden under oar own obser-
vation we have seen decided symptoms of the disease
amongst the earlier kinds of potatoes, bat to what ex-
tent it may spread is at present impossible to foresee.
The crop of potatoes is everywhere, except in soils
affected by drought, promising to be a large crop.

SPORTING.

TATIIIRSAI!Ip'B, MONDAY.

Business was very Bit, and he;cad an unaccountable but
temporary decline in Snowstorm, wu wholly without
interest.

THE GOODWOOD STAKES.
S to 4 apt QOM& Aritalan Wtrkliachorra'r (t and aft. off.)
Ito 1 Br J. B. 11111a's Won't4uu-oome-out-tottigot
(t 10 to I)
10 to 1 Lord H. Lasasea Santo (1 13 to 1)
13 to 1 it,. Melklama's tiourotonn
30 to 1 any °dui..
20 to I via Did three o kee times apt Soonvorta.

H4lll STAKES. -
f to 1 art Leff H. Lassoes Hereaudes
4 tot CoL Peel's Bleak fie

GOODWOOD CUP.
3 to 1 apt Captain AreldatPi Windischgratz
5131 Mr. Peellers Cora& ttzand aft off)
to 1 Count Mattes tan l aft of.)
13 to 1 Lord Chesterfield's Mu r,t and att. off.)
LBOR HANDICAP.
6to 1 Mr. RAVI, Conintrwood
Bto 1 Lord Zetland's Carr-,
10 to 1 Mr. H. Btebbin6's Flateateher
.T. LEOUL
_ _ . _

I to 4 opt Lord ziiislitro vairgeut i tau! aft off)
23 to I Mt. E. L Irwitt's King of Oude (1)
30 to 1 Mr. Watts'. Mareltioseas d'Elt (40 to I taro
to SOL)
DERBY.

9 to 1 apt Yr. 't to M.)
39 to I Lord Eglintos's Bonnie Dundee
40 to I Lord Eglintoa's Juggernaut t)
40 to I Mr. J. Clarke'. Marlborough Bock (t)
40 to I Lord Zetlaad'a Lightfoot
50 to I Capt. llereey'a Ilengiat st)
50 to 1 Cal Peel's black tiest (t)

CRICKET.

GENTLEMEN OF ENG
This, ths mud match at
Lnd'a plata/day, and the to
PLATMS

:LAND v. THE PLAYERS.
the season, was costmeseed at
oncoming is themes;
FIUT Isstmoo.
.1 I J. Chester, b Shtharst 3

Rant, b livhorit ..

.I. %%oda, b Taw ... $4 0. Chatnitos, b Ye.lowe
W. llenuiedl, e nil; b W. Clarke, b Fellows 5
Bottum
J. Guy, e sad Wa5....-...- 25 11, 4; 1b,2; w, 5
G. Parr, sot out 65
T. Box, b Tap 0 Total.
W. QtEri, e W. Ifiddieg, b
Tamp 6
Garrunta. Tian limas
W. Nicholas, Ea., b Wisdom
J. M. Lee, Dri.di Widen 6 not eat
I. T. Van, Espd.4
jl‘ivelatke
A. Bayarth, ~ b Wi.den 6 b Wisdes.......
N. Fella. Eeq., b boles l3
A. Sao, Eiq., b Clarke „ ...._ , 3
W. EiMusg, la , is Mans, b
Cute
C. Ebbing, Ea, b Chinn
H. W. renews, Ea. b Make
G. Yaw, Ea., b elate 0
St P. Balboni, sot out ...... - 1
$ Al

SLCOND U7IINOI.

.. 148

Total 42

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1

-
27

AQUATICS.
BANKSIDS REGATTA.

This 01.1-estailisisei. aadseTTrespe Table contest, the
thirty-sewed anniversary if which was celebrated yesterday,
collected a vast crow! of spectators, and was both excellently
contested sad manspd by R. Harris, sea. It was, es usual,
a contest in three heats, with tea molten.