The Sun.
London, England, 1855-04-09 00:00:00

NORFOLK.

,Ileeede_eply:-hardened earth yielded sooner than was ex
pected to-the combined influence of shower and sunshine
and strong wind, and bythe commencement of the present
month various farming operations which had been long
suspended were resumed again with all possible activity,
but with frequetit interruption from severe frost. Up
to the present moment, the keen air has so counteracted
in a great measure the effects of a warmer sun that few,
indeed, are the indications of returning spring. Our
fields still look very bleak' and barren, our gardens cold
and unattractive. We seekin, vain on sunny banks for the
pale primrose and sweet-scented violet, and hear not at
early morn theedheerful notes of our favourite songsters.
All nature appears still wrapped up in the mantle of
winter. For the first few days of the month the weather
softened considerably, the wind being S.W., but a
change crn 'the 6th to the N.E. lowered the temperature
again, and it has since continued in nearly the same
quarter. Last week the ground was frequently covered
with snow, and at times very cold. To-day is bright
and cheerful, after a night's frost of extreme severity.
This has not been a very dry month, 1.47 inches of
rain having fallen in ten days, We are truly sorry
to say serious apprehensions exist about the growing
crop of wheat, from great loss of plant, particularly
on weak, poor soils ; indeed we have already heard of
some being ploughed up, and much that it is feared will
have to be, many fields looking so bare and naked that
it is enly by close inspection a few sickly-looking plants
can be seere; but great caution and judgment ought to be
exercised; asha thin plant sometimes proves the hiost pro-
ductive, and at .present it is too early to decide posi-
tively on 'the extent of injury received, the wheat being
so unusually, backward. With genial weather, it would
undoubtedly improve much, and on fine deep-soiled wheat
land, and even on much that is not so, it may eventually;
we trust, be found fully planted ; but a late harvest may
be expected, 'which is generally unfavourable. to produc4
tion. Top dres,sing will, be extensively applied, and we
need scateelY recommend heavy rolling. All spring crop-
ping is late. ;Beans, peas, land oats are only just finished
sowing, and! barley just I commenced. All 'soils work
admirably, tilie land bein in a loose, dry, frlable:state,;
but the work pl'ogresses s owly, from the sharp frosty
mornings. small seeds a dear, and but few seen of find
quality. Thei lambing sea on is drawing to aeclosd ; the
fall has beenlgenerally;gobd, and the lambs strong and
healthy, huddle loss of elves in many instances !consi!
derable. Hisw:they are ti be fed for the next month by
many, even iwith a heavyioutlay for artificial food, is a
question we should have been at a loss to answer. We
are fortunately spared that difficulty, its solution having
been given in a long letter in our local papers of last
week, which we have no doubt excited great interest and
attention—perhaps even something more. It appears
that chopped straw "steamed " may be most profitably
used for feeding purposes, particularly for ewes and
lambs, even without the aid of " corn, meal, and cake."
We must confess the announcement somewhat startled
us, particularly coming from a district so strongly asso-
ciated in our minds with " blowing sands" that even
straw, we should have thought, could not have been well
spared for such purposes. However, the author is evi-
dently a very sensible and practical mane and we do not
doubt he ha experienced the benefits from his practice
he stated, which we are sure many will be but toe
happy to follow, and thank him heartily fir the sug-
gestion if it answers as well with them. We hear many
complaints df potatoes and beet being much injured by
frost. From the extreme scarcity of feed, keeping sheep
are selling at lower prices ; useful hoggets, of fair size
and well-bred, may be bought at from 28s. to 32g., and
fat ones at 425., to 465., with a very slow demand for the
former. We heard of a large flockmaster who made 275.
of part of his lambs last summer, and sold the remainder
the other day'at 28s. Irk truth, sheep will be found to
have paid belly',l,r wintering ; probably fat hoggets will
do the best
.; these are now making in Smithfield close to
7d. per lb. qut of their wool. Fat beasts are not selling
so well, fecb snaking a clear 7s. 6d. per stone. The
autumn-bought beasts can pay nothing. At the com-
mencement pf the month a fall in the value of wheat of
ss. per qr. took place, occasioned by the death of the
Emperor of Rbssia ; but the panic subsided by the fol-
lowing week, and prices regained their former level, and
have remained since without much alteration, the best
red making 170 s. per qr. ; but a great flatness prevails,
produced by the uncertainty of the future. Barley
has been a dull sale without alteration in price; but more
animation now exists, with an upward tendency—its
present value 28s. to 325. per qr. The corn trade is go-
verned by no fixed principles ; it is often influenced by
unaccountable impulses, and frequently runs counter to
the current of general opinion. In regard to future sup-
plies, when we look at the immense increase in the steam-
threshing power of the cduntry, and know that it all has
been fully employed since harvest, in addition to the still
existing hors e-threshing power, we come to the conclu-
sion, confirmsed by the opinion of others, that less grain
of any description than usual at this time remains in the
hands of the growers, which must now come slowly to
market from other pressing employments.