The National Register.
London, England, 1811-10-06 00:00:00

PROVINCIALS.

AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

The state of the wheat crop seems now to be ascertained
with probable accuracy, throughout the island, as somewhat
below an average quantity, and far inferior.to that of last year,
in point of quality. Reckoning both quantity and quality, per-
sons of the most general information, decide upon a deficiency
of a full third. There will be a considerable quantity of black
wheat, and in many parts of the north the barley is strongly
smutted. As has been before stated in these reports, a gradual
mildew prevailed throughout the summer, and, most unfor-
tunately, about blooming time of the wheat ; in consequence,
neither the ear nor kernel have sufficiently tilled ; and, as the
state of the weather Foducing the disease was universal, so has
been the disease itself, with the fortunate exception of favourable
soils and situations, which have produced fine crops of corn.
Although the mildew, taking it generally, was slight and
mild, its effects upon some unfortunate exposures were so consi-
derable, that half a crop of wheat was not obtained, and that in
quality extremely meagre, and in part sn.*.ted. In various parts
of Scotland, much wheat was broken and lodged by highlwinds,
from the weakness of the straw, and great complaints are made
from thence, of tillage-lands over-run with weeds, particularly
knot-grass, the consequence of trusting to a fallow for cleaning
land. From the N. W. of England, great complaints of the
gravels scalding last summer. Spring wheats are said to have
succeeded generally better than the Autumnal. There is much
indifferent corn of every species this year.
For tl.c above most satisfactory reasons, and from the vast rents
and accumulated taxes paid by the farmer, wheat continues at a
high price, and is likely so to continue, when it is considered,
that, on the most accurate calculation which can be made, a full
average crop is required for the annual support of our vastly in-
creased population, without reckoning the extra waste of war,
and supply of our allies. In the mean time, the usual ideotic cry
against monopolizers and forestallers is bursting from many of
our public prints—raised by persons who ought to confine their
speculations to astronomy, or rather astrology, and the comet.—
These seers always complain when corn rises, taking upon them-
selves exclusively to tell the fortune of markets; as though the
terms f a market could possibly he any other person's business
than of the buyer rnd seller themselves—as though, in a free
country, the disposal and management of a man's property could
be taken from him—as though the buyer, or any body else but
himself, ought to fix a price upon the seller's goods, and as though
attempted regulations of this kind had ever yet answered any
good purpose. This popular cry, in order to be reconciled to
common sense, ought instantly to be directed from the middle-
men or corn-dealers, one of the most useful and beneficial classes
of society, to the opposers of a GENERAL ENCLOSORE BILL, our
natural, legitimate, and only effectual remedy.
Little wheat seed can yet have been put into the ground,
from the long drought, but the present rains will make the land
work well, and which have come, it is to be hoped, in time for
the turnips, a crop that must otherwise have been soon irre-
coverably injured; at any rate the supply of green ,eed must be
much reduced, and the late crops of hay arc extremely light.
A considerable quantity of flax has this year been grown in the
North, and almost intirely from home-grown seed ; the crop
very good. Orchards in Scotland and Wales have not been so
fruitful as in England. Wool, universally a drug, affected in a
considerable degree by the discouraging speculators on our dis-
pute with America, which serves equally to depress manufac-
ture and raise the price of corn. The Merino improvement at
present is under a cloud.

Croydon Fair conimmenced on Wednesday, and kept up
its celebrity for frolick and fun of all sorts. The theatri•
call were displayed in grand state. The walnuts were abun-
dant, and the roasted geese provoked the appetites of all the
visitors.

Wednesday evening, as eight men and a woman, who had
been at Croydon Fair, in a cart, were returning home, the
axletree broke near Brixton Causeway, when they were all
precipitated into the road, by which the woman, who was
pregnant 3 bad an arm broken) and two others were very much
hurk