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

NORFOLK

The deeply-hardened eerth yielded sooner than was ex-
pected to the combined influence of shower and sunshine
and strong wind, and by the commencement of the present
month various farming operations which had been long
suspended were resumed again with all possible activity,
but with frequent 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 seek in vain on sunny banks for the
pale primrose and sweet-scented violet, and hear not at,f
early morn the cheerful 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 on 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 meow, 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 aro 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 only by close inspection a few sickly-looking plants
can be seen ; but great caution and judgment oeght to be
exercised, as a thin plant sometimes proves the most 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 produc-
tion. Top dreesing will bo extensively applied, and we
need scarcely recommend heavy rolling. All spring crop-
ping is late. Beans, peas, and oats are only just finished
sowing, and barley just commenced. All soils work
admirably, the land being in a loose, dry, friable state,
but the work progresses slowly, from the sharp frosty
mornings. Small seeds are dear, and but few seen of fine
quality. The lambing season is drawing to a close ; the
fall has been generally good, and the lambs strong and
healthy, but the lose of ewes in many instances consi-
derable. How they are to be fed for the n,xt month by
many, even with a heavy outlay 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 gr.-at intere,t and
attention—perhaps even something more. It appears
that chopped rtiaw "steamed" may be most profitably
used for feeding purposes, particularly for co-es and
laenbs, even without the aid of " corn, meal, and cake."
We must confess the announcement some what startled
us, particularly coining from a district so strongly a3so-
elated In our minds with " blowing sands " that even
straw, we should have thought, could not have been well
spared fear such purposes, However, the author is evi-
dentiy a very sensible and practical man, and we do not
doubt he has experienced the benefits from his practice
he stated, which we are sure many will be but too
happy to follow, and thank Liar heartily fit the sug-
gestion if it answers as well with them. We hear many
complaints of 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 235. to 325., and
fat ones at 425. to 465., with a very slow demand for the
former. We heard of a large flockinaster who made 275.
of part of his Lambs last summer, and sold the remainder
the other day at 28s. In truth, sheep will be found to
have paid badly:f it wintering ; probably fat hoggets will
do the best ; these are now making in Smithfield close to
7d. per lb. out of their wool. Fat beasts are not selling
so well, few making a clear 7s. 6d. per stone. The
autumn-bought beasts can pay nothirig. At the com-
mencement of the month a fall in the value of wheat of
ss. per qr. took place, occasioned by the death of the
Emperor of Russia ; 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 70s. 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 country, and know that it all has
been fully employed since harvest, in addition to the still
existing horse-threshing power, we come to the conclu-
sion, confirmed 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.