The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-18 00:00:00

111 E SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, JULY 18, 1864.

meats of skill and discoveries of human intelligence
are useless unless those who design and those who
profit by their labours are alike supplied with
provisions of mother each. Agricultural chemistry
may be less attractive as a study than the deeper
and more imposing sciences of geology and astro-
nomy, or chemistry itself in its more enlarged ap-
plication, but the rapid advance made of late
years in the production of food proves that it is at
least a profitable study. For many a long day it
was the fashion to regard farmers and agricultu-
rists generally as men behind the age, who obsti-
nately refused to move from the beaten track. But
it is not so very long since the application of steam
and other advantages were recommended, and
already they are becoming popular. Agricultu-
rists of this day are no longer a class by theme
selves, shut out from the general progress of en-
lightenment. As the rest of the world has
advanced in knowledge and intelligence,
they have advanced too, until there is
no reason to fear that any scheme for
the improvement of farms or farming stock
will not obtain as fair a hearing as in any other
profession. Much of this beneficial change has pro-
bably been due to the influence of agricultural shows
and societies, which have brought men together
from distant parts, to exchange opinions and expe-
rience, and to see with their own eyes practical
proof of the advantages recommended to them.
The meeting of the Royal Agricultural Society,
which has been held during the past week, is one
of these occasions, and it was in this instance pecu-
liarly interesting from the fact that it had not been
held in that town for nearly twenty years. The
meetings of the RayaPAgricultural Society are held
yearly at different large towns throughout the
country, and it is thus often a good many years be-
t ween the celebrations at any particular spot. In
1846 the first meeting of the society was held in
the very town where they have been now assem-
bling, and the eighteen years that have elapsed
since then have witnessed a degree of progress
which would then have been scarcely credible.
Some of the theories then in their infancy have now
become the recognised practice of the day, such as
the theory of deep drainage then just becoming
known, which is now an established principle.
Since 1846, too, the use of artificial manures has
become general, and this has undoubtedly much
to do with the improvement in our crops. The
effect of steam-ploughing is as yet hardly to be
seen, bat there can be no question of its beneficial
result upon heavy clay land, and when it gets into
more general use its influence will soon be apparent.
At the trial last week some of the engines tried
produced an astonishing effect, moving the soil to
a great depth with wonderful rapidity, and leaving
it thoroughly pulverised. No horse-power could
have accomplished the same work. The special
peculiarity of the steam-plough is the great depth
to which it turns up the soil, a result of considerable
. .
importance hardly to be attained by other means.
Altogether the trial, so far as as it Went, has tended
to strengthen the favourable estimation in which
these ploughs are already held, and will probably
do much to remove the prejudice yet lingering in
the minds of some against their:use. This is one of
the advantages of such a gathering, and its members
can look back with pride to the work accomplished
since their meeting.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

IREUTER'S TELEGRAMS.]

AMERICA.

CROOKHAVEN, JULY 18.

The extra steamer Sidon, which left New York
on the afternoon of the 6th inst., was intercepted

here this morning.

Her news lass been fully anticipated by the

Africa.

CALCUTTA AND AUSTRALIAN MAILS.
SOUTHAMPTON, JULY 18.

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Poonah, with the above mails, has arrived here.
She brings 75 passengers, 1220 in specie, and
precious stones to the value of 3,500r5. ; jewellery,
2,570r5.; musk, 1,800; coral, 1,000. She brings
also a general cargo, including 1,204 bales of silk,
which latter are estimated at the value of £115,000.
_ On the 13th inst. the Poonah spoke the ship
Patrician, of Newcastle ; on the 14th inst. the
schooner Pride of the Isles; and on the 16th
the steamer Peninsular.

Exchange on London, 90 days, 50k; exchange
on Paris, 5f 31c; Marseilles, 5f 32c; Madrid, at
eight days, par.

bag, owing to some rumour on board, he called the
officer who gave it to him to examine it before send-
ing it on shore, when it was ascertained that it had
been opened, the despatches taken out, blank paper
substituted, and the bag resewed. The bsg
originally contained the despatches from Admiral
Pinzon to his Government and the private letters of
the fleet. It has not transpired yet who the per-
petrators of the robbery are, but we presume an
official investigation will:lead to an exposure of the
guilty persons. For so far the purser is the re-
sponsible party, he having been entrusted with the
bag, but his responsibility is merely to the company,
and he may be able to show that he is entirely
innocent of blame; but the company being respon-
sidle fcr the acts of their employes, will be held
answerable by the parties directly interested, and
no doubt the whole ES:sir will prove a very dis-
agreeable one to them.