The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-27 00:00:00

The Harvest.

CAMBRIDGESIIIRE.—The harvest has been vigo-
rously prosecuted during the week in this county,
although in some cases it has been delayed by occa-
sional showers. The scarcity of labour has caused
wages in a few instances to run high. Wheat, bar-
ley, and oats will be about an average around Wis-
bech, and the crops generally have borne the
dr,-;•ught better than could have been expected. Pota-
toes are rather small ; the yield, however, is plenti•
ful, and there are no signs of disease at present, In
tt e fens around Whittlesey the corn crops will not
be equal to those of last year either in quality or
quantity. Mildew has already been found to some
extent. The bean crops are nearly destroyed by the
fly; in some cases they are scarcely worth cutting,
and roots, such as wurt.all and turnips, aro almost
gone, like the beans. The want of r3iu is severely
felt.

LINCOLNSHIRE.—Great, progress has teen made
with the harvest in this extensive agricultural dis-
trict during the past week, the weather having
been highly favourable. There have been splendid
showers, which'have proved very acceptable to the
root crops. In some instances leading has been in.
terrupted by the rain, but nothing of any imports
mice. In the neighbourhood of Long Sutton the
white corn is nearly all secured, and in very good
condition. The wheat crop is generally pronounced
of good finality, and the yield will be over an
average. The drought has been severely felt around
Alford, and owing to the scarcity of water and
grass farmers have been obliged to fodder their
cattle. The various crops of grain in this vicinity
will in most cases be an average one, and
the quality good. In the Trent•side district
much wheat has been cut rather green, and will
have to remain a few days in stack. Though the
crops on the rich alluvial top land will probably be
about an average, there is a sad deficiency on light
poor soils. The flax crops promise a good yield of
linseed, and the flax itself is good in quality and a
fair length. The fine rains of the week have much
revived the pastures and root crops. Potatoes will,
however, be comparatively small, and the yield cone
siderably below that of lest year. Turnips are a
thorough failure; onions, which promised well at
one time, will be small and high in price. In the
Isle of Axholuse the chief products, wheat and
potatoes, will be much below an average.
WORKSOP AND THE NEIGHBOURHOOD.—The
great bulk of the crops are already secured in
excellent condition in the neighbourhood of Work-
sop. The wheat yields better than expected, but is
❑ot equal to last year. Barley is more than an ave.
rage crop, and secured in prime condition. Oats
are light. The beautiful and refreshing rain on
Sunday morning will prove of immense value to
reddish and the turnip crops, which are very poor.
Ole singular feature in the turnip crop of this
season, is that on the light sandy soils it looks the
Most healthy. At Mr Wilmot's, Prospect-hill farm
(a light blown-away sand), both swedes and white
turnips are looking excellent, and a field on the
adjeining farm of Mr A. Brodhurst, is also well
filled in with swede turnips; while on strong land
and limestone, in many instances, there are not
more than one third of a crop.
DRIFFIELD.—Reaping is rapidly progressing in
every direction. Crops in this distirct are generally
very good, and wheat especially so; and in many
instances equal to those of last year. Though wheat
in the general run may be pronounced thin on the
ground, there are instances of splendid flats with
ears full of large grain, and the yield will be very
prolific. Barley is invariably a good crop, and has
ripened regularly and kindly. It looks admirable
everywhere. Oats, too, are good, and of a fair
growth, bat they have not ripened so early nor so
regularly as barley. It is a long time since there
were such good crops of peas—in fact, they were
never known to be better, being full of corn and
well ripened. Beans in most cases are less favour-
able. They are short and only moderately corned.
They have suffered much from drought and insects.
The potato fields, which were so luxuriant and pro,
inking in spring, have been much deteriorated and
retarded in growth by severe frosts and dry weather.
Though the roots are small they are of excellent
quality and free from disease. Turnips in many places
have suffered severely from drought and the fly.
The hay crop has been a short one, and this descrip-
tion of fodder is likely to become scarce and reach
very high prices. Pastures aro very bare, and the
seed fields are completely burnt up, and it is sur-
prising how the sheep manage to exist with such
scanty food. Returning to a notice of the cereal
crops, it may be observed that it is a long time since
they were so little injured by wind or rain, and,
except in very few instances, they stand straight on
ground. During the last few weeks of warm sunny
weather there has been a magical change in the
wheat crops, which have put on that beautiful golden
tinge which invariably indicates their excellent
quality. This is remarkably the case between Drif-
field and the sea ;,and it is somewhat singular that
near the coast, where, in other years the crops are
generally most backward, there are this season some
magnificent fields of wheat, and we never recollect
to have seen finer than those of Mr. J. Kingston,
of B aesingby, SOMO of his wheat and oats
standing five feet high. Near the sea are also
some flourishing fields of turnips. The present
state of the crops affords a favourable opportunity
for using the reaping machines, which have been

much in request is this neighbourhood. Grew

numbers of harvesters presented themselves at our
two last markets, and the bulk of them found em-

ploymcnt. In any anticipated deficiency of the
yield of the present harvest it would be fully met
by the large quanties of old wheat in store, which
may be stated on the best authority was never
known to be so large. Since Sunday this district
has been visited by several refreshing showers of
rain.

SIGGLESTIIORNE.—Most of the wheat is now
down, as well as a great part of the barley. Farmers
intended starting to lead the wheat in on Monday,
but the rains of Sunday prevented them. Mr Moore,
of Goz hill, and Mr Taylor, of Seaton, secured some
wheat on Friday and Saturday, and on Tuesday
Messrs. Wright, Taylor, and Bullock were very
busy, notwithstanding the showers. At Catwick
and Leven much progress has been made, there
being scarcely a farmstead where there are not stacks
of the newly-garnered grain.
TRENTSIDE.—There has been brilliant weather
for reaping the corn, cloudless and dewless, and
nearly all was cut by Saturday last. Wheat on
the warp land is almost, if not fully, an average,
but on the lighter soils of the district there will
be a deficiency. There were fine rains on Saturday
night and Sunday last, which have considerably im-
proved the appearance of the pastures, and will
prove beneficial to the root crops. Potatoes are
small for the season, and should an excess of rain
fall it will probably induce disease. The flax crops
are good. Turnips here, as elsewhere, area failure.
Harvest wages have been in accordance with the
price of corn and the quantity of produce. The
usual prices bring lOs to 12s per aore for mowing.
The reaping machine is as yet but little used on the
Trentside.

NOTTINGHAMSIIIRE—Since last week the weather
has been broken. On Sunday morning we had a
heavy thunderstorm and several hours of refreshing
rai❑ followed. Since then there have been several
showers. In many parts of the county farmers have
secured the whole of their corn crops, and on good
heavy lands the yield of wheat will be nearly an
average. B irley is the best crop of the season.
tilencrally the plant has done well, and the yield
will reach a full average. Oats are variedly spoken
of, but altogether the yield is very light. Beans
thin. Peas are a fair crop. Potatoes are sound
and of good quality, but small in size. Turnips have
mostly proved a failure; the early swedes promise
the best. Mangolds are a very poor crop.—Hull
Packet.

Mr E. T. Smith announces the production of
Mezeppa," with a powerful caste, a' Astley's,
early in September ; and in order to give a novel effect to its
representation, he has engaged an American lady, Miss
Adah Isaacs Menken, to enact the part of biazeppa, which
is usually played by a man. Miss Menken is a bold, dash-
ing equestrienne, and, it is said, performs all tho " runs" (as
they are technically termed) with surprising courage and
sang froid. As she is reputed to be a very handsome and
graceful woman, we should not be surprised to find the Lady
Mazeppz a theatrical sensation oZ uu,t season,--Eras

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tlriallyrr

HER MAJESTY,

WINDSOR CASTLE, August 2G.

The Queen, accompanied by her Royal Highness
the Princess Louis of Hesse, drove in the grounds
this morning. Their Royal Highnesses Princess
Helena and Princess Louise also accompanied her
Majesty.
His Royal Highness Prince Louis of Hesse and
his Grand Ducal Highness Prince Etimar of Olden-
burg took a carrirge drive.

Prince Leopoldo and Princess Beatrice took a
carriage airing.
Her Imperial H ~g})ness the Grand Duchess Marie
of Russia visited the QUECII and Princess Louie of
Hesse to-day.