The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-09 00:00:00

Harvest Prospects in Ireland,

A correspondent of the Evening Post, evidently
well informed, describes the appearance of the crops
and promise of the harvest in the following terms :
Within the past week I have had an opportu-
nity of hearing and—more important still—seeing
a good deal of the crops of all descriptions in the
counties of Westmeath, Galway, Longford, Leitrim,
ROSCOMMOD, and Sligo, and in every instance I have
to report most favourably. I shall not attempt to
give you any close guess to the statistics which
the Registrar-General will furnish to the public in
a few weeks hence, but I can state with the utmost
confidence that if the total area under crops this
year approach the extent of 18G3 the produce will
be far in excess of the last return of Mr. Donnelly.
There are two causes for this—in the first place, in
the counties I have named, the rule has been early
sowing; secondly, the weather all through has been
more propitious than for many years past. As an
evidence of the probable increase, I may mention
that in previous years .the potato crop is seldom
t tried,' as they say in the country, before the be-
ginning of August; this year large quantities of
excellent potatoes had been sent to market in the
last week of June, and throughout the month of
July, up to this first day of August. The harvest
last year was considered a good average
one ; yet there was a considerable loss of the
potato crop from the blight ; this year there
is no reliable complaint of blight having
visited the tubers to any extent; some six or
seven weeks since there was a report to the effect
that the potato crop was seriously injured in the
county of Leitrim, from the appearance of the
leaves after a heavy storm of thunder and light-
ning; since then genial rains have positively im-
parted a green and healthy hue to what was con-
sidered a fatal decay, and I have learned that in
fields which were supposed to be irretrievably
injured the potatoes, with rare exceptions, are
sound as could be wished for. This report will be
considered the more satisfactory when it is recol-
lected that it is now past the time when the blight
made its appearance in former years ; the latest
period was from the 21st to the 24th of July, so
that there is every reason for hope that we have
passed the rubicon, and that, as far as this im-
portant crop is concerned, the present promise will
be fully realised. As to the cereals, I have reason
to think that there is a greater breadth under wheat
than last year, and that orop, and the oats and bar-
ley—the latter is sown to a very limited extent in
the counties named above—are most promising. In
some favourable districts the sickle is at work,
and should no untoward state of the weather
ensue during this month of August the great
bulk of the cereals will have fallen before
the reaper. The important flax crop also
promises well. I need not tell you that the
hay crop forms an important item in the farmers'
' asserts a apart from the home consumption this is
the case. lam aware that hay was exported to a
large extent last year to England and Scotland, and
from the accounts I have seen of the effects of the
want of rain during the summer in the former
country I have no doubt it will afford a ready mar-
ket for a large supply this year; if so it is gratify-
ing to know that the crop in Ireland has been saved
under most favourable circumstances, and is prolifio
beyond any year since 1859, Although not coming
under the heading of crops,' it will not be out of
place to mention that there is at this moment more
turf saved than the entire quantity brought into
use during the years 1862 and 18G3.

" If I do not much mistake the experience of the
past five years has materially changed the opinions
of those who imagined that Ireland. was only suited
for pasture. The registrar general's returns mark
a grout reduction in the number of small holdings,
and also a decrease in the value of live stock, to
the extent of more than five millions sterling.
Whatever others may think of large iarme—l
allude to the consolidation of small holdings from
which the tenantry have been evicted—there are
sensible men, thoroughly acquainted with the
country, who regard the great reduction in the
number of holdings as the cause of the diminu-
tion in the number of live stock. This view is
shared in even by large landed proprietors, and
I rather incline to the opinion that if the issue
were now tillage versus pasture,' very many of
the landlords who formerlS, placed all reliance on
the latter would vote for both."