The Sun.
London, England, 1837-08-31 00:00:00

THE HARVEST.

Broken as the weather has been of late, harvest labour
proceeds apace. On Saturday we took a brief run to the
country, and were highly gratified to find stooks of no
dwarfish stature, (Inuit).- every second field. At Carnsal-
loch, wheat was stacked on the 23d current, and should the
weather remain at all dry during the present week, every
barn-yard in the Vale of Nith will present an earnest of
future abundance. Stirring winds and diminished tempera-
ture have prevented the grain from ripening with inconve-
nient rapidity ; and every farmer with whom we have con-
versed, seems duly grateful that he is freed from the neces-
sity of going to work like the locomotives -between Liver-
pool and Birmingham. On almost every farm a great deal
of work is done with the scythe, and from all we can learn,
the implement advertised by the Messrs. Drummond is pre-
ferred to every other. Wherever the crops are strong they
are more or less laid ; but wherever the land is dry they
are filling so admirably notwithstanding, that very little loss
is anticipated from this casualty. Had the season been
late, the case of course would have been very different ; in
fact, fields might be pointed to within less than three miles
of this town, so completely flattened, that lateness would
have ruined them out and out. Betwixt Friday night and
Saturday morning, the heavy rain that fell was mixed with
hail, which is unquestionably rather a singular circumstance,
considering the burning heats of the beginning of the month.
Shearers, in a general way, receive 18d. a day with, and 2s.
without victuals, and from the present time till the middle
of October, all who are able and willing to labour bid fair
to obtain full employment.
One intelligent farmer we conversed with gives it as his
opinion that the grain crops will be under an average in
bulk ; the barleys are irregular—here good, and there in-
different ; the early sown oats share the same character ;
but on the other hand the heads are so large, and the
pickles so plump, that our informant is hopeful that any
apparent deficiency will be amply compensated on the
barn-floor. Quality must be looked to as well as quan-
tity, and by and bye we will hear of samples of grain
closely bordering on, without eking, the weights required

in the markets of Liverpool. As to turnips and po-
tatoes, our friend is of opinion that they form a crop
and a fourth, keeping in view the average of fertile sea-
sons, and farther observes that the bulk of green crop, with
which the earth teems at presect, will be found three times
greater than it was last season.
On various small farms in the neighbourhood of Dum-
f.-ice, and other parts of the Vale of Nith, the operation of
shearing is already completed, and in a few days leading
and stacking will be as common as reaping. Even up as
far as Sanquhar portions of crop have already been cut, and
in a general way the hills and moors will not be more than a
fortnight behind the valleys.
From the lower part of Kirkcudbrightshire a friend writes
nearly as follows :—" Harvest is getting on briskly here.
Some fields of barley are excellent, and from 50 to 55
bushels per acre are expected. The grain, perhaps, is
ripening too equally—not in the same, but in separate fields,
and reapers will soon he in great demand. Fewer Irish
appear in quest of work than usual, and every person in-
clined to labour may now find employment at fair wages.
Last week there was a brisk demand for Galloway cattle
for Woolpit Fair, and good prices realized. The St. Faiths
cattle are in fine condition, and great things anticipated
when selling time arrives."
From Wigtown we learn as follows :—" Harvest has
commenced partially in this quarter, and will be general
along the sea-coast during the present week. The crops
seem abundant, and the weather hitherto has been very
favourable. The influx of reapers from the Sister Island
is considerably smaller than on previous occasions ; the
Irish undoubtedly are improving in their circumstances,
which of course keeps more of them at home ; but allow-
ance must also be made for cheap and expeditious water
communication from Ireland to Glasgow, Liverpool, &c."
Since the above was written we have learned that the
half of the grain in Kirmanhoe has been cut down. A good
many stacks also appear in that parish. Mr. Goldie, March-
field, inned both wheat and oats yesterday.—Dttnifries
Con: ice•.