The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-03 00:00:00

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- - The Weather and the Crops in Seotiand.,,,---1--::,--,;,-Y--v,v4"-
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' At the close of the first week of August about
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. %r*: . 4'* ' an inch of rain fell which was of immense benefit
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4- to all the crops. Dry weather set in and con=
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;-1 -, , - - '•• - , tinned, with only the slightest showers, until the

25th. A very considerable fall, amounting to
about two inches, has since taken place, and the
lying uncut corn has scarcely been quite dry. As
yet the total rain fall for the month amounts to
two inches and nine-tenths. Some corn was cut

PRICE..... ...4d.
STAMPED ....sd.

Naval and lefilitary Intelligence.

a a t THE lAI
for Ere NAVY.
ilthe first-class
39, 3,l 4 0 teohnast,
hsaomo
horseThepsoewreewr,
fittingfri
steam reservE, is being hastened forward with her
final fitments, in readiness for immediate commis-
sion, her destination being the Pacific. It is stated
at Chatham that she will ba commiabioned by Capt.
Lutird, late flag captain of the Formidable, 84, at
the :Fore.

about the 20th, and it has been gradually becoming
ripe as you ascend. In the early districts three-
fourths of the entire crop is in stook, but a small
portion only in stack. In the middle district about
one-third is cut and none in stack, while on the
insides reaping has not begun. The wheat crop is
somewhat thin, hut of stout firm straw, a good
length, and seeming to carry plump full ears;
about one-half is reaped. Barley is of strong stiff
straw, and thick enough. In a full average field
of grain, while the ears are sound, oats show a few
more light fields than barley does. However, taken
throughout, the crop is a full average. On the
whole the white corn crops promise well, and with.
a return of dry weather will give a different result
from last year. Beans ore early, somewhat short
in straw, but well podded. lleapingmachines have
bean very busy. Much of the grain having been
standing they wrought with ease ; now, however,
their use will not be so satisfactory, as the Contrary
breezes and rains have twisted about the stalks.
Potatoes bare improved in leaf, and it is to be hoped
in tuber also, their size hitherto having been small.
Where frosted down, a fresh growth of thick-set
ooats
p 3
shoots have come away; as yet the bulbs have
done little. Turnips are growing most vigorously,
and there is every likelihood, should frost keep
away, of their being a full crop. Pastures, which
were very bare, are improving. There is very little
goo.d
Any
portions aftermath,
ofthe the r e
new
d c clover
which have been sold, from their fine colour, have
brought better prices than old, while wheat of last
u
crop has been very difficult to sell at falling prices.
All sorts of stock are fetching fall rates, lean cattle
and lambs being very high.
rup of
barleyn t
corningor

The screw corvette Clio, 21, 1,470 tons, 400 horse
power, recently paid off into the third division of
the steam reserve squadron in the Medway, is to
undergo a thorough overhaul in order to ascertain
the defects existing in her engines and machinery
which have been placed under the charge of Mr. C.
Moore, chief engineer. The Clio is in the great
basin, and will, it is understood, be shortly taken in
hand in readiness to be recommissioned.

Admiralty instructions have been received at
Chatham for the screw sloop Fawn, 17, 100 horse
power, to be brought forward for commissios, to
relieve the Greyhound, 17, 200 horse power, on the
West India station.
A third trial of French and English armour-plates
took place at Portsmouth yesterday under the su-
pervision of Capt. A. C. Key, C. 8., commanding
her Majesty's ship Excellent. The range, as usual,
was 200 yards, and the projectile a cast iron 68
pound shot, the practice taking place afloat from
the Foam gunboat, against the plates fixed on the
side of the Monarch, old sailing liner. The plates
comprised four from the French firm of Petin, Gan-
tlet, and Co., two of 4-41- inches and the remaining
two of 54 inches; one from Messrs. John Brown
and Co., of Sheffield, for her Majesty's ship Agin-
court, of 51 inches; and one from the Millwall
Company, of 5-1 inches, the average length
of the whole being 15 feet, and their
breadth 3 feet 4 inches. Patin and Gandet's

two 41in. plates received six and seven shots re
spectively, and both proved to be of a very inferior
quality. They had both very extensive cracks
and separations of the metal, and showed cracks of
greater extent than has been done by the French-
made plates on any former trial. One of these two
plates struck full on the upper edge by a shot away
from any other indent, broke away the metal from
the main body in a semicircular form round the
blow to a bolt on the opposite side of the indent.
Another shot on the lower edge opened a triangular
crack across two other shot marks 3ft. Gin. in length.
The third shot fired at the second 41-inch plate
effected penetration in the centre of the plate, and
not in the vicinity of any other blow, the metal
broken away being driven into the ship's side 81in.
from the front of the plate, that is 41in. beyond and
clear of the back of the plate. The 5 in. plates
stood no better, considering the extra inch of metal.
One received ten shots, several of which were edge
blows, and opens the layers of the metal in an un-
usual manner, proving these plates, like the former
ones tested, to be of very inferior manufacture in
the welding. The metal was of good quality. This
plate was struck by three shots in a diameter of
13in., and in the centre of this space there were
very deep fissures with the iron driven into the
ship's side from the main body of the plate. The
second sin. French plate received eight shots—one
on the upper edge, striking, however, full on the
plate and away from other blows, broke out a semi-
circular piece, 27in. in length and 10in. in depth.
On the right extremity of this plate a crack ran
through three shot marks to the lower edge of the
plate, 3ft. Gin. in length. Mears. Brown's plate
stood until after its fifth shot, without giving sign
of a crack, but after that time a succession of blows
in two spots on its lower edge broke up the metal
in those places, as, indeed it could not well have
been otherwise under so unusual a pounding in two
particular spots. It received 12 shots in all. The
Millwall plate received 11 shots, more fairly dis-
tributed. A second unlucky blow on its right lower
corner broke through the metal. With this excep-
tion the plate came out of the trial satisfactorily.
Messrs. Brown's plate, and that of the Millwall
may be considered about equal, and as the best by
far of the six tested. The French plates proved to
be far below the average of " A 1 plates, and very
inferior indeed to the two first plates which were
tried at Portsmouth from the same firm. M. Gaudet,
who was present during the trials yesterday, ex-
pressed his astonishment at the results as regarded
his plates, and said that no such result had ever
attended any trial of them in France. Captain
Harrison, one of the members of the Iron-plate
Committee, was present during the firing, as were
also the respective representatives of the Millwall
Company and Messrs. John Brown and Co. The
uncertainty of the practice yesterday, owing to the
rough state of the weather, destroyed in a great
measure the interest which would otherwise have
been attached to the trials. Thus, Messrs. Brown's
received the majority of the shots directed against
it by mere chance in two particular spots, while
the shots on the Millwall plate were scattered.
Under these circumstances the comparisons required
between the two plates, which would have been of
great value, could not be drawn, and only approxi-
mate results could be arrived at. The same argu-
ment applies, of course, to the French plates, only
in their case their failure altogether to resist shot
enabled a more decided opinion to be formed. There
were upwards of 20 46 miss" shots yesterday, owing
to the movement of the gunboat, which fully ac-
counts for the uncertainty of the practice. All other
countries test their armour plates on land, the plates
under trial being on a fixed target and the gun
being also fired from an immovable platform. The
greatest possible accuracy of firing can be obtained,
and shots planted in each plate as they may be
wished, so that certainty can bo arrived at in any
comparisons which may be drawn between different
plates.
The Dutch screw steam corvette Vesuvius, Capt.
Pschotborg, yesterday arrived at the Motberbank
from the Texel for the Coast of Guinea. The com-
mander will be introduced to the Port Admiral and
o the Ocneral by Mr. L. A. Vandenberg, Consul
"or the Netherlands. When the weather moderates
:he Vesuvius will fill up coals and proceed to her

destination.
The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :—Staff Commander H.
Beehant, additional, to the Saturn ; ISub-Lient. A.
C. Harris, to the Liffey ; Sub-Lieut. L. Ching, to
the Edgar; W. D. Tennant has been nominated to
a naval cadetship; W. H. Brimfield, of the Wye,
confirmed as first-class assistantengineer ; and W.
H. Barker, of the Topaz°, promoted to acting first
class assistant-engineer.

BOYS DROWNLD.—Tviro lads, aged respectively
12 and 15 years, were drowned on Tuesday, whilst bathing
in a pond connected with the mill of Mr. Parker, flax
spinner, Hunslett, Leeds. The bodies were recovered, and
removed to the residence of their parents, to await the
inquest.

During the first six months of the present year
the number of letters scut through the Italian
Pcdt-uilleo was 17,133,023, being a diminution of 408,491
as compared with the same period in 1862. The number
of journals and printed papers was 11,039,052, showing an
increase of 4,653,624 compared with the first six months of
1862. The revenue derived from the Post-office during the
first half year of 1863 amounted to 75,666,551 fr,, against
61,767,323 fr. received in the first six months of 1862.
The wife of a farmer, named Lemonnier, residing
at Fumichon, near Eseardeuvilie (Eure) was found,
three days since, lying dead in the street a few steps from
her own house, having been murdered by heavy blows on
the back of the head with some blunt instrument. It was
immediately suspected that the person who committed the
crime was her own son, a man 33 years of ege, who had
been twice confined in a lunatic asylum, and had re•
cently exhibited symptoms of a relapse. This suspicion
soon became a certainty, for the gendarmes found the un-
happy man engaged in washing blood off his hands, and
near him lay a heavy stick bearing fresh marks of blood.
He was immediately secured and submitted to medical exa-
mination, which leit no doubt of his insanity.