The Sun.
London, England, 1839-08-05 00:00:00

AGRICULTURAL REPORT FOR

JULY.

The thunder storms of Sunday the 7th confirmed the
tendency to decided wet, for which these of June the 18th
had paved the way ; and from the former of those visita-
tions we may date the introduction of the periodical rains ol
the summer. July is usually a dripping season ; it is sel-
dom otherwise, unless the summer be peculiarly arid ; but
those rains admit of modifications, which render them per-
fectly consistent with finest summer weather.
We lament that we cannot congratulate our agricultural
brethren on that ground in the present retrospective report,
for a more decidedly gloomy and showery season is me
within our recollection, since the years 1828 and 1829
The land is soak ed,—poached with waters, yet still the rain
pours down with unrelaxed pertinacity, and we have now
another proof of the general correctness of the equinoctial
criterion.
All the storms of the present summer have been attended
with bail, a concomitant of a peculiar electric or magneto-
electric condition, which almost invariably predicts and
accompanies copious periodical rains. The temperature,
however, has been genial, though not high, and hence
vegetation is in the greatest activity; a season more pro-
pitious to the turnip and green fodder crops, is scarcely,
perhaps, in the memory of man ; but haymaking is cruelly
protracted, and much valuable bay is reduced to a lament..
able state of' decay. The mercury of the barometer h:s
wavered about the point called " changeable," that is, from
29.50 cents to 29.70 cents; and it still fluctuates midway
between these two points, while the wind wavers between
south and west, either boisterous in force, or calm to sul-
triness. Such a meteorological condition is depressing to
the nervous energy of the human frame, and equally so to
ti_se exertions of the husbandman. We are not, therefore,
to be surprised at the readiness with which the mind suc-
cumbs under gloomy anticipations.
This remark brings us at once to the present condition of
the corn crops. The effects produced by the wet weather
and low temperature of the four last days of June, have
been clearly discerned of late. About three weeks since
some ears of wheat were found to be entirely destitute of
grains, and among many of those which were well filled, a
few solitary husks, scattered dispersedly among the ears,
assumed that reddish tint which indicates the red gum.
Whenever a floret, so tinted, is opened, it is seen that
the grain has been starved, and its place partially sup-
plied by the orange fungus, which bears the above fami-
liar name. Under the microscope it appears like gluti-
nous connected masses of powdered amber. The wheat
was in full bloom at the period of low temperature,
in June, and received a decided check at that im-
portant stage ; but this was not all : the stamina, or at:
least their pollen, was washed off by the rain, and thus r
failed to impregnate the ovules. In such a condition the I
grains would, to a greater or less degree, become abortive ;
and the vital principle of the envelopes being paralyzed,
they would become the proper nidus and nutriment of the
fungus. It has been seen that some seeds occasionally
recover, and in that case the parasite perishes, for the
advance of the seed and the progress of the fungus seem
to be incompatible. We are instructed by the mischief
thus inflicted of the great importance of fine sunshine and
high temperature at the time of flowering ; that stage,
therefore, cannot be carried through too rapidly—it forms
one A f the critical periods of the wheat plant, for if im_
preguation be perfectly effected, the advance of the grain
is too decisive to permit any of its parasitical enemies to
flourish at its expense.
Notwithstanding this partial deterioration wheat is very
fine, and much earlier than at this time last year; it turns
rapidly, notwithstanding the absence of sun, and the fre-
quent recurrence of copious showers. We saw a field in
shock, near West Drayton, on the 26th ; and a friend,
just arrived from the Isle of Wight, informs us that he
observed some in sheaf in Surrey. Barley is looking ad-
mirably fine, lea will " fall over" if much more rain,
with wind, occur: we perceive a change in its colour. Oats
progress fairly—they are good, and some of the earliest
are being cut.
No complaints have reached us from quarters which arc
worthy of confidence ,• and of Scotland we are enabled to
report very favourably from direct authority, of a kind
which, to us, is undoubted. " Nothing," we were told a
few days since, by a Scotch gentleman, who had passel
through many hundred miles of the two kingdoms on tat
agricultural t0ur...." nothing could be more marked than
the contrast between the two seasons, 1838 aad 1839 ; the
former was all gloom, and to be compared only with 1816,
and as ruinous to the crops. The present year offers
every promise of abundance. And as to potatoes, of
which so much has been unadvisedly written of failure, the
fields were in a flourishing, healthy condition."
We may repeat that the green crops—turnips, clovrr,
tares, and what lucern we have seen, are extremely good ;
and nothing is wanting to complete " the joy of the
ha
tut
" the briet shining of the sun after the
anv.e,, s t,
May
that
blessing, with its assured result of abun-
dance, be accorded