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

At the close of the first week of August about
an inch of rain fell, which was of immense benefit
to all the crops. Dry weather set in end con-
tinued, with only the slightes'; showers, .until the
2.5 th. A vary considerable fall, amounting to
about two inches, has since taken place, and the
lying uncut corn has scarcely been quite dry. As
vet the total rain fall for the month amounts to
two inches and nine-tenths. Some corn was cut
about the 10th, 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, but 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 are early, somewhat short
in straw, but well podded. Reaping machines have
been very busy. Much of the grain having been
standing they wrought with ease; now, however,
their use will not be so satisfactory, as the
contrarye,
breezes and rains have twisted about the stalks.
Potatoes have 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
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
good aftermath, the red clover not coming
up. Any portions of the new crop of barley or oats
which have been sold, from their fine colour, have
brought better prices than old, while wheat of last
crop has been very difficult to sell at falling prices.
All sorts of stock are fetching full rates, lean cattle
and lambs being very high.

EAST LOTHIAN.

The weather was most favourable for maturing
and also for harvesting the crops until the 26th of
last month. It was wet on Wednesday morning,
and on Thursday and Friday an immense quantity
of rain fell. The two succeeding days were fair,
but it rained the greater part of yesterday very
heavily ; however, this day is more promising. The
total fall of rain for August amounts to the large
quantity of (4.5)41 inches, of which 3 inches have
fallen since Wednesday last. It is to ba hoped it will
now continue fair for a time, as with wet weather
for a short time longer, the damage that will accrue
to the outstanding grain must be enormous. Con-
siderably more than half the corn crops in the county
are at present in the sheaf, and just in the position
to be injured, if not destroyed, by wet. In the
lower district of the county reaping commenced
early in the month, and might be general about
the middle of it. On some farms cutting is already
finished, but it will take another week to bring it
generally to a close, and even then there will be
stray fields of spring wheat uncut. Very little has
been dose in carting home the grain; o❑ most farms
not above two or three stacks have been secured.
The grain crops have cut up even better than was
anticipated. Wheat and barley are particularly
fine crops ; while oats, which were generally con-
sidered inferior, have proved much thicker on the
ground than they appeared to do when growing,
and in some instances are even tall in straw; they
have a fine head, and if they do not prove a full
average crop, they will he very near it. Some of

the earliest fields of beans are already cut; the pods
are closely set, and the seeds well ripened.
Altogether, the grain crops are considered the
mast abundant grown for many years, if they were
only safely secured. The samples of new cats and
barley shown in Haddington market have been of
fine quality and great weight, oats running from 43
to 4411 b. per bushel, and barley from 56 to 801 b.
per bushel. If there is an immediate change to fine

weather, the rai❑ may prove not to have
been injurious to the quality of the grain be-
yond darkening the colour of the oats and barley,
while it must be most beneficial to the turnip crop,
the grass and the potatoes, all of which stood much
in need of moisture. There is a large breadth of
inferior turnips in the county, but there is now a
prospect of their making great improvement.
Though there have been fewer hands than usual in
search of harvest work the supply has exceeded the
demand, from the general use of reaping machines.
Wages hitherto have been 93. per week, with vie_
tuals. As the grain has been generally standing,
reaping-machines have done work well, and the corn
is much more neatly handled than it used to be in
olden times.