The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-14 00:00:00

A.glicultural Prospects.

This week opened with a fine bright day, sunny,
with splendid white clouds, wind N.W., very un-
like the sth of November. This would be very
serviceable in drying the land and making it fit for
the reception of seed, as a continuance of such
weather would soon enable farmers to make a good
finish at last with their wheat sowing, while all those
who like to go into moist ground will this season
have their wishes gratified. Monday was a fair
day, but not so bright as the previous one, as at
times it was dull and threatening ; slight
rain falling in the evening, but with the night
fine ; wind N.W., thermometer 46 degrees,
barometer 3010 inches. Fair progress was
made with field work, particularly in the
lighter soils. On Tuesday the morning was
cold, but the day held up fair, but not fine, a slight
drizzling rain coming occasionally in the afternoon,
as at 5 p.m. more rain fell, and this was not so
favourable for the continuance of out-door work;
wind N.N.W., barometer 30.05, and falling. Our
advices from Northumberland on that day stated;:
—" The weather since our last report has been
unsettled, wind N. to N.W." In Kent, it was re-
marked on the same day :—" The change in the
weather, which has again become close, with a
steady downfall of rain, has affected the condition of
the samples brought out, checking the wheat sowing
in this country particularly, and this is so far unfortu-
nate for the farmers. On Wednesday it was appa-
rent that a good deal of rain had fallen in the past
night, but the day proved fine, and some progress
was again made in field work. Wind was round to
the N.N.E., drying the land serviceably. In Scot-
land the weather had turned frosty, more accep-
table still for drying the land. On Thursday morn-
ing the weather was fine, with slight rain at 1 p.m.,
and again at 5 p.m., but nothing to stop the pro-
gress of autumnal tillage ; wind remaining in a cold
quarter ; thermometer, 46 deg. ; barometer down to
29.85 in. From Surrey on that day our advices
state :—" Farmers are now sowing wheat broadcast
on land too wet to carry the seed drill, and on light
and
.dry soils wheat sowingis nearly finished." From
Warwickshire it was remarked—" The weather dur-
ing the week has been favourable for autumn sow-
ing and planting, which operations are now mostly
completed." From the interior of Suffolk it was
observed :—" The weather during the past week has
been generally fine, with some frost at night. On
mixed-soil land pretty good progress has been made
with planting, and a beginning has been made on
stiff heavy lands." From the same county, nearer
the coast, it was remarked :—" Wheat sowing pro-
gresses very slowly in this district, and it will be
unusually late ere it be completed." Friday was a
fine bright day, and great progress was made in all
directions with committing wheat to the ground ;
and although many growers consider it late, others
appears satisfied that they have had a good oppor-
tunity of getting on this week. One farmer from
Essex writes :—" By to-morrow I shall have com-
pleted five-sevenths of my wheat sowing, and shall
proceed to plough the remaining two-sevenths if the
present weather permits, during next week." From
Yorkshire, in the West Riding, it was stated :
" Weather continues fine, and sowing will now soon
be brought to a close with a week more such."
From the East Riding accounts represent that the
!mners have nearly come to a finish, and in a pretty
good state, with their wheat sowing. This work
completed, there will be more time for thrashing,
and better supplies of wheat may be looked for.
Farmers will be anxious to take advantage of the
recent improvement in value, and millers will be
careful in buying from this time forward up to
Christmas, well knowing that that is the most try-
ing time to make up rents and other heavy out-
goings of the farm. For the present, then, a calm
in the trade may be looked for as regards prices,
but ultimately a return to activity may be expe-
rienced from the result of the past harvest, and the
moderate imports of foreign grain anticipated.—
rlc-lane Express.

CONVICT PRISON. —Yesterday morning two convicts
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otriEnfiOnnFTr CONVICTS FROM PORTSMOUTH
day morning for the purpose of ascertaining that all was
right, he discovered that the prisoners had escaped. The
fact was at once reported to the governor, and on an exa-
mination of the ward being made, it was found that the
men, who were the only occupants of this ward, had cut
through the floor, and gained access to the messengers'
room, where it appeared there wore two uniform-coats,
which the convicts took with them. From the messengers'
room they passed into the stewards' quarters, and after-
wards scaled a wall, dropped into the street, and got clear
away. Throughout the whole of yesterday the neigh-
bourhood was scoured by the police and the officers of
the prison, and placards offering a reward for the appre-
hension of the convicts was issued, but up to the time
our pncel was despatched, only one of the men (Thomp-
son) had been apprehended. It appeared that about
two o'clock in the afternoon the man was observed
by a country policeman in the neighbourhood of Havant,
about nine miles from Portsmouth, wearing the coat he had
stolen, and with a handkerchief tied round his head. His
singular appearance attracted the notice of the policeman,
who challenged him, and the fellow at once pulled out a
knife, and threatened to murder the constable if he at-
tempted to arrest him. A struggle at once took place, and
at that moment a warder from the convict prison came up
and assisted in the man's capture, but during the struggle
the warder was wounded in the arm. The prisoner was,
however, overpowered and brought back to Portsmouth,
where he volunteered the statement that the other convict
was, according to his belief, still in the town.
A BOY BURNT TO DEATIL—Last evening Mr. w.
Payne, City coroner, held an inquiry at St. Bar-
tholomew's Hospital touching the death by fire of Richard
Gay, aged nine years. It appeared from the evidence that
the deceased was the son of humble parents residing at 4,
Trafalgar-buildings, City-road, and on Wednesday morn-
ing his mother went out to work, leaving him directions to
mind his two younger brothers, and to keep the fire in. An
hour afterwards he ran into the street shrieking, with his
night shirt in a blaze. Some young men tore off the burn-
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sannrd-
continued
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the hospital,
geon, and thence hospital, when he said that the
fire having gone out he proceeded to relight it, and so set
hirhself on fire. He was terribly burnt all over the body,
but he only spoke of the thrashing his mother would give
him for the destruction of his new shirt. He died on Fri-
day last from the severity of his injuries. The jury re-
turned a verdict of ".Accidental death by fire."
The planters of Cuba have
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addresseda
of memorialslave
to the Court in Madrid, asking
in the island,