The Sun.
London, England, 1865-09-05 00:00:00

Agricultural Prospects,

The week opened with a bright day, sunny and
calm, very warm. Monday morning was thick and
foggy ; at 7 a.m. drizzling rain set in, and it was a
close muggy day. No harvest work could be pro-
ceeded with. Tuesday proved a fine dry day, and
much work was accomplished. Our advices received
with that day's date were—from the West Riding
of Yorkshire :—" On Saturday we had a very fine
harvest day, and a good deal of corn was got to-
gether in fine order. Sunday was a very brilliant
day, but there came on some heavy rain on Monday
morning, which stopped all sorts of harvest work.
To-day is a fine day; and if it continue fine to-night
and to-morrow, a great deal of corn will be got to-
gether in fine order." Another account from the same
district, speaking of the root crops, says :—" Notwith-
standing the heavy rains, the fly is still making sad
work among the gardens ; turnips and mangolds are
likely to suffer from it." The same day, from the
East Riding, it was remarked :—" The bulk of the
corn in this district still remains unhoused. Yester-
day heavy rani fell the most of the day, and the
weather has still an unsettled appearance. A good
deal of damage has already been done, and besides
the harvest being procastinated, the wheat crop is
likely to turn out deficient, both as regards quantity
and quality." Wednesday proved a fine breezy
day, and everywhere the farmers, were on the alert
to cart and secure every description of corn still re-
maining in the fields through the earliest counties.
From Lincolnshire, it was stated, " The weather
since this day se'nnight has been of a variable cha-
racter, and a good deal of wheat in this district has
been housed in very poor condition." On the west
coast of Scotland the advices state :—"IVe have had
much rain from Sunday to yesterday, since when it
has been dry." On the east coast it was remarked :
—" Although we have occasionally had heavy rains
during the past week, on the whole there has been
improvement. In the Lothians a large extent is cut,
but only a small portion as yet is secured. Thurs-
day was a fine day, threatening, however, towards
night, but no rain fell." Our advices from War-
wickshire on that day stated :—" Weather here has
been fine since Thursday, with the exception of Sun-
day night and Monday, when we had heavy rain for
a few hours. The ingathering of the harvest has
made very considerable progress, but opinions differ
widely as to the damage sustained by the crops.
Our own is, that the wheat harvest is fully an
average in quantity. The quality we believe to
be very inferior, to the extent of about one-half ;
nevertheless, the bulk is there, and will only
require a liberal admixture of foreign or old
English to make it usable by millers." From
Hertfordshire on that day it was stated :—" Most
of the corn in this district is now ingathered, but
much, we fear, in a condition unfit for market."
From the interior of Suffolk, it was stated :—" Since
last week we have had more favourable weather,
and good progress has been made towards comple-
tion of harvest, although some quantity of barley has
been hastily carted, and has gone to stack in poor
condition." From the same county, near the coast,
it was remarked—" Since my last we have had no
rain, save a light misty shower on Monday, which
hung about the corn like glue. The wheat crop un-
doubtedly is in ' Queer-street.' Our northern mil-
lers cannot at present realise the general condition
and quality of our new wheat ; but the total cessa-
tion of shipment for some few weeks will practically
convince them." From Berkshire our advices state
I —" The wheat is nearly all carried in our neighbour-
hood ; but more barley and oats have yet to be got
together, and we expect to see a great deal of corn
of all descriptions come to market in bad condition."
Friday was a fine and favourable day, and harvest
work progressed favourably in the northern districts.
From the West Riding of Yorkshire it was said—
" Since I wrote you on Tuesday the bad weather has
baen everything that could be desired for the in-
gathering of the corn, and great progress has been
made, and some very good dry samples of both
Yorkshire wheat and barley have been shown to-
day. A few days more of fine weather, and nearly
all will be cleared in very good order, and from what
I can learn in much better condition than in the
south." Another account from the same quarter
states—" Since Tuesday we have had fine working
weather, and the carrying of grain has proceeded
rapidly, and we have to-day had several lots of
new wheat offering from this locality, the quality
and condition fair." From Surrey, neighbour-
hood of Godalming, our correspondent says :
" Our harvest is all but completed in this locality,
and since Monday it' has been well done, but last
week very badly." From Devonshire :—" Harvest