The Sun.
London, England, 1847-08-10 00:00:00

THE WEATHER AND CROPS.

SOMERSET.—The weather was never more propi-
tious for the growing crops of wheat and barley than
it is now; the wheat never made greater progress to-
wards maturity than it has done at present ; and
should the weather continue fine for the harvest, the
produce will not only be of excellent quality, but
also abundant in quantity. Reaping has partially
commenced in some districts in this neighbourhood,
and in the course of this week it will become pretty
general. In the early districts the barley crops are
excellent, on good barley soils, and will, in general,
be early to harvest ; many farmers have already com-
menced cutting. The bean crops are almost a total
failure, been completely cut up by the fly, and in
many instances farmers have had them mown, not
considering them worth anything but litter for their
cattle. The early potatoes prove an abundant crop,
and are quite free from disease, but the late crops are
in want of rain ; we have, however, no complaint of
disease amongst them.
HEREFORDSHIRE. The Hereford Times says,
" reaping will commence in several of the forward
situations in the course of a few days. The cereals
have escaped the blight fly. Cloud, of' these flies are
seen in the atmosphere, and cover the wayfarers ;
while vegetation presents a picture of filth which
would be incredible if not witnessed. The hops, the
beans, and the pease partially have been destroyed by
this all-devouring insect, while in the garden, flowers
and vegetables are alike, and almost indiscriminately
covered by them; the potato is an exception, the
haulm being free and looking healthy and vigorous.
The hay harvest is drawing to a close; generally, the
crop is 25 per cent. lighter than it was last year."
LEWES.—Some early pieces of white wheat are
under the sickle. We are not without rust and red
gum, but they do not appear to be extensive. Oats
and barley promise unusually large crops. Pease
are good. Beans a good deal blighted, but this did
not make its appearance until too late to lessen the
yield materially.
READlNG.—Although symptoms of blight made an
appearance about a month since in some of the fields,
we are happy to hear that the thunder storms and rain
that prevailed at that period destroyed that pernicious
agent, and the wheat generally recovered from the
attack. We think that in the neighbourhood of
Reading there might have been some of the finest
crops of wheat that it is possible to conceive, and the
yield must be a good one. The barley in this neigh-
bourhood could not ,possibly look finer, and a con-
siderable quantity has yielded to the scythe during
the week, and we have heard instances where the
corn was carried almost as soon as it was cut, it being
in such prime condition. On the hills in Oxford-
shire, which is generally a forward country, we have
heard that the principal part of the barley has been
cut and carried, and that the crops are very luxuriant.
The crop of oats, we are informed, is not likely to be
so productive as that of other grain, but of that of
beans and peas there is nothing to complain, at least
in this neighbourhood.—Berkshire Chronicle.
THE POTATO BLIGHT AT FARINGDON.—The pota-
toes within the last fortnight have shown symptoms of
decay—the vines are withering and turning black,
and many in taking them up find the greater portion
in a state of decay.—Berkshire Chronicle.
THE HARVEST AT NEWEURY.—Reaping has gene-
rally begun, but very unfavourable reports of partial
blight are current. At Beedon we hear there are
many acres which will scarcely pay for reaping, and
in other places the same disease has been observed,
though to a smaller extent. We had one very fine
sample of new wheat at this market, for which 755.
was asked, but ultimately 665. was accepted.—Berk-
shire Chronicle.
During the past week we have had excellent
weather, the effect of which upon the growing crops
has been highly beneficial. Both wheat and barley
in several places are beginning to assume the yellow
hue which indicates the approach of harvest. Pota-
toes still show no symptom of the disease which de-
stroyed them last year, and the greatest confidence is
entertained that the crop is safe. On Friday we were
shown some growing potatoes, the seed of which was
partly foreign, partly English, and partly of very
small potatoes gathered out of a field where the crop
was almost entirely destroyed, and the plants grown
from the latter had not only the best appearance, ha",
on examination, the roots presented the largest tubers.
Yesterday afternoon rain commenced to fall about
four o'clock, and, with the exception of a short inter-
val, it rained till we went to press.—Glasgow Argus,
With the exception of a little rain in the foregoing
part of the week, the weather has been uninter-
ruptedly fine, and its salutary effects are already
being noticed in the rapid ripening of the corn crop.
Wheat, however, we are sorry to state, has been at-
tacked by a small yellow-coloured insect, which af-
fects it in the same manner as caterpillars do currant
bushes. The name by which it is known is " mag-
got." Potatoes in this locality continue favourable,
but remain nearly stationary in price. The markets
are, to the joy of the working classes, and the dis-
may of the corn speculators, slowly but surely de-
clining.—Renfrewshire Advertiser.
PROLIFIC OATS,—There was last week plucked
from a field on the farm of Megray, two heads of oats
—the full shot pickles on each of which numbered
respectively 226 and 227. The field, which is situ-
ated on Mr. Macdonald's sub-contract of the Aber-
deen Railway, had been covered with earth from ex-
cavations in the neighbourhood, and is sown with
tares and oats.—Stonehaven Journal.
Eight days ago the cisterns of the sky opened in
Dunscore, for the space of twelve or more hours ;
while not a drop reached the lower section of the vale
of Nith. A little earlier, Ayrshire, Galloway, Cum-
berland, Westmoreland, and the three Lothians, as
we understand, were all more or less plentifully wa-
tered ; and we need hardly add that, disappointed as
our home cultivators have been, they begrudge not
in the case of others whatever concerns so much
the general good.
One consequence of the drought has been to hasten
the ripening process, perhaps, on thin soils, prema-
turely; so that the harvest is not only close at hand,
but will be little, if at all, behind last year. In Kirk-
mahoe, Holywood, Closeburn, Glencairn, &c., gra-
velly knolls may be seen dotting fields which have
became brown rather than ripe, the produce of which
will prove of little value when passed from the
thrashing mill to the fanners.
EARLY HARVEST.—The barley harvest commenced
at Rathen, on Monday the 2d instant, upon two
different patches, one belonging to John Bernie, Con-
craigs, and one belonging to William Cumming,
Upper Muirycrook. The crops, in this district, will
be about a fortnight or three weeks later, in general,
than last year, but they are all very promising ; in
the meantime, the potato crop is looking remarkably
well, and no appearance of disease as yet.
That this is " fine filling weather," is the remark
in the mouth of every one. The drought of last
week has been succeeded by moisture this week. On
Saturday there were heavy showers, and almost
every day since more or less rain has fallen. On
Thursday it rained heavily for some time. This
change has been of great benefit to the late sown
turnips and to pastures, which were suffering severely
from want of moisture. Harvest has partially com-
menced, and may be expected to become general
about the 16th. Reapers might be seen at work
yesterday at Liberton, Mains, Blackford, and Loch-
end, all in the immediate vicinity of Edinburgh ;
and we understand barley has already been cut at
Broxhurn, Dalkeith, and Prestonpans. There was
new barley in Edinburgh market on Wednesday
(from East Lothian), and also in Dalkeith on
Thursday. The quality was said to be good, but it
was very raw in condition. A gentleman who
lately made a run through Fife (by Kirkcaldy and
Auchtermuchty) to Strathearn and Perth, assures us
that the planting of potatoes along that line of road
seemed confined to cottage gardens and a ridge here
and there, and he was assured that many of the
Perthshire farmers, who were wont to be large
growers, have this year planted only a few roods
each.—Scotsman.
STORNOWAY, AUG. 2.—The crops around this
locality are looking beautiful ; the barley is colouring,
and vies in luxuriance with any we have seen in
Easter or Wester Ross. The potato crop is, as yet,
free from disease, and promises an abundant return ;
and the turnips are, in general, far advanced.
GrLasGow.--We have had a continuance of very
excellent weather for perfecting the crops. There
have been occasional slight showers, with the sky
generally slightly overcast. In early districts har-
vesting has commenced, and the crops are abundant,
and of excellent quality. Potatoes are still safe, and
all the efforts of alarmists have not produced any
symptoms of disease. Some fields were partially
affected for a few days, but they have fully recovered,
and though there may have been partial blights in
some places—as there are every year—nothing ap-
proaching to the fatal disease of the last two years
has made its appearance. The price of grain is now
comparatively low ; but potatoes will not be cheap,
as they are comparatively scarce. They sell here for
about 10d. a stone.—Glasgow Examiner.

KINCARDINESHIRE.—This is the period when the
most conflicting accounts of the crops appear in the
newspapers ; and it is impossible in a local report to
present even an epitome of the whole. 11 ith no pre-
tensions to superior knowledge in estimating the
weight of the crops, we are decidedly of opinion, that
as regards this county, the appearance (with one
exception—the year 1815) has not been superior for
forty years past. The oats are generally thin on the
ground, but the ear is of great length, which may go
far to make up for the want of plants. That blight
in some shape or other does to a certain extent exist,
in various localities, on the wheat as well as on the
peas and beans, will not be denied by any person who
has minutely examined them ; but when was the
season that the aphis, or green fly, did not make its
appearance ? The potatoes, there is too much reason
to fear, in several districts, have been attacked by
last year's fatal disease ; but it has not spread iirthe