The Sun.
London, England, 1848-09-06 00:00:00

HOP INTELLIGENCE.
MAIDSTONE.—We have some better accounts of the
hops, as the late few warmer days, where they are
kindly, have improved them a little. The backward
hops are still backward, and will no doubt remain so.
The mouldy ones aro more mouldy, and will be worth
little or nothing, indeed, no wise man will pick them.
Hops soon after their first appearance look better than
at any other time. They do not show the incipient
disease, which appears as they ripen— thus they are
overlaid. Comparing the different accounts given by
our correspondeats, our conclusion is that the crop must
fall short, and that it will prove a very inferior one,
though at one time it looked well. When the picking
commences then the shortness of the crop will be felt.
FARLEIGH, YALDING, AND CHART.—There is an ap-
parent improvement iu the plantations, but it is a ques-
tionable whether it will prove to be real.

MERE WORTH AND PECKHAM—The fine warm weather

last week has very much improved the hops. Some of
the grounds are looking very bright and fine, but some
are very mouldy, scarcely worth picking. The picking
will commence in about a fortnight.
ULCOMDE.—We have a decided improvement where
the mould has not taken too much hold, but still the
hops will be short and the picking late; it will com-
mence here from the 17th to the 20th.

NV ROMAN, SHIPCORNE, AND IG HTH A Til.—The fine
weather of the few past days has caused great improve-
ment in good grounds, but there is very considerable
mould, perhaps iu Wrotham alone 40 acres that will
never be picked.

SEVENOAKS.—We have to report a decided improve-
ment in the hop plantations since our last, the four or
five sunshiny days of the past week having done much
for the plant, and caused the hop to come away much
freer. Still, at places there is a large proportion of
mould, and decidedly on the increase. We have several

gardens in this parish looking beautiful, particularly one
immediately adjoining the town, belonging to Mr. 'nigh,
of the Rose and Crown Inn, which is a perfect picture,
and seven acres of which are laid at eight tons. There
are several other good pieces ; but " below the bill," on
the wet cold clay, the bine is weak and the hops do not
grow out well. A continuance of this fine weather would
do wonders.
CIIEVENING.—SeveraI pieces in this parish are looking
remarkably well. There is a small amount of mould, but
" nothing much to signify." _ _

BitAsiED.--The upland hops are looking well; a little
mould and in the exposed parts not recovered from
the battering they got a fortnight ago, still they improve
daily.

611IDDINGSTONE.—Except in a few favoured situa-
tions, the bine is poor, and the natural consequence, the
hop still hangs in burr, although the last few days has
done much for them.
linvErn—Rather better; the mould, however, is mak-
.

ing considerable strides at places.
CRANUROOK.—The hops in the healthy grounds are
coming into hop very fast during the past week, with
good promise, while those on the weak and unkind
grounds can do but Ii tle. Upon the whole, we shall be
short of last year, say ene•fourth.
GOUDH URST.-The hops are in a very precarious state,
and the prospect is very unfavourable, and the opinion
is that the duty is very much too high.
ROCHESTER.—The hops in this neighbourhood have
considerably improved within the last few days.
WiLmiNcToN.—The hops of Mr. George Russell here
are looking splendid, and promise a full crop. They are
laid at eight bags per acre.—Maidstone Journal

ETCHINGS BY HER MAJESTY AND THE PRINCE
CONSORT.—The great interest which every loyal and
affectionate subject of her Majesty cannot fail to feel in
all that relates to works of art executed by the !Queen
and his Royal highness Prince Albert, induces us to re-
fer to one of the most interesting collection of etchings
which ever came under our notice ; the whole of which
have been executed by her Majesty and the Prince
Consort. We understand that this perfectly unique col-
lection will shortly be exhibited to the public, and thus
enable the whole nation to form an opinion of her
Majesty's and the Prince Consort's great merits in a
branch of the fine arts in which it is so diffitult to excel.
That both the Queen and the Prince rank very high in
this department of art, their united and separate produc-
tions (nearly 100) most amply testify. This collection
(commencing with the two first specimens both of her
Majesty and his Ito.) al Highness Prince Albert) em-
braces portraits of the Prince Consort, the Prince of
Wales, the Princess Royal, and of other members of the
royal family and personal friends of the Sovereign, many
of which were drawn by her Majesty from life, and
afterwards transferred to copper, and most admirably
etched by the Queen and his Royal Highness. It also
contains portraits of the favourite dogs of the Queen, and
the Prince, taken by the royal artists from life • etchings
from many old and rare engravings in the 'lt llsessiona
her Majesty; several from the original designs of the
Queen and his Royal Highness, representing warriors,
the heads of animals and birds, and historical and do-
mestic subjects; and a variety of interesting works (some
from original drawings by Landseer and other esteemed
artists); the whole being
of a character which cannot
fail to interest all loyal subjects, when it is considered
that the entire series are the result of the artistic labors
of her Majesty and of the Prince Consort. All of these
works contain the autographs of the Queen or the Brince
(as they are respectively executed),
with the dates when
they were finished. two first etchings (which, as
their very earliest efforts, indicate considerable judgment
and skill on the part of
her Majesty and His Royal
Highness), both have date, "Aug. 28th, 1840. There
are several portraits of the Princess Royal, taken from
life
by her Majesty, previously to her being weaned;
and, up to a more mature period, represented her Royal
highness in the arms of her nurse, playing and rolling
on the carpet with her doll and other toys, amusing her-
self with the Prince of Wales, and pourtraying other do-
mestic and interesting scenes in the royal nursery. Some
of the heads executed by the Prince Consort are of a
very Rembrandtish character, partaking greatly of the
spirit, boldness, and freedom of the etchings of that cele-
brated artist. We may have time again to refer to this
royal and interesting collection.—Berkshire paper.
SOUTHAMPTON, TUESDAY EVENING.—The Arne-
rican steam-ihip United States having proceeded as far
as the Stilly Isles, sustained some slight damage to
her machinery, and has returned here to have it made
good.