The Sun.
London, England, 1870-09-13 00:00:00

THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.

Now that harvest work has been brought to a conclusion,
and a fair proportion of the grain secured has been
threshed out, it is more easy, the Magnet says, to verify
the correctness of opinions entertained a short time
previously of the probable extent of the yield. From
most parts of the country the accounts are very
favourable, and threshing operations have mostly
resulted in an agreeable surprise. It is
estimated that about 3,800,000 acres were
placed under wheat last year. Putting the average yield
as low as 30 bushels per acre, we shall have secured 141
millions of quarters, being an excess of two millions over
last year's crop, and falling short of the quantity re-
quired for home consumption by about seven million
quarters. The barley crop also has improved upon
nearer acquaintance,
.and it is now ascertained. The
yield will not fall far short of the average, if indeed it
does not come up to it—in Scotland it is believed to be
the crop of the season. Oats have yielded more freely
than was expected, but the return is from 10 to 15 per
cent. below the average. Beans are very deficient, and
barely half a crop ; but peas show but little depreciation
in the yield. Roots continue to look well, the late rains
having enabled them to obtain a fresh start. The
pastures and meadow lands have slightly improved in
appearance, but the quantity of grass is still very small,
and the saying that cheap bread makes dear meat, will
doubtless be realised during the coming winter.

Bell's Messenger says :—Thrashing operations have been
retarded through the heavy rains, though the quantity of
new English wheat sent forward to the London and the
various local markets has been moderately ex-
tensive. The rain, however, has had one good effect
in improving the pastures, which now afford a fair
bite for the stock, and shew a much better prospect of an
aftermath than has up to this time prevailed. Still the
condition of the grass lands is the worst feature in the
agricultural year, and threatens to send up the price of
meat to an extravagant figure. It is surprising
that the root crops have not suffered to a greater extent
than they have done, considering the dry character of the
season we have experienced. As a fact, however, there
are very fair prospects of a good average root crop in many
districts, particularly on strong and heavy lands, where
swedes, turnips, and mangolds promise well. Even
potatoes are free from disease, and the expectations of a
good return have improved with every shower of rain.
The rains which fell copiously for the first three days of
last last week very materially improved the appearance of
the meadows, but some grass farmers who were
discontented with the prospects of their crops actually
left them to be cut at this late and unpropitious time,
and so lost in quality as well as quantity by the delay.
As regards wheat, the war being wholly on the side of
the Prussians, and our supplies of new English
quality as well as of foreign being plentiful, we
have further given way in value about 2s. per quarter,
and the total absence of all speculative spirit may for a
time keep this grain unduly depressed. But we have
accounts from Germany that the outstanding crops have
suffered materially from continued rains and the want
of tufficient hands, and this may change the present
political blockade of the Prussian ports into a csm-
mercial one, as we advance in the season. But peace
itself, under a complete change of Government in
France, may not be so near as once expected ; and if
anarchy and a revenge of the invasion should be the pre-
dominating forces, there is no telling how scarce food may
become, not only in France, but throughout Europe.—
Magnet.

THE. STORM AT LIVERPOOL. - The strong
westerly winds which prevailed at Liverpool on Thursday
and Friday developed into a gale on Friday night. The
barometer fell very rapidly during the afternoon, and in
the evening strong westerly squalls, accompanied with
rain, blew frequently. About one o'clock on Saturday
morning the sky was everywhere overcast with thick
black clouds, sailing along at a great rate, and a fresh gale
was blowing from W.N.W. Tremendously heavy rain
followed, but there was little abatement of the wind until
mid-day on Saturday. It was high water a little
before noon on Saturday, and at that time the mouth of
the river presented a very wild appearance, white breakers
rolling into Bootle Bay with immense force. There was
such a heavy sea on the bar that the pilot of the West
India and Pacific Company's screw steamer Australia,
outward bound, after reaching Crossby Point de-
clined to take the vessel over the bar, and
she was prudently brought - back to the Sloype.
The Inman screw steamer City of Baltimore, for Halifax
and Boston, and the Allan screw steamer North Ameri-
can, for Quebec, did not go to sea until the night's tide.
Indeed, the Cunard mail steamer China, which left the
river at half-past ten o'clock for New York, was the only
heavily-laden foreign bound steamer that ventured to go
to sea. The Isle of Man paddle steamer Douglas
sailed from the Prince's stage at one o'clock,
when it was still blowing very hard, for Douglas.
Communication with Holyhead by the Mersey Docks
and Harbour Board telegraph was interrupted west of
Hilbre Island during Saturday, and a heavy mist pre-
vailed in the early morning. During the forenoon - the
glass rose rapidly, the sky cleared about two, and the
afternoon was comparatively fine. The storm while it
raged did not lash the river so violently as has been
sometimes the case, and the ferry steamers ran to time
as usual. Some slight damage occurred in Liverpool,
such as the blowing in and the smashing of windows, the
'unseating of chimney pots, and the like.—Liverpool
Courier.

The discount market has been very quiet to-day. Capital
has been freely offered, and three months' paper has been
readily taken at 21 per cent.
The steamers which left New York on Saturday took
out £160,000 in specie for Europe.
The liquidators of the Western Band of Scotland, which
stopped 13 years ago, and caused wide-Ppread ruin, have
just issued a report, proposing that a sum of £8,448 should
be paid to any one who may be disposed to assume the
nominal outstanding liabilities of £24,611, so as to free
the bank, in which case estimated assets will be available
for a return of £53,01 to the contributories.

LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE.-MONDAY.

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