The Sun.
London, England, 1851-11-28 00:00:00

THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS
IN SCOTLAND.
During the last two weeks the temperature has un-
dergone sudden and rapid changes. An occasional
mild day has intervened, but the weather has gene-
rally been cold, wet, and ungenial for this season of
the year. A few days of frost in the beginning
of last week were followed by heavy rains, while
upon the high-lying districts there has been a
slight fall of snow. The severe frost experienced
last week was the means of checking vegetation, and
the shaws of the turnip crop are now so broken down
that the bulbs may be regarded as having reached
their maximum growth for the season. The breadth
of land cleared of turnips, we may mention, exceeds
that of almost any previous season, which has arisen
principally from the desire to sow the land with
wheat, and there is certainly a greater breadth sown
with that grain this season than usual. Fattening
stock has been making rapid progress where pro-
perly sheltered ; most farmers having been com-
pelled to add a portion of their potato crop along
with the turnip. This, in connexion with the
more general system of giving corn and oil-
cake along with turnip, will soon be felt in the
supply of the fat markets. The prices obtained
for lean stock have meanwhile checked the over-
abundant supply of fat in our markets, and the
present rates of sd. per lb. for beef and mutton
exceed the rates of the last nine months by about ld.
per lb. The accounts regarding the keeping of the
potato in pits are somewhat contradictory. It has
been found, we believe, that where the crop was late
in being dug the disease has not progressed much if
any in the pits; while in the case of those which
were pitted early, and to all appearance free of the
taint, the disease has made considerable havoc
among them. The crop, particularly in the
eastern districts of England as well as Scot-
land, was upon the whole extremely prolific,
and this will so far counteract the extent of
the failure, which will upon the whole reach nearly
to one-half of the entire crop. Upon the western
side of the island the crop did not reach an average,
while in most instances three-fourths of it have
become unfit for human food. This failure has
caused a brisk demand for such potatoes as are com-
paratively free of taint; and for several weeks back
a large trade has been going on in the Lothians
in purchasing potatoes for the western markets
and also for Ireland. Last week, along the Fife
coast, several vessels were loaded for Irish ports—the
prices obtained in Belfast and Dublin exceeding those
got in London ; as much as from 16s. to 2.05. per boll
of 4 cwt. being readily obtained for those of good
quality in Dublin. In the western districts of Ireland
we understand the prices are more moderate, the peo-
ple preferring purchasing Indian meal. The present
prices in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh range
from Bs. to 105. per boll of 4 cwt.; but from the great
demand, and also from the fact that potatoes are
cheaper here than they are either in Belgium or Ger-
many, the present prices are expected to advance.
The last accounts from the shipping ports in Belgium
and Germany quote potatoes as high as 13s. to 15s.
per 4 cwt. There will therefore be few imported from
the Continent to check the present upward tendency
of the British markets.—Scotsman.

SACRILEGE.—On Monday night Christ Church,
Horton, was entered, and the alms chest forced open. As
the contents had been removed in the previous week, the
thief probably took but a small booty.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, Nov. 27.

(Nisi Prius Sittings for Middlesex, before Lord Chie:
Justice JERVIS )
SCHREGER U. CHALLIS AND ANOTHER.

This was an action of trespass brought by the plain-
tiff, a German, who is a dealer in fancy articles, against
the defendants, who were the Sheriffs of Middlesex, for
seizing a carved ivory cup cover, valued by the plaintiff
at 35L, under a writ of execution against the goods of
another person. The defendants paid 101. into court,
and pleaded that the plaintiff had not sustained greater
injury.
Mr. Sergeant Wilkins and Mr. Robinson were Coun-
sel for the plaintiff; and Mr. Bramwell, Q.C., and Mr.
Qusin, for the defendants.
From the evidence it appeared that the articles in
question included a cup cover, which consisted of a
group of six deer carved, with the exception of the cen-
tral stag, and one of the loins of another stag, out of a
solid piece of ivory, by Schultz, a German artist of
great reputation. These articles belonged to the plain-
tiff, and were deposited by him for sale with a person
named Brooks, in Regent-street, and were seized some
time ago by Sloman, the defendants' officer, under a
writ of fi. fa. against Brooks. Upon application for
them, and proof that they were plaintiff's property,
Sloman was willing to give them up; but some of tke
deer had been broken by the rough handling of the
sheriffs' officers, and thereupon the plaintiff refused to
take them back, or to receive the compensation tendered
him, and brought the present action. Mr. Rogers, an
ivory carver, and Mr. Thomas, a sculptor, employed in
the new Houses of Parliament, deposed that, in their
judgment, the carving was a rare work of art, and was
welt worth 301. Mr. Straight, a dealer in such articles,
deposed that he thought it was worth from 151. to 20/.
At the close of the plaintiff's case,
Mr. BaAmWELL submitted that the plaintiff must be
non•suited, it not having been proved that Sloman was
the officer of the defendants, or that the cup produced
bad been seized by him milder the execution. Ho cited
and relied on the case of Story v. Challis, 9 Exchequer,
and 20 Law Journal Reports.
Mr. Sergeant WILKINS, on the other hand, submitted
that by the payment of money into court the defendants
admitted that Slowman was their officer, and further
that there was sufficient evidence to go to the jury of the
identity of the article.
The LORD CHIEF JUSTICE, however, decided that
the objection was a valid one.—Plaintiff nonsuited.