The Sun.
London, England, 1834-10-02 00:00:00

AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

The weather during the first week of this month was
mostly rainy, which made it very unfavourable for the finish
of the few patches of barley that were left uncut at the
close of the last month—some from not being ripe owing to
late sowing, and others through the tardiness of the far-
mers ; as some would say " Leave it till to-morrow
which no good manager would do, as to-morrow is too
often put off, from necessity, for several days, which was
the case in this instance, and consequently much of it was
got in indifferently ; others must have been rendered en-
tirely useless for malting. Many fields of after-grass and
clover, which were cut at the same time, shared a similar
fate ; but since that period the weather has again been
most beautifully fine, thanks to a kind Providence, which
has enabled our neighbours north of the Tweed, as well as
the late and the tardy of this country, to bring their harvest
to a conclusion. There has also been a great7deal of clover
and after-grass made into excellent hay during the fine
weather. The various reports of the harvest, although
contradictory in some points, nearly all agree as to the good-
ness of the crops, particularly the wheat, which is not only
a plentiful crop, but has also been, with some few excep-
tions, housed in excellent condition. A small tract of
wheat was damaged in the early part of the harvest in one
or two of the home counties, consequently the sample
will be but indifferent, and the price of course must fol-
low accordingly, which must hold out but poor encou-
ragement to the farmer, as the best pricks even cannot
remunerate the growers ; and, as a Norfolk correspon-
dent justly asserts, "so languid and depressed are the
affairs of the once great source of our national prosperity,
that it no longer furnishes a subject nor a gleam of cheer-
ing interest to the cultivators of the soil, or a welcome
topic to the discriminating part of other branches of so-
ciety." Therefore, whilst the farmer is depressed, there
can be no wonder at the great number of labourers now
strolling about out of employ, nor is there any prospect of
employment during a long winter, which is now fast ap-
proaching. In addition to this distressing event, the har-
vest, both in hay and corn, never was got in with so little
expense ; for with the exception of the mowing, the labour
in other respects has been very small, according to former
seasons. This has been more confined to the southern dis-
tricts, and many of the western counties, than in the
counties of the north, and unless the rail-roads that are
now going. on should afford employment for some, it is be
feared that the workhouses, according to the new Act,
which is now on the eve of operation, will soon be filled to
an overflow. Notwithstanding the low price of wheat, as
exhibited in Mark-lane and every other corn market, the
price of bread has undergone no corresponding diminution.
The general quality of barley is rather rough, some is
coarse and stained, but no great deal in quantity, nor is it
injured much in other respects. Consumers are giving the
peryef;ertehnis dceotoesolndot lookmaltinwsteelladforofthtehattamrleaydegfrroowmersn.ewobaatrs-
lare a good crop, but it is supposed that a less quantity of
land was sown to that useful grain than in past years ; if so
it may augur well for Ireland. Beans, peas, and tares are
indifferently reported, and fall short of an average crop,
but old beans plentiful. The continuance of the favourable
weather, which has been experienced throughout the month,
has been most favourable to the general crops of turnips,
and are now at an unusual size at this early period, and
the latter sowings are increasing fast in bulb, particularly in
the most fertile soils, so that the bulk of winter food will be
considerable, as the cultivation is extensive, add to which
the abundant crops of aftergrass, with the luxuriant appear-
ance of cattle feed throughout the country.

Hop-picking commenced about the middle of the month ;
the market was opened on the 16th, and the supply was
great, many samples were sold at good prices ; the mer-
chants did not purchase largely, in expectation of lower
prices. New Kents are quoted at 120 to 160 per cwt., ditto
Sussex ditto, 105 to 120 per cwt. Duty is calculated as
follows :—Kent, 100,000/. ; Sussex, 45,000/. ; Worcester,
13,000/. ; Farnham, 8,000/. ; all England, 5,000/. ; total,
171,000/. The hops show well for a bright sample, but
complaints
are made of their weighing but lightly ; this may
be attributed to the short time in which the hops have had to
ripen ; be it so, in some grounds, and as a proof, some began
to pick, and discontinued again for some days, during which
suspension the weather continuing favourable, the hops still
made great improvement, and when the season became a
little more advanced, those complaints might have a little
subsided. From this latter circumstance of suspension from
picking, it is to be feared that the picking generally was
rather premature, the weather being so favourable for that
operation. The various sicknesses the hops had to con-
tend with through their juvenile progress was not perhaps
sufficiently considered when they were approaching their
last stage of perfection ; for in some plantations they not
only suffered once, but were twice almost destroyed by
vermin, and after all recovered in a way almost unequalled.
These grounds, however, have always been highly culti-
vated, and consequently could well afford to stand so great
a check. So much for good cultivation. An experiment
has been tried which I must not omit, as its success de-
serves to be particularly noticed and generally adopted ;
that is, the bines were much infested with a species of
flea, or fly, and all those branches where they appeared
were clipped off by shears. By this experiment the. plan-
tation, which was not expected to produce more than two
or three cwt. per acre, was then laid at from four to five
bags. In grounds situated near Coxlieath, some of the
individual hops were from two to three inches long, and
proportionably large ; this, however, is but a very rare case,
still curiosity is always alive to'noveltr, 'and such an instance
of length and size has not been equalled for many years.
The growth of hops this season, has afforded great room for
explanation, as so much variety, during their progress, but
seldom occurs, and after all, take the crop through, there will
be found more than an average one. Potatoes at present
yield variously. This valuable article of produce has also
passed through many changes in its growth. At times al-
most a failure was anticipated; again, after a few cheering
showers, an abundant crop soon became evident, and from
all accounts there is that appearance at this moment.
Wheat sowing is now pretty generally in operation, and the
seed goes in well upon the uplands. The heavier soils are
in excellent order. The state of the follows, almost every-
where as to cleanliness and freedom of grass and weeds,
has been but seldom excelled ; that is, where due attention
has been afforded to that most essential part of agriculture.
The bean stubbles were left extremely foul, owing the short-
ness of the haulm, but a finer season never was' known for
cleaning them, in every respect, and they are now in excel-
lent condition for receiving the seed, as soon as the culti-
vator has made up his mind to effect that operation.
Store pigs are still a drug, and scarcely saleable. Sheep
at the great Wilton fair, near Salisbury, 82,000 of all des-
criptions were penned, being many thousands more than
last year, and were all sold at an advance of two or three
shillings a head on the late fairs.

A letter from Besancon announces that the annual
fair for iron held in that town, which terminated on the 3d inst.,
was far from being so satisfactory as in former years. But
little business was done even at reduced prices. Cast iron,
which last year brought 235 f. per 1,000 kilogrames, fetched
only 230 f., and a portion remained unsold. The cause of the
fall is considered to be the conviction that, when the Cham-
bers meet again, the duties on foreign iron will be reduced.—
French Paper.

It has been repeatedly stated by Mr. Silvestre, jun.,
that trees soon died when their roots came into con-
tact with the remains of the roots of oak trees cut
down near them. This was supposed by some to be
owing to the action of tannin, while others maintained
that it was innocuous. M. Payen instituted direct ex-
periments on this subject. In order to observe the
influence of tannin, and to appreciate its effects com-
paratively with those of other agents, M. Payen placed
grains of wheat, rye, barley, oats, and maize, in con-
tact with equal quantities of the following liquids, and
all other circumstances were equal : Ist, aerated dis-
tilled water ; 2d, the same containing 0.01 of its weight
of a saturated solution of carbonate of soda ; 3d, the
same containing only 0.001 of its weight of the same
saturated solution of carbonate of soda ; 4th, a solu-
tion containing 0.001 of pure tannin ; sth, a solution
containing 0.001 of sulphuric acid : 6th, distilled wa-
ter saturated with lime. In the distilled water, in the
liquid containing 0.001 of solution of carbonate of
soda, and in the solution of tannin, germination took
place in the order stated ; in the other three liquids,
those containing 0.001 of acid, 0.001 of carbonate of
soda, and saturated with lime, germination did not
occur. The distilled water soon became slightly acid.
The development of the stalks, at first rather more ra-
pid than in the solution of 0.001 of carbonate of soda,
slackened comparatively with that which occurred in
the last liquor : when this was neutralized by the acid
excreted by vegetation, the original quantity of alkali
was added. In bitter liquids, the white roots and green
stalks were several centimetres long in a fortnight. In
the solution of 0.001 of tannin, all the radicals gra-
dually acquired a brown tint, and were but slightly and
imperfectly developed. The plumulte continued whit-
ish, but did not develop any green stalks ; there was
therefore a strongly marked obstacle to any further de-
velopment in this liquid. M. Payen concludes from
the preceding and other experiments, that—lst, Tan-
nin, even in small quantity, acts deleteriously on the
roots of certain plants : 2dly, Acids in small propor-
tions are hurtful to germination : 3dly, Alkalies in
small quantity are favourable to the progress of vege-
tation : 4thly, The saturation of the acidity developed
during germination hastens its progress and favours the
ulterior development. These experiments account for
one of the useful effects of lime, of vegetable ashes and
calcareous marl, and for the unfavourable influence of
alkalies used in too great quantity, or unequally distri-
buted.—Journal de Chimie Medicale.