The Sun.
London, England, 1869-02-11 00:00:00

THE WEATHER.

Lord Frederick Cavendish writes from Eastbourne
that his thermometer rose at two o'clock on Satur-
day to 80 in the sun. In Yorkshire the farmers are
crying out terribly. They say that during a whole
year past the weather has been entirely wrong. A
remarkably mild winter in 1807-08, followed by an
open spring, a blazing summer of five months, a
rainfall greatly below the average for the first nine
months, and very much above it for the last
three months, giving nearly a total average, were the
great features of 1808. The temperature of May was
hotter than .Tune, which, though hot, was exceeded
by July. Strangely, the August temperature, though
high, was not so high asthat of `'7epteinber. June, usually
wet, was drier than July, which, generally wettest,
was driest of all ; and it was not till December the
flood waters fell. These results have caused a most
abnormal state of things, and the great fear now is
that spring frosts and a low temperature may undo
all benefit that has hitherto accrued to the country.
During the winter there have been only five nights
of frost, the lowest temperature registered being
25.50 deg. Cabbage and brocoli are running to
seed, potatoes have grown to a solid mass in the pits,
the fruit-trees are out in blossom, the turnips have
rotted, and the wheat is "proud."

SILK SUPPLY ASSOCIATION.
Some gentlemen interested in the trade have pro-
posed to form a Silk Supply Association on a basis
similar to that o f the Cotton Supply Association.
The principal object is to stimulate the production of
silk in every country where the mulberry-tree sup-
plies the necessary food for the silkworms, and
especially in those districts of India where the culti-
vation of the silkworm has almost ceased, notwith-
standingspecial natural advantages for its propagation.
The association also proposes to encourage the pro-
duction of the best kind of silkworms, and to obtain
the aid of the British representatives abroad in
nromotine and extendine the cultivation of silk.

FOREIGN NOTES.,
THE IfASTEEN DIFFICULTY.
The state of affairs in 'Greece mint for the preeent bs
given up as wholly incomprehensible. "Positive informa•
tion" that the crisis is at an end, and that the declaration
has been accepted, reaches London and Vienna in aband.
ante ; but at Paris the most complete ignorance prevailed
up to Wednesday evening. No Communication had been
received from Athens for forty-eight hours. The Morning
Post, which gives intelligence that small bands of Greeks
have broken into Epirus and Thessaly, firmly believes
nevertheless, in the triumph of diplomacy.
As in all times of doubt or difficulty, the ,old alarmist
rumours are reviving. A project of alliance between
France, Austria, and Italy was published first in the
Journal du Havre, and has reappeared in a more definite
form in several papers, notably the Journal de Paris. Of
course, a general distribution of spoil on the Mine, in the
Tyrol, Silesia, and on the Danubm, nre thA objects of this
tiCIACiIiC. It appears to nave been brought to life by the
single fact that the telegraphic wires between Vienna,
Paris, and Florence arc at present incessantly worked by
the diplomatists. On the other side, it is noticed that the
Prince of Montenegro, who has Just paid a visit to St.
Petersburg, met with a brilliant reception from the Czar,
who, not satisfied with the ordinary measure of courtesy,
sent his aidc•dc-camp to accompany the Prince to Berlin.

SPAIN.
A Bayonne paper says it is certain that a Carlist move-
ment is preparing in that town, which is close to the
Spanish frontier. A small army is being organised almost
openly. The trains arriving from Spain bring almost
every day recruits of a very mixed charaater, and in en-
rolling them the future chiefs scarcely give themselves the
trouble to conceal themselves. These defenders of the throne
and the altar are then disseminated by small detachments
in t 46 villages nearest the frontier, in which arms and
ammunition have been for some time past accumulated.
The Constitutionnel is informed that a union between the
two royal branches has been effected. Tho ex-Queen has
come to an understanding with Don Carlos, by which it
is stipulated that Isabella shall abdicate in favour of her
son, and that Don Carlos shall bo regent during his
minority. It will be rather interesting to know whether
any provision has been made for ensuring that when the
young prince arrives at his majority the bargain will bo
fully ratified.