The Sun.
London, England, 1866-05-01 00:00:00

Agricultural Prospects.

Last week opened with a bright breezy day, wind round
to the N.E. Monday was fine and clear, with much sun,
wind blowing strongly from the N.E. ;to E. ; thermometer
48 degrees in the morning up to 52 at mid-day, and baro-
meter as high as 30.20 inches. On Tuesday it was again
bright and dear, with a stiff breeze from the N.E. ; ther-
mometer 52 degrees ; barometer still high, but falling, and
at 30.10 inches in the evening. This dry and breezy wea-
ther was just what the farmers wanted to make good pro-
gress with their spring tillage, and such work was pro-
ceeding most vigorously in all directions ; as indeed the
very heaviest soils were almost too hard, and these could
not be worked well. The wheat plant was in some in-
stances reported to be gone off from the previous heavy
rains and sudden change to extremely dry weather, but
would soon recover with a higher temperature and warm
rain. Our advices on that day from Suffolk stated—
" Barley sowing finished, but the present sharp drought
will make it difficult to get some' of it up." From the
West Riding of Yorkshire it was said- " The weather is
now very droughty, and must improve the condition of the
wheat materially, and dry the land, so that farmers will
soon complain of extremes." From Northumberland it
was remarked—The weather was wet and cold on Wed-
nesday and Thursday—since then it has been fine, but
still cold, the wind varying from N.E. to S.E. except on
Friday, when it was S.W." Wednesday was a splendid
day, sunny and breezy—wind N.E., thermometer 52 deg.,
barometer 3010 inches, and steady. Thursday the wind
got to the S.E., and the temperature was higher, with a
-falling barometer, down to 29.95 inches. On that day our
advices from Warwickshire reported that " the weather
continues fine and summer-like. Spring-sowing may
now be said to be completed, and on heavy stiff lands a
few showers would prove very beneficial." From Suf-
folk, near the coast, it was remarked—" We have had a
week of bright, dry, sunny weather, cold with easterly
wind, which has been highly beneficial .to our lands.
Barley-seeding may now be deemed finished." From
the interior of the same county it was remarked—
" During the past week we had fine spring-like weather,
with bright sunshine during the day, and cold nights. Both
wheat and barley plants present a good appearance." In
Scotland the weather has been reported from the west coast
to be "fine and seasonable ;" from the east coast, " the
weather is all the farmers can desire for seeding." From
Dorsetshire it was said : "The weather is now fairly sea-
sonable." From Kent it was remarked : " The weather since
this day week has been dry and fine ; this has much im-
proved the condition of all grain." From Wiltshire : "We
have had cold winds ; but the weather is dry." Good pro-
gress was made in all field work during this day, and such
farmers as could spare hands to thrash their wheat would
have an improved sample asfar as condition was concerned
to bring forward ; while, so soon as spring tillage has been
completed, better deliveries may take place; but whether
the prices will be sufficiently encouraging to induce the
farmers to bring out much remains to be seen. At any rate,
when the condition is improved, they will have less trouble
to make sales than has been generally the case since last
harvest. The millers much want good-conditioned samples
and will now have a better choice and probably take them
more freely in consequence. On Friday the morning was
thick. The day proved warm ; the wind was S.E. for the
most part, but S.W. ht the evening; at noon thermometer

was 62 degrees. On Saturday morning the barometer in-
dicated a considcrat4le fall in the past night, being down to
29.40 inches. The morning was thick, with the wind at
S.W. ; thermometer at 8 a.m. 58 degrees, rose up to 6g
degrees by noon, with a warm summer-like day up to 4
p.m., when some heavy rain fell, and the evening proved a
very wet one, with the wind back again to the N.E. Since
Tuesday se'ennight the weather has remained dry, with
the exception of Friday in the past week, when some
slight rain fell ; there were thus 11 favourable days for
spring tillage, and a great breadth of work must have been
done. The nights for about one week were very cold, with
a piercing north-easterly wind, and this checked the
growth of grass and nipped it a little, but, on the whole,
there is a good promise for a crop, and the recurring rains
will be most serviceable to thorn, as to all spring corn re-
cently committed to the ground. The demand for seed
samples of barley has nearly worked up this kind of corn,
and the few now coming forward may be taken to finish off
the malting season, the cold nights being just what the
maltsters want, and these are experienced whenever the
wind blows from the eastward. Still there is nothing par-
ticularly cheering in the "agricultural prospects" at pre-
sent ; for the rinderpest continues to be a most important
drawback to farmers, and many losses aro yet experienced
in various districts.—Mark-lane Express.