The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-28 00:00:00

Agricultural Prospects.

Last week opened with a fine day, although at
times threatening ; but it held up until nine p.m.,
when some steady rain set in. Monday morning
was damp and again threatening. Rain fell about
midday, but with not much afterwards. The ground
was too moist for any progress to be made with spring
tillage, and this check was most unfavourable for the
farmers, who are anxious to get on with their sow-
ing, now that the season is far advanced. Tuesday
was a cold, cloudy day, with slight rain at times ;
wind N.E. ; thermometer at midday 38 deg. ; baro-
meter, 29.20 inches. From the West Riding of
Yorkshire it was stated—" Sowing proceeds slowly.
Growing wheat looks as well as one might expect,
after the very changeable weather and occasional
sharp frcsts, without snow on ground so full of
moisture. Turnips, from the irregular crop, are
moved about the country. Potatoes, plentiful and
cheap." From the East Riding of Yorkshire it was
stated—" Weather is now mild and spring-like, and
farmers are busily engaged in preparing the land for
spring sowing." From Suffolk our advices remarked
—" Spring corn sowing goes on favourably, and the
lands, many of them, are in a more favourable state
for the reception of the seed than could at one time
have been expected." From Lancashire it was re-
marked—" Since Friday the weather has become
more mild, though with easterly winds the tempera-
ture has been far from genial ; the change has,
however, permitted progress to be made with
agricultural work, and the sowing of spring corn
may now be expected to proceed steadily." From
Northumberland our advices stated—" The wea-
ther continued fine and frosty up to Thursday;
since then it has been damp and cold, the wind
varying from S.W. to S.E., since yesterday N.E.
On Wednesday morning the ground was slightly
covered with snow, being one more touch of winter.
Wind N.E. ; thermometer 38 deg. ; barometer still
as low as 29.30 in. Field work was much checked
and goes on slowly. From the west coast of Scot-
land it was on that day stated :—" The weather has
continued cold, with easterly winds." Thursday
was a cold day, with, after a white frost, slight
snow showers, though these were very partial. Our
advices from Suffolk stated—" The weather has
been more winterly, and since last week not much
progress made in spring sowing." From Warwick-
shire it was remarked—" Weather very unsettled
during the week—cold and wet, with showers of
hail and rain." From Berkshire it was stated—
" Spring sowing proceeds slowly, owing to unsettled
weather." From the East Riding of Yorkshire, on
Friday, it was written—" The weather is milder,
and farmers are busy now preparing the land for
spring sowing. The growing wheat looks well, and
present appearances promise well for the future."
This was a cold day, and in the afternoon a gale of
wind blew from S.S.E. to the S. Thermometer 38
deg., barometer 29.65 in. at midday; in the evening
it fell rapidly. Saturday morning was finer, after a
violent gale of wind, with torrents of rain, wind
S.S.W. Theremometer 42 deg., and the barometer
down as low as 28.90. at 2 p.m. Whether these
two gales will be considered to be those of the equi-
nox is doubtful, being two or three days later than
the 21st, but our meteorologists will soon establish
the point, and tell us their opinions about the state
of the weather during the summer months. On
the whole during the week no great progress was
made with spring tillage, and the week closed with
only a poor promise for the next. The changes are
remarkably sudden, but we hope they may soon be
more favourable.—Mark-lane Express.

Foreign Mail Packet List
,s.-

MAILS DUE.
A.ustralia and New Zealand, via Southampton April 12
Ditto, via Marseilles April 13
Brazil and Cape Verds, by British packet April 6
Ditto, by French packet April 21.
Cape of Good lope, Ascension, and St. Helena April :.3
China, Penang. and Singapore, via Southampton.APril 5.
Ditto, via Marseilles. April 13
Falkland Islands
Gibraltar, via Southampton
India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton.... April 5
Ditto, via Marseilles
India (Bombay), via Southampton.. ................ Mar. 3t.
Ditto, via Marseilles .. ........................ April 7
Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via Southampton slar. 31.
Ditto, via Marseilles April 7.
Mauritius, via Southampton
Apri 13
Ditto, via Marseillet. ...............
l 7.
Newfoundland ...................... 4 April 11.
Portugal .................. .. .................. .....April 6.
Ditto, by private ship to Lisbon.
United States and British North America, by Bri-
tish packet .. Mar. 28.
Ditto. by United States packet, via Southamp-

ton
Ditto, Tia Cork
Ditto, by Canadian packet, via Londonderry.. mar. 30.
West Indies and Pacific (except Bahamas and
Honduras) Mar. 31.

Cuba and Mexioo
Bahamas, via New lork. April 5.
Bermuda, ditto April i 1
West Coast of Africa. Madeira, and Tencriffe .... April 12

COURSE OF EXCHANGE--Last Evening

Amsterdam Short. 11 18
Ditto 3 Months. 12 1
Rotterdam
Antwerp — 25 52
Brussels
Hamburg
Paris . Short 25 22*
Ditto 3 Months. 25 47
Marseilles
Frankfort on the Maine 121
Vienna, _ 10 80
Trieste — 10 80
I'etersburgh - 299
Berlin
Madrid 47*
46k
Cadiz
25 62
25 6
.2,
Leghorn
Milan ........ .
Genoa
Naples ................. r:_....r'',

11 19
12 2
12 21
2b 571
25 571
13 101
25 80
25 55
25 55

-1211
11 8a
11 85
29*
6 29i

46f
47
25 67
25 67
25 67
25 67

---
A curious match for a "pone)," a side, between Mr. C.
was decided at tho Northampton meeting,
backing the Electric Telegraph Company, and
the latter the United Kingdom, the distance from the race
the.tn d former Lord
.1.1
course to the former's residence in London. The messages
were despatched at the same instant, but an hour and three
minutes intervened between their delivery, the Electric
doing the distance in 1 hour 10 min, and the other in 2
hours 13 min.
STAFFORD MILITIA.—An official notice has been
received for the assembling of the First King's Own St'af"
ford Militia Regiment for twenty-seven days' training, at
Lichfield, bn Monday, PAR_
23d of April.
3,lE3tnEits RETURNED TO SERVE IN TILE x-1232,
Chichester
LIAMENT.—County of Louth—The Right Hon
western Division—
Win. Ireland. County of Worcester,
Samuel Fortescue, Chief Snretary to the Lord
Di.ou.te.nant
t the Hon.
m o
Win. Edward Dowdeswell, Esq., in the ro
Frederick Lygon
Holm of Peors. (now Earl Beauchamp), called to the