The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-23 00:00:00

AGRICULTURAL PRUSPECIS.

Last week opened with a damp, dull day,
there was no rain. Monday morning was fine,
although of a doubtful appearance ; still not
much rain fell until five p.m. when this was very
heavy. Wind S.S.W. ; thermometer 52 deg.
barometer 29 -80 in. In Ireland the weather hag
been very wet and stormy, with rain and gales
alternately. In parts of the south the mills have
been stopped by floods—a somewhat unusual cir-
cumstance ; and in that country wheat sowing
has been procrastinated, and is now in a back-
ward state. In Scotland the weather has been very
boisterous, and so much rain has fallen that all the
streams have been in heavy flood. Agricultural
operations have been interrupted, and autumnal
wheat sowing has not yet been concluded. 011
Tuesday the weather held fine throughout the
day ; but very heavy rain was experienced at eight
p.m. The temperature was high, and barometer
down to 29 50in. Land is too wet for any work
to be done on it for the present. Our advices
from the West Riding of Yorkshire stated :
The week opened with dull but rather drier
weather on the whole ; slight frost at times." From
the East Riding, it was remarked : " Weather ig
still mild and open. A great deal of rain has fallen,
and the low lands are in many places flooded ; still
the growing wheat plant looks well, but frost would
now be beneficial, to prevent its top exuberant
growth." From Lancashire it is observed : " Frost
still keeps off, and we have had unusually mad
weather. Agricultural operations pregress favour-,
ably, there being no interruption to field labour.
Other advices from the same county state :—" The
weather continues mild, with a good deal of rain.,
Wednesday proved a showery day ; wind still
blowing strongly from the S.W. ; thermometer 00
deg., barometer 29.30 in., with the land too much
saturated to be worked upon for any purpose.
Thursday morning was fine, but rain fell in the
afternoon, and the gales continued to be violent
in many places. From War wickshire our ad-
vices stated—" Reports of the potato continue
very unsatisfactory, and it behoves holders to
keep constant watch against the ravages of the
disease." Friday was tolerably fine, but heavy rale
fell at night, the temperature remaining very high.
Our advices from the W est Riding of Yorksh-lce
stated :—" The weather continues mild, with strong
breezes at times, and heavy rains in the nightts
chiefly, so that the grass is greener than at mid-
summer, and young cattle seem to do well 03
it, where they get warm lodgings at night." Thera
was not much rain on Saturday ; the temperature
rather lower. Wind W.S.W. ; thermometer 48 deg'
baromoter, 29.80 in. The drenching rains at night
throughout this week must have done something
towards replenishing the water in the wells, a°
, tend to give the millers who work on various
, streams additional power, which they have 1013,g_
wanted. The upward movement in the trade
one week before Christmas is somewhat unusual
but not the less acceptable to our agricultura;
friends, who cannot complain of the prices paid f°
barley, which averaged this week 465. 9d. °0
lir
73,677 quarters, whilst that for wheat was only
495. Bd. on 53,771 quarters, so that barley has
~
. brought, in the 150 towns making returns tb P
. week, £26,272 more than wheat.—Mark LOn6
Express.