The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-17 00:00:00

THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.

Contrary to general anticipation, the storm and aceom-
*flying rain of Saturday night last did not bring with
them the anxiously-expected termination of the present
long-protracted drought. The few occasional showers
which have fallen during the last few days seem to have
been confined principally to the neighbourhood of the
metropolis and the country districts immediately
adjoining the coast. In Bedfordshire, Northampton-
shire, and other counties, the work of gathering the
harvest has fairly commenced, numerous fields
having been already cleared on the heavy lands. The
labour is chiefly English, the customary influx of Irish
labour being on a considerably smaller scale than formerly.
On the light, loose, and gravelly lands the wheat crops
are found to be extremely poor ; in not a few places they
are apparently doomed to complete destruction should the
present tropical degree of heat continue. The wheat
plant on these soils is thin on the ground, short in both
ear and stem, and frequently almost empty in the
ear. The soils themselves present a hard, dry, and
cheerless appearance, fortunately very unusual in this
country. They have become completely devoid of
moisture, and are utterly incapable of affording any proper
nourishment whatever to the crops borne by them. Even
a speedy change of weather will scarcely suffice in some
districts to repair a tithe of the loss and damage thus
occasioned by the prolonged absence of rain. In
some of these localities so hopeless are the leading
wheat-growers of their crops repaying even the mere
cost of gathering, that they have had their
fields at once placed under the plough. On the
well-farmed heavy lands the state of the crops is much
more satisfactory. In not a few districts the yield pro-
mises to be most abundant, even exceeding the usual
average. In the Midland Counties especially the wheat
grown on the stiff clayey soils has turned out wonderfully
productive in numerous localities, exceeding the most
sanguine expectations of the farmers. It is the
same in other districts. But for this it is certain
that the harvest of 1868 must have proved a com-
plete failure. As it is, we may now reasonably
hope for a harvest, considerably, it is true, below
the average, but far better than we had any grounds for
expecting, considering the extraordinarily unfavourable
circumstances under which farming operations in general
have been carried on during the past summer. The barley
crop is variously spoken of, as are the oats and rye crops.
There seems to be considerable uncertainty respecting
their general condition, but it may be safely
assumed that it is the same with those as with
the wheat crop ; that on the heavy, well, and
early farmed soils there is nothing to complain of, but
that on the light, loose lands, where the heat has penetrated
several inches below the soil, the produce is damaged to a
greater or less degree. The green crops are everywhere
unfavourably spoken of, particularly the potatoes and tur-
flips. The hay crop is also one of the most deficient ex-
perienced for many years. Hayricks are comparatively
few in number, and our graziers find themselves reduced
to the disagreeable necessity of feeding their live stock
with the provender intended for winter consumption. No
wonder that the price of linseed should have risen within
the last few days. The effect of deficient pasturage upon
the condition of live stock in the midland and northern
districts is very marked, particularly among sheep, large
numbers of which present a thin, unsaleable appearance,
except in the neighbourhood of rich grazing lands, which
latter, however, are becoming less and less available each
day. In most country villages the springs and
wells have become completely dried up. It is,
however, an ill wind that blows nobody good.
rarmers and graziers may suffer, but the gardeners will
gain to some extent by the long-continued warm weather.
'the orchards in all parts of the country present an
unusually luxuriant aspect, the yield of plums, apples,
and pears promising to be exceptionally abundant. In
fact, the fruit crop of 1868 will probably prove one of
the richest and most abundant ever known in this
country ; and it is expected that the competition
for fruit prizes during the forthcoming agricultural
gatherings in various country districts will be of an
extremely keen and animated character. In Devonshire
the apple orchards arc so exceptionally productive, that
the manufacture of cider is commencing on an unusually
large scale. Entomologists are in high glee. Their cases
have become filled to overflowing with specimens of moths
and butterflies, many of very rare character. Never before
have these insects been so abundant. In certain parts of
Kent, Surrey, and other districts they are to be seen
literally in thousands—a very pretty spectacle, no doubt,
but one which is anything but gratifying to the farmer.—
Daily News.

NEW GAMING ACT.—The net Vagrant Act
Amendment, which contains an important provision
affecting the parties who play or bet in the streets, &c.,
has been printed. From the Ist October, persons playing
or betting by way of wagering in the street, road, or
public resort, are to be deemed rogues and vagabonds, and
to be punished under the Act of sth George IV., c. 85.
Hitherto the parties having the table or instrument of
gaming have been considered the rogues and vaga-
bonds.

LIVE STOCK OF THE UNITED STATES.—The live
stock of the United States, according to the recent reports
of the Agricultural Bureau at Washington, has diminished
to an extraordinary extent since 1860. In these reports it

is stated that the number of mulch cows in the country is
now smaller by 5 per cent. than it was in 1360 ; the num-
ber of working cattle is less by 30 per cent.; the decrease in
asses and mules is 23 per cent. ; in horses, 17 per cent. ; in
swine, nearly 35 per cent. When the war was ended there
were literally no oxen, cows, horses, asses, mules, or swine
left in all the South.

A NEORO ARRESTED FOR TEE MORANT BAY
MASSACRE.—The watch of Mr. Smith, a white planter,
who was pursued into the woods by the Morant Bay rebeh-
during the rebellion of I$G5, where he died, has been dis
covered by the police in possession of William Chisolm, r.
black man, who was taken to England by the Jamaica
Commitee and the Anti-Slavery Society to exhibit as one
of the innocent negroes who were persecuted and hunted
clown by Ex-Governor Eyre during the " reign of terror."
This man Chisolm is the son of William Chisolm, who was
hanged at Morant Bay for the prominent part he took in
the maasacre of the white inhabitants of St. Thomas-in
the-East. The Morant Bay Court House, which was the
scene of the late massacre, and which was burnt by the
Morant Bay rebels, has been rebuilt by the Government
and very handsomely done up under the immediate
superintendence of Colonel Mann, the director of roads.—
Bertnt44% Poyeq Gazette