Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-09-09
CROPS IN ENGLAND.

From the Liverpool Standard Of august L.
We are informed that letter was received
Yesterday by highly respectable house in the
corn trade, conveying to them, and to the pub
lie generally, the melancholy intelligence Of a
serious failure Of the crops in all parts of the
country. 1t is said that crops look well, but
their good looks are deceitful Their healthy
appearance imposes upon the traveller; for,
when examined narrowly by practical farmer
or contractor, (the latter, provided he be Spe
culator, is always the best judge.) it is found
tina. almost every field of wheat is covered and
nearly rendered useless by pernicious smut; that
oats are in a consumptive state; and that Bar
ley will hardly repay the wages of the reaper.
AS regards the most valuable crop, wheat, this
lamentabe account has been confirmed by
sensible quaker friend Of ours, who came yes.
terday by the coach from Bristol. He states
that in the south of England he saw the reapers
returning from their labOrS In the evening. and
that they were so black IN the face from the eX-
cessive quantity Of the smut, and so covered by
il withal that he at first took them to be eman-
cipated negroes; this being, as he calculated.
about the time when our slaves are to enter up
on their blessed term Of freedom. Some excuse
NAV be offered for our enthusiastic friend, for
this happens to be the great birthday Of liberty.
1t is true that all the newspapers represent
that the crops are most abundant all over the
three kingdoms, and that an early and plentiful
harvest is before us. But these people, we SuS-
pect, can know nothing on the subject, or they
are tories bribed by the Treasury to make false
representations in order to deceive the people.
Our respectable informants backed as they are
by our quaker friend, must know BETTER for, as
we have already stated, they are spectators in
corn, and are interested in sellingit at as low a
price as possible. We need say nothing more
on this important subject. The art of making
money in the corn trade is an ingenious, and an
exceeding honest one.
The respectable house in question, who by
some accident or another, are considerable spe-
culators in corn, are invariably the frSt 10 an
nounce these well grounded fears OF famine
AT this season of the year they have always the
best information; and, by some fatality, that in
formation not only throws blight over the
crops, but is calculated to blight the hopes and
expectations of the consumers OF bread ii
there be an ounce of smut in. any held in Eng
land they are generous enough to apprlse the
public of the fact. For several years they have
been the most expert in discovering the failure
of the crops, and the most rational in assigning
a reason for the failure Generally about the
end of July, and before the corn is gathered,
theyare advised by honest and intelligent agents,
that some villanous weevil or grub, or some
such insect has made havoc with the roots OF
the wheat, that the straw is consequently weak
and drooping-the ear short and sickly, and the
grain likely 10 De poor, anu inuCh peio" 'he
average quantity.
When the weev is allowed a holiday, then
comes the rust, or smut, which is still more de-
structive than the weevil. But it also unfortu.
nately happens that both of these parties, the
weevil and the smut, are greatly assisted in
their destructive arts by serious mldews. caus-
ed nobody knows how, and by too much mois-
ture, by heavy rains by dreadful hail storms,
by too much sunshine, rendering the earth
parched and arid, by bad seed, late sowing
and too early sowing, by too much wind, and
by nine thousand nine hundred and ninety nine
other auxiliaries Of evil all tending to indicate
crop below the average, bad crop, search
ty, or complete failure, as is the case this
year, according to our informants'