Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-10-28
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
FROM OUR EUROPEAN coRREsP oNDENE
LONDON, OCTOBER IL, ls4s.


LONDON, OCTOBER IL, ls4s.
DO not know that can touch upon a subject of
more i'm portance TO both the United States and Eng
than the character Of the last harvest in this
sry. Speculation with respect TO that subject must
nov be- in great measure at an end The fail and the
lhrashing machine are fast solving the question: both
rs 10 the quantity and the quality of the produce.
SO far, the general impression seems to be that the
quantity is below the average, and that large pro-
portion of the wheat is inferior in quality and con-
dilou. To the disgrace of the Government we
a;ave no public authentic statistical records upon
.he subject. Mr.. MILNoR GIBSON brought bill
Ento the House of Commons relative TO the obtain
ing returns Of agricultural products two years ago ;
aut the session ended without any final action upon
IL and the matter has not been since then even al
Eided 10. Mr.. Gbson's plan was neither The most
effective nor the most economical but it would
have been an excellent commencement, and would
lave aided our merchants and the public in ascer-
taining correctly the supply of food cur own soil
produced, and in calculating approximately the pro-
5able demand for imported grain. These, il ap-
pears to us, would have been legitimate objects for
Government desirous of promoting the public
good 10 have spent few thousands Of the public
money upon. Something is done towards obtain
iug tins information by one or two journals, which
more particularly identified with the subject
but their statements necessarily partial, rregu-
lar and defective.
The .Hark Lane Express is the most prominent
.ournal connected with the trade, and in late
review of the market it says: The reports from
= al parts Of the country agree in confirming what
: we have before stated as TO the shortness of the
yield per acre, and though 70 very accurate esli-
maie can yet be given of the extent of deficiency,
it is that the crops of all articles (beans
<perhaps excepted) are below an average. The
later kinds of potatoes, which are now being dng
up, also reported 10 turn out more extensively
diseased than the earlier Sorts"
Another journal, the Bankers Circular, takes an
elaborate view of the appearance of the crops in
different localities, and concludes that the wheat
crop Of the present year will be considerably def
cient but then the writer assumes that there is so
large an amount of old wheat in the hands Of the
farmers as 10 counterbalance that deficiency He
has collected much information upon this latter
point, but Il leaves the question of course very
much unsettled, and opinions differ widely upon il.
Here tie Government ought 10 step in Will. It's au-
GIentic statistics and put the matter al rest The
writer OF the BANKERS Circular says, "Although
there never a wheat crop or which il was
more difficult TO make q report which would be
altogether satisfactory, the condensed summary of
our information may soon be given"
lie assumes that the Southern and Western dis
Cricts OF England have about | 800 900 acres ap-
piled 10 wheat culture and that upon this extent Of
land deficiency of SIX bushels an acre below tho
average may becalculated, say 100000 bushels.
The deficiency in the country north of The Thames
he calculates at l2,500,000 bushels: making the
e'sfire deficiency of the crop of lS4s, below an
average crop, to be 2 100000 bushels, or 6s7 800
quarters. II is stated by this writer that tins great
deficiency in the wheat crop will be more than
smade up by The stock of old wheat of hone
growth in the hands of the farmers" The stock
Of CID wheat is more ihckly spread all over the
whole country than we ever before knew it, :" II
i believed that is sufficient for three months CON
Sumption Ii it be so, there is no chance of any
material rise in prices. Respecting the Scotch crops
the GiGsgoU ErdmGer gives, as the result Of its
extended inquiries that "wheat and barley have
been secured in good condition. the quality excel
IeaL and the quantity rather Under an average"
The crop OF oats in Scotland is superior both in
bulk and quality.
This information, selected from the best sources
within my reach, is, acknowledge, very nconclu-
sive but il has been collected by the respective
Journals with much care, and is no doubt fairly sta
ted There is nothing said about IRELAND in these
calculations the failure Of The potato CROP of which
there IS doubt, and the distracted state OF that
unhappy country, must cause her TO draw largely
upon English resources and 10 be greatly dependant
upon English supplies. Ireland, indeed, forms an
lmportaa item in the subject but we have no ma
terlais by which can estimate that importance.
The liverpool albion of the I'd instant furnishes
'ie following tabular view Of the amount Of bread
sutfs imported into Great Britain from the United
States for the years ending September /, ls47, 10
Octoberl, lsis, respectively