Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1853-09-05
Creps In Great Britain.

From the London Times, Aug. 10th.
We have now arrived at a period OF the year when
something like a definite answer can be given to the qucs
ton 80 anxious asked by rulers and statesmen, slow are
the people to be fedS" Never was a satisfactory reply to
that question more important to this country than at the
present moment Our consumption Of food is unpreee.
dentedly large, arising from the development Of all bran
ches of our trading and manufacturing industry since the
repeal of the corn laws, and the consequent advance OF
wages in every department. And the Free trade which
has been the not very remote cause Of our actual demand
for fool must be unquestionably. our main reliance for
its supply during the ensuing year, for lis now certain
that our own growth of wheat, at all events, must prove
considerably below an average. How much il may fall
short or i1deed what i an average producoof wheat in
this country, from the absence of any public effort to col
lcct and record agricultural statistics, IL may not be easy
20 ascertain. Still such accounts OF the growing crops
now on the point of being garncred a. can he obtained
from individual sources may afford data for proNtmate IS.
Inmates OF our probable supplies of food from our own soil
for the consumption of the ensuing twelve months. five
be deficient, such deficiency should be known and pro.
claimed as eorly as possible, aud for two reasons-hrst
that all practicable economy in the use oi food should be
inculculcaied on the public; and secondly, that supplies
should be sought for in each, and every foreign c~orn-grow-
Ing country likely to supply Our need. ot the results We
entertain not the slightest apprehension; for while our pri-
cs are likely TO be sufficiently high TO sttarct grain from
many unlocked for quarters, that attraction will be sure Ia
produce lmportations enough to prevent any eNhorbitant
rise of prices.
The very recent events Of the corn market make this
sufficiently plain. Alter a season more adverse 10 the
growth of wheat than any which has occurred since 1916,
aud under the influence of a Threatened war with Russia,
from whose southern provinces We have lattery received
such large consignments Of wheat, the price OF that grain
had risen considerably, but not to an extent materially TO
interfere with consumption-uoihing like the rise that
would have occurred under like circumstances during the
existence of the corn laws,-when with the commence
ment of August the weather improved, warm sunny days
succeeding To interminable rains, and the prospects OF a
continuance Of peace became more promising. lmmedi.
a'eiy a fall OF. frOm Ss TO Is. per quarter took place in the
price OF wheat, and every apprehension OF serious search
y, it such existed, forthwith was ~dissipated.
5 i'll, IN so bulky an article as wheat, any great deficiency
of the home growth can only be supplied by means of i'm
portation at an enhanced cost, and it is important alike to
growers aud consumers to learn As nearly as may be the
prospects Of the coming harvest
Now the accounts given Of the wheat crops ii different
districts and by different reporters vary 50 much, that
person unacquainted with the rural districts may assume,
AS many do suppose, that the numerous complaints they
hear of bad crops are to be set down to farmers grumb-
lings, and may be disregarded accordingly. Nothing
could lead to more erroneous conclusions than such pre-
misee. Asuccession OF vet weather occurred from about
the second week in August last wear to March in the
present year, when there WAS a large fall Of snow, &C
companied by severe frost. which continued until April.
During that long period, with the exception OF about a
week IN September, it was wholly impossible to SOW
wheat upon the stronger kinds of soil with any reasonable
prospect Of obtaining even a moderate crop; and on the
lighter soils, much injury was caused by the bad state Of
tue seed bed. Ii vas only on some of the thin soils, on
open ~sub-sons, where a few hours of dry weather enable
the farmer TO plough ane SOW after the heaviest rains. that
wheat was well planted. But the effect upon all our va.
nous soils taken together has been, a deficiency in the
breadth OF wheat sown, both in the autu mn and the
spring, which has been estimated at from a fourth to a
nth OF the average quantity. Much u the wheat actu-
ally sOwn was got in so badly that in some OF the CLAY
lands a comparatively few wheat ears are seen Struggling
amongst a wilderness of weeds; while in other case. the
seed was sOwu 50 late in the spring thar il may De doubt
iul whether the grain will ripen at all unless the rest Of
the season prove unusually favorable. Aud il is on some
Of our best wheat lands that the worst wheat crops are
TO be seen. In their last monthly circular AeSSrs. Surge
state it a. their opinion that "the produce OF wheat will
prove the smallest that has been harvested in these islands
since lSl6.' Certain il i that We have not had 20 bad 4
season since that disastrous wear: but We believe that
since 1916 the cultivation Of the light soils has 50 greatly
improved, and such a large breadth of light land has also
since that time been brought into wheat cultivation, that
The deficiency OF these soils viii not be nearly 80 great a.
IL was in 1916. Whether the deficiency on the stronger
soils may not be even greater than in that year, IS a ques-
ton not easily solved.
writer in the Bdnkcr'S NIga-iHc, regarding the state
ct the crops with reference 10 its effect upon the money
market, states that he has arrived at 'the conclusion that
the yield Of wheat per acre in the approaching harvest will
u most BE- only about iOur-hiths or hve-SiNths that OF
average years and that mot more than four hnhs car
he reasonably anticipated, under the most favourable
weather.. The data on which these conclusions are iouu-
ded are Tot given, but 1t l. probable an approximation to
tive truth.
Tue Agrieplnral Ga=c,r has published the results Of
returns made 10 circular inquiries issued tOtirmrrS through
out ie country, which are ihs- summed up. In England
aud Scotland, out Of Isl returns regarding the wheat
crul-, only five report them "a, good, 'or very good
~hlle 10 returns report the wheat crops as average or
AIR - returns are "uui"r average, and scvcuty-hyc
much under average" L. ireland those results aua re
sersedi OF thirty eight returns tNeaty- two are good aud
very good sixteen average or fair seventeen ''un.
der average and only three much under average IL
Is satisfactory TO know that the hne weather has lately
much improved the quality Of the wheat every.
e,ery"herc, 80 that il will should dry weather continue,
ts lkely to weigh well, and come speedily into use
T.grc Is also a good deal of last years wheat iu the hands
Citne farmers, many Of whom are now reaping the reward
oi their paueut holding on their grain. Ia most district
the barley AID oat crops are good, though in some places
rather late, and there j. q fIr prospect Of good pulse
crJps. Hoy, however, hast Ell ia general but indifferent
ly made, and, from the uu-,uiai character of the spring
aad early summer, TOO: crops are scarcely equal To an
average % this time OF the year. Yet the prices Of sheep
and cItuc, both lean and fat, as well as Of wool, continue
very high; aud il j. confessed that farmers who have been
able 20 hold a reasonable portion OF their grain, and %
hrtp and feed a proper quantity Of live stock, have lad q
remuuarltiye year, aud, # We may Judge OF the existing
demand TOR farms The prospects Of British agriculture are
anything but on TO- wlIe.