New-York tribune., 1868-08-11


May 30, or for more than two months, in En-
gland, and which extesds in less degree over
extensive tracts of the Continent, is having a
sudden and important influence over our ship
ments abroad, and, if it continues, must soon
affect in the most important manner our general
industry and especially that of our farmers.
Five steamers-the Colorado City of London,
CITY of New York, Erin, and Louslana-haye
already, within IL week, gone out laden with
hay, an article almost never before sent abroad.
The steamers for fortnight ahead are engaged
for all they can carry. OF course large fleets
of sailing vessels will he put in Icqusiton for
the same purpose. and, unless general and
speedy rains come to the relief OF the brown
and marched meadows of Old England, they
must continue to run through the season IN
order to supply the enormous deficiency when
the drouth has already produced. Hay brought
in the interior of England, on July ~, from
$50 to 500 per tun. 1t is estimated that to
supply the jj000,0OO of sheep in Great Britain
with hay would require $4,000 tuns OF hay per
day, while the cattle and horses would require,
each class, as much more, amounting III the
total to 10000 tuns, or about $4,000 bales, per
day. No data exist for determining how tar
short of this immense quantity the home supply
will fall nor what proportion of the deficiency
may be supplied from the Continent. But, as
the drouth has prevailed more or less on the
Continent, and especially in France and Russia,
it would seem probable that American farmers
will have sale for every bale of hay they can
cut. This should be of incaculable advantage
TO the West and Northwest, where hay has
hardly paid for cutting, and where last year.
millions of acres, not merely Of the prairie hay
but of the cultivated crop, were pasturcd or
allowed TO 20 TO waste Our hay crop was
nOmnally equal to our cotton crop
in value when the latter was greatest,
but for want of demand its value
failed 20 tell on our trade either be-
tween the East and West or with Europe a
cash demand for this immense product would
be responded TO with a visible smile by our
farmers from Maine to Iowa. Fleets of vessels
could leave our lakc-ports direct for Europe,
and for once. the st. Lawrence River would
whiten with the sails of commerce. While the
first and most pressing demand is for hay TO
prevent the speedy and wholesale slaughter OF
flocks and herds brisk export is going on in
clover and other grass seeds, for restoring the
crops should the drouth end oil-cake TO be fed
TO cattle and sheep instead Of hay and grass :;
cheese and butter TO supply the deficiencies in
the dairy product; flour, corn. bacon, tallow,
lard, &c.
An article from The London Daily NcrS OF
July %, which we publish elsewhere, endeavors
to argue hopefully from the old adage that
"drouth never did breed dearth in England"
The writer contends that while the root crops
and grasses are destroyed, and the wheat has
a less growth of straw than usual, yet it heads
well. and the heads are full hard, and heavy,
siyty-two 70 sixty-six pounds TO the bushe
with but little bran-in short, all that the mil
Ter and housewife could desire. This argument
was partially sustained by steady decline in
wheat since harvests began and the first sam
ples of the crop have come to market. Tele-
grams to the 9th of August show, however
that these rose -cOOred expectations were not
fulfilled. The drOuth had continued undated,
and the harvest, which is now about complete,
returns a crop diminished in quantity, while
the grain is shrunkcn and its quality deterio-
rated.
Advices from France TO The Mark Lane Er-
press state that "the French wheat crop is very
variable. In the southern and some of the
central and western departments they do not
Calculate on more than two-thirds of an aver
cage, while on the well-cultiyated lands of
"the north they have a full average. But it
"will still be necessary to import a con-
Siderable amount to meet the French con-
"sumptioU." There will no doubt be a
large demand for American wheat. All
indications promise crop here twice that
of last year. The country will therefore profit
largely by the export OF breadstuffs, and per-
haps not only check the depletion TO which we
have for several years been subjected by the
export OF our gold and bonds, but set the bal
ance OF trade in our favor. To avail ourselves
of the present scarcity in England, we need
only an abundance of agricultural labor on all
our farms from one end of the country to the
other to be pressed promptly into the service,
from the unemployed classes in the cities, the
freedmen Of the South, and the immigration
from Europe; and abundant means OF trans
pOrtatiOn for an enormous bulk OF freight TO
England. Concerted measures should be or
ganized promptly and OH n large scale Tor send
ing laborers out to our farmers, among whom
labor was never so scarce and high. In many
districts it is almost impossible to harvest the
crops for want Of help AT the same time,
equally thorough and systematic measures
should be taken by American farmers and
stock kraiseIs, while English stock are being
sent to the shambles for want of fodder and
must necessarily bear low prices, to import
English cattle and sheep in quantities adequate
to raise the tone of the stock on all our farms,
so many of which sadly need the blooded
breeds. This will at once relieve the English
markets, and improve for the future the quail
ity of our own supply.
Every vessel which goes out heighted with