Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-07-14
Arriculture in Great Britain.

The following gloomy view OF agri-
cultural prospects in England is pre-
scented by correspondent of the Lon
don Times under date of June Is:
1t may not be too soon to take some
account of the present year so far as it
has passed as to its effects upon agricul-
ture, or to an approximate idea as to its
influence upon the coming harvest.
We seem to have got into cycle of
adverse seasons and they persistently
follow each other as the years come and
90, and the present is certainly no ex-
ception to the six or seven gone before.
We have lost the characteristics of our
old English summers, when the sun
shine glided our earth day after day
and week after week without intermis-
sion. These have been succeeded by
others of erratic temperament-som
days and squally intervals-and the
present has been no exception, as, like
the others, so far as it has gone it has
been marked by the absence of long in
tervals of sunshine, for its hasty rains,
its cold nights, and high winds, es-
pecially the gale occurring on the goth
of April, passing over a large area,
leaving the hedges and trees black and
shriveled.
The winter was exceeding mild;
scarcely any frost to pulverize the land
to bring it into condition suited for
the reception of the seed. Consequent
ly the heavy lands remained in te-
nacious state. On these some of the
crops were looking fairly well, while
others wore sickly appearance, es-
pecially the later sown The early
planted wheats on the mixed soils have
hitherto presented favorable appear
ance and are still holding out fairly, but
the intermittent state of the weather
and the cold and hasty rains, which
have fallen so suddenly as to run off
the land, have told against both wheat
and other crops. With the exception
OF grass, which may be considered fair
ly abundant, the present season must
be considered as against the farmer
Most of his operations, as regards
cleansing and following the land, have
been frustrated by sudden and frequent
rains, renderingit impossible 10 kill the
couch-grass and other persistent and
nOxiOus weeds which for series of
wears have been gaining strength
From this cause and the adverse sea-
sons 1t Is no eXaggregation to conclude
that the land does not now produce
more in three years than it formerly did
in two; and, come what weather there
may, it nsust be series of years before
the earth can be brought back to its
former productiyeness, it being abso-l
lutely necessary that it should nave
summers fellow, and according so the |
ordinary coarse of agriculture, four
years must elapse before the whole |
could he brought under this necessary
treatment, AMI we must get back eur
old fashioned stimTpers before it could !
be doHe effectu1ily.
Large tracts of'lanf have gone out of
and no Investment wouid]
pay the owners so we'll, whenever the
chance should occur, as to give it a
proper summers falloN Many owI1.
ers are HOW culfTatoFs, but in many
instances there seems such a half
in their operations as if1
they almost thought that it was nok
worth farming. This May arise either
from indifference or n want of known
edge on their part or ON the part OF
those whCsare entrusted with the man
agement. But there Is NO way out Of
their present difficulties so easy as to
bring the fand as soon rs possible irto
such state as not to frighten away a
good tenant. Whatever the Irish lard
lords may be compelled by the land |
courts to give away in their pres ant
rents the English landlords will hava to
yield as much, In consequence of the
adverse seasons.