FARM NOTES FROM ENGLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12003, 27 June 1902, Page 7

FARM NOTES FROM ENGLAND.

[BY OTJR ENGLISH AORtCUJ/TMIAL CORRESPONDENT.] lIAIL3HAM, May 10. TREACHEROUS MAY. Betoxd all question the greatest disadvantage incidental to the cultivation of the soil in this country is tho treacherous character of our climate in spring, and particularly in May. Even the hardy crops of the &Jf r ? otto X Permanently injured by cold and wet weather or Severe frosts occurring after the spring corn, mangolds, and potatoes have come up; while whole crops of lruit of one kind or another are often almost totally destroyed, and tender garden crops also We have had some abominably cold weather here during more than a fortnight, including groat gales from the east and north-east, and more or less frost on the ground level nearly every night or early morning. Of course, the frosts have not been as severe as those of the winter proper, but six degrees of frost have been registered on the screen in different parts of even the southern half of England, and more on the ground level, concerning which records seldom appear in tho papers. Early on the morning of Tuesday last, even in this place near tho south coast, only six miles from the sea (which is in view) as the crow- flies, we had frost severe enough to blacken the tops of potatoes. Fortunately only a feW of the shoots from the field crops were through the ground, and it was the earlier crop in gardens that suffered severely. We .do hot grow first earlies m tins district as a field crop. Only three degrees of frost were registered on the screen; but there must have been five or six on the ground, to cut potatoes so badly. Whether fruit has been injured in low-lying districts more inland remains to be seen. Here we had much injury done by the gales, but, apparently, not by the' frost. In many places, however, tin* frost was much sharper. In May the sun generally shines for many hours in the day, and this tends to promote the advance of vegetation; and where bitterly cold blasts blow by day and frost occurs at flight the advance is made only to be checked, with injurious results. This season, however, the dryness of the soil has ss>-"»'\ the wheat and' spring corn from bein. made sickly, as they are at this period of the season, when wet and cold are combined. Until the present week the rainfall had been seriously deficient, only one-half to two-thirds of the average having been experienced in ihbSt parts of the country. There were fears as to the hay crop, and a dread df a short water supply for the summer. Now there has been rain enough to soak the meadows, but a great deal more is needed to fill the ponds and flush the springs.

THE FUSS ABOUT THE GRAIN AND FLOUR DUTIES.

The Opposition are doing their utmost to make political capital out of the re-imposi-tion of the old registration duties on corn and flour. There is a great deal of declamation about a,''return to Protection," and "dear bread.", Unfortunately circumstances have conspired to give colour to exaggerated statements made to stir up agitation. As stated in my last letter wheat commenced to rise in price a fortnight before the intention of the Government to put a slight duty upon it for revenue, tho main cause of the advance being the poor condition of the winter crop of the United States. Now tho unfavourable season for sowing spring wheat is a further influence; and, again, an impression is growing to tho effect that the remainder of tho American wheat surplus is much smaller than it had been supposed to be. Altogether, tho advances in the price of wheat that have taken place since the beginning of. April amount to 2s 6d to 3s per quarter of eight bushels. Of course, this is not all clue to a duty of 3d per cwt, or Is Qjd per quarter; but it will not be difficult to persuade people ignorant of the circumstances of the grain trade that it is so. Where trade has settled down probably the small duty will make no difference to the price. Already, in the case of flour, preparations are being made by American millers and railway companies to balance the duty by reducing the small profit on flour and the cost of transport. It is proposed that flour shall be exported as ships' ballast, as a good deal of wheat is already, and long has been, and at least one of tho great American railway companies has . reduced the freight on flour to the level of that of wheat. Similar arrangements may be made for grain, so that the duties will all, in effect, be paid by American producers and exporters. A GENERAL RISE IN AGRICULTURAL PRICES. The rise in prices applies, hot only to grain and flour, but also to articles not affected by the duties. Meat and cheese are much dearer than they were at the beginning of the year, and butter is selling better. than usual for the period of the season. Fat cattle in London made 3s 4d to 5s Id per stone of 811) on the first Monday in May, as compared with 2s od to 4s 9d on the first Monday in January, And fat sheep 3s lOd to 6s 2d. against 3s 4d to 5s 6d. The best' Canterbury frozen t mutton sells at per pound, the best New Zealand lamb at sid. and frozen beef up to sicl — quite unusual prices for frozen hieat. The choicest New Zealand butter, at 102s to 104s per cwt, is 4s dearer than it was a year ago. As for cheese the,rise since the beginning of the year is remarkable, the best New Zealand being quoted at 58s to 59s per cwt, against 49s to 50s for the first week in January. __________,»._«««««_»,