RISE IN WHEAT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1910, 4 August 1888, Page 3

RISE IN WHEAT.

The " Lyttelton Timea " Bays apropos of the rise ln wheat at Home that a private telegram haß been reoeived In Obrlstchurch to the effect that wheat waa selling In the great mart of the world at 37a a quarter. The pleasing nowa will be all the more pleasing to farmers who have grain to sell when it Ib added that ihe market shows an upward tendency. The cause of tho rise In priceß ia to be attributed to the fact that a " St Swlthln'o year " has act m npon Great Britain and the Continent, and tbat while France has suffered a failure m her oereal orop, England gives every Indication of doing bo, thanks to a long Btretch of moat extraordinarily wet weather, coupled with froflt and snowstorms, tbe English farmer has bad to face. In view of the dlsaatroui. effect of the Beason upon the milder districts of the European Continent, the wheat market Is hardening, and although Russia haß garnered an excellent yield, there has been a shortage reported from Amerloa, and the chances are that there will bea still further, If not a very great, advance on tbe price of wheat.

. In connection with the rise In the prloe of wheat, and the unfavorable prospects of the Engllah harvest on aooount of wet weather, frequent reference will naturally be made to the famoua St Swlthln theory. Aooordlng to tbe legend, In the year 862 there passed away the Bishop of Winchester, who is kept m memory green aB St Swlthln. He deal re il that.he might be buried m tbe Mlnaler yard, ao tbat the aweet rain of heaven might fall upon hla grave. The monks, filled with enthualaßm, deoided to remove the mortal remalna of the saint to tbe oholr, the date fixed for the ceremony being Jcly 15 Bat the rain descended In earnest, and for forty daya the downpour oontinued. The monks caw In thia a mystic intervention, and abandoned their purpose. The old rhyme runa thus ; —

St. Swithin's day, gif ye do rain, For forty days it will remain ; Bt. Swithin's day, and ye be fair, For forty days 'twill rain nae mair,

It may be added that other countries have their St Switblns : Scotland, St Martin of Bouillons; France, Sts Medard and Gefvals ; Flanders, St GodelleVe ; Germany, the Seven Sleepers.