ENGLISH HARVEST PROSPECTS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume xv, Issue 229, 27 September 1880, Page 4

ENGLISH HARVEST PROSPECTS.

[Borne News.]

la the favorable oircumafanoei of oar trade the prospects of the "home harvest are no longer -so vital a muter as they might have been at any other time. Of course it is true that a bountiful harvest in these islands 1 must stimulate trade, and lead to a further development of active enterprise. Those authorities, who have been tel\'wp us any time this last sis months that the permanence of our trading revival would depend upon the harvest are so far right, that a bad haye'st would have probably checked the growing expansion of the commercial movement for. a time. But thehome^bVrvest, all-important though it be to the farmer, is no longer ,so .vita! for the general population as in the days before we drew supplies from, the United States and Canada., Even a repetition of last year's ■disastrous , harvest would oo ly mean for the bulk of the population slightly dearer "bread^during ttie ■winter. Trade for a moment- ehgcke.d would' by-and-by regain 'ilB onward I 1 course, arid the work of money making would ' still go merrily, on. But the rate of progress will be all the better through the stimulusof the good hayvest which, in spite of storms and unseasonable weather,' we may still look for. The worst that is to be feared is a deficient 'wheat-harvesty^and a week fof .bright, warm sunfchine would >avei t Itbis, -and assure a yield satisfactory Jab to both quantity and- quality; Therje may be' failure of the grain crops ;ib special localities,, but' there is no reason to apprehencT.generaUfailure.v And the other crops are.most.ly in- splendid condition.^ The excessive moisture of < thfe summer, which has been hurtful to corn has l)6en helpful to the root crops. The pasturage has been brought rapidly on, and is now luxuriant ; there is v fine potato crop in the ground ; and all though there are complaints about hops there is every prospect of a fair, yield. There is' therefore hopo e"ven for th 4 British farmer at las'. If we but'have a week or two of sunshine and he it!, his returns will be ample to protect, him agaiost further loss at leasti. though ii will take him several; : good) seasons

to enable him to make up his past losses,