Mr. Chaplin, the Minister for Agriculture, made a speech yesterday
week which was not quite so gloomy as agricultural speeches have recently been. He said that a good deal of the plentiful hay crop had been very fairly got in, though a good deal had been spoiled, and that the recent amendment in the weather had very much brightened the prospect as to wheat. Above all, the rise in the price of silver—owing to the Ameri- can legislation having raised the rupee to is. 7d. or is. 71d. (it had at one time sunk to is. 4d.)—had greatly improved the prospect of competing with the Indian wheat. Indeed, in some places wheat had been sold at 38s. and 39s., while in others it had risen very nearly to 40s. Other conditions being favourable, the prospects of agriculture for this year must depend chiefly on the August sun.
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