30 AUGUST 1940, Page 13

HARVEST IN ENGLAND

SIR,—In your note on " The Harvest in England " you state that " the crop showed no better than moderate—the wheat above average, the oats very much below."

It would be interesting to know on what grounds you publish this statement, as the Ministry of Agriculture's forecast on August 1st was: wheat, 16.9 cwt. against a to years' average of 17.7, and oats, 15.6 cwt. against an average of 15.8. May I enquire further how many farmers you think will be sowing rye grass this autumn, and how this will help the nation's food supply? Or are you by any chance confusing rye grass with rye?—Yours truly, [The writer of the note in question meant rye grass, not rye.—ED., The Spectator.]