XN Liuatchow, An., April 30.
The whole district I am glad to report is quiet. We are beyond the season when robber bands are apt to visit the smal] market towns or isolated hamlets. All edibles are expensive except vegetables. The latter are very plentiful on account of the large rainfall-wf this year and the few warm days in every week. Cherries ripened rapidly this last week and even few strawberries are ready for picking. The barley and wheat look well at a distance. Such stand high and the ears are in good coudition but on closer examination the lower parts are turning yellow, owing to the excessive rains an! dull weather. The people are beginning to express fears that the crop will be spoilt or very much inivred. All are wishing for bright sunshine far two or three weeks on end. The rice is coming on nicely buf warm dry weather for few weeks would bring it on rapidly and enable the transnlantme to be done under the best conditions. Owing to the high prices all the winter the people are loneing for good string and autumn harvests, exnectine the _rrices to veome down a little. When the flour rises to over 100 cash per catty and rice to 100-120 ner sheng li, means that many girdles have to be pulled tighter, seeing the majority have no belts to tighten up another hole.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.