164 



The Country GcntkmaiUs Magazine 



(Sumiuavji of Jlgricultxiral €l)cnt6 for Jula 



THE SEASON AND CROPS. 



SINCE our last report was issued the 

 weather has continued unprecedentedly 

 hot and dry, and the amount of rain which 

 has fallen has been very small. Water has, 

 consequently, become exceedingly scarce in 

 many parts of the country, and live stock 

 have suffered much from this cause. Harvest 

 operations have commenced unusually early, 

 barley having been cut even in Banffshire on 

 nth of the month, while wheat was 'reaped 

 in several parts of England on St Swithin's 

 day, a circumstance which has not happened 

 for many years. The wheat crop generally is 

 good, but other crops are stunted in the 

 growth. The hay crop has also been much 

 lighter than was anticipated at an early period 

 of its growth. Pastures are quite burned up. 

 Many fields sown with turnips remain without 

 the appearance of a single plant, but in some 

 cases the appearance of the crop is much 

 more favourable than could have been ex- 

 pected. A continuance of drought will, how- 

 ever, bring on mildew on the forward crops. 

 Potatoes look tolerably well, but lately the 

 plants are beginning in some parts to flag 

 from want of moisture, and, for the same 

 reason, the tubers are small. 



THE GRAIN TRADE. 



The value of wheat has been slowly re- 

 reding during the month, and it is expected 

 that the downward movement will not be 

 met by any reaction. 



THE LIVE STOCK TRADE. 



The state of the pastures has compelled 

 graziers, in many instances, to forward 

 stock to market which are not in proper 

 condition for slaughter; and the want of keep, 

 combined with the poor prospects of the 

 turnip crop, has told seriously on store mar- 

 kets, reducing the value of cattle and sheep 

 considerably, and, in fact, extinguishing de- 

 mand to a great extent. The top prices of 

 beef and mutton have ranged as follows : — 



At London, beef, from 3s. lod. to 4s. lod. 

 and 5s. per 8 lb. ; mutton, 4s. 4d. to 5s. per 

 do. At Newcastle, beef, from 8s. to 8s. gd. 

 and 9s. per 14 lb. ; mutton, dYzdi. per lb. 

 At Edinburgh, beef, 8s. 3d. to 9s. per 14 lb. ; 

 mutton, 6;^d. to yd. per lb. At Dublin, beef, 

 54s. to 63s. per cwt. ; mutton, Cj^^d. per lb. 



THE WOOL TRADE. 



The latest reports state that there is a fair 

 consumptive demand for English wool, and 

 although less business than usual was done 

 at Inverness, still there was an improvement 

 in some qualities as compared with last year's 

 market. Most of the north country clips are 

 now sold at the Edinburgh, Leith, and 

 Granton sales. 



THE HEALTH OF STOCK. 



An Irish journal, the Dublin Express^ 

 notices an increase in the number of deaths 

 among cattle from pleuro-pneumonia, and a 

 suddenly fatal disease called apoplectic con- 

 gestion, and also an increase in the mortality 

 among sheep. 



AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 



Several important local shows were held 

 during the month, among which were those 

 of the Northamptonshire Agricultural Society 

 at Oundle ; the Ripon and Claro Agricultural 

 Society; the United East Lothian Agricul- 

 tural Society ; the Peterborough Agricultural 

 Society ; the Morayshire Farmer's Club ; the 

 Angus Agricultural Association, at Forfar ; 

 the Northumberland Agricultural Society, at 

 Comhill; the South Durham and North 

 Yorkshire Agricultural Society, at Darlington ; 

 the South Lincolnshire Agricultural Associa- 

 tion, at Grantham ; the Kincardineshire 

 Society, &c. The great event of the month 

 was of course the show of the Royal Agri- 

 cultural Society at Leicester, which proved 

 very successful. The Highland and Agricul- 

 tural Society's Show at Aberdeen was not held 

 until the close of the month, after this sum- 

 mary was written. 



