Import and Export of Agricultural Commodities 



185 



Turning to the other side of the account, 

 we note a sHght reduction of the export of 

 butter and cheese on the month and seven 

 months. For these two commodities we 

 received j[,2 11,471 from the foreignero during 

 the present year, and last year the sum 

 amounted to ;^3 14,007. 



To France we exported 1 1 2 horses during 

 July — 4oolessthaninthecorrespondingmonth 

 last year ; to " other countries," the figures 

 set down against last month were only 85, 

 but even these shew an increase on the num- 

 ber sent from our shores in July last year. 

 The total number sent during the past seven 

 months was 1888 as against 4988 in the same 

 period last year. The value this year was 

 ;^i04,9i3, whereas last year the sum was 

 ;^i78,7ii. The prices obtained by breeders 

 this year seem to have far exceeded those of 

 last. p£"55 is the average of the past seven 

 months, and the average of the corresponding 

 period of last year was only ;[,ZS- 



The following tables shew the exports and 



values of wool, and the places to whence 

 they were consigned : — 



QUANTITIES. 



Seven Months Seven Months 



ended July ended July 



31, 1S71. 31, 1872. 



Wool, Sheep, and Lambs. lb. lb. 



To Germany i)557,9oo 1,036,262 



„ Belgium 2,075,373 834,7x9 



,, France 1,466,613 495,076 



,, United States ...... 656,536 1,521,001 



,, Other Countries ... 988,696 683,874 



Total 6,745, n8 4>57o,932 



VALUE. 



To Germany ^^110,706 ;^88,i69 



„ Belgium 127,948 72,763 



,, France... 121,607 415696 



„ United States 35>629 111,092 



,, Other Countries ... 75,36i 64,433 



Total ^,"471, 251 ^378,153 



MODERN FARMING AND THE BREEDING OF STOCK. 



THE following sensible remarks on the 

 meat question are made by a " Bed- 

 fordshire Farmer," in the Daily News of 

 Thursday : — Your correspondent, " A 

 Middle-class Householder," August 5, re- 

 ferring to this subject, says : " Until the 

 necessity for the present high price of meat 

 is made much clearer than it is, the masses 

 will be certain to complain." I am sorry to 

 say I think I can make that necessity too 

 clear. Perhaps many of your readers are 

 not aware that agriculture, like other pursuits, 

 has, within the past twenty or thirty years, 

 gradually assumed distinctive characteristics 

 in different IccaHties. Twenty or thirty 

 years ago it was quite exceptional that a 

 farmer did not keep a breeding flock, and 

 wean some calves. In many of the best 

 farmed districts of England for years past it 

 has been almost exceptional where they have 

 done so. The reasons are plain. Some 



parts of England are much better adapted 

 for breeding than others. In many of the 

 best turnip - growing and mutton - pro- 

 ducing districts, the rule has been for 

 farmers to buy the sheep which are 

 bred in Sussex, Wilts, Berks, and the 

 western counties, which, owing to their 

 greater area of grass and open downs, are 

 better adapted for it. These sheep are at 

 once put on to artificial food, as oil-cake, 

 corn, &c., to make them fat in the shortest 

 possible time. This plan has generally paid, 

 and has also produced an abundant crop of 

 corn. The supply of sheep from the above 

 named counties up to the year 186S kept 

 pretty equal to the demand, and the price of 

 mutton was not too high. At that time we 

 could purchase good lambs for winter feeding 

 at from 35s. to 45s. each; now they cannot 

 be bought under 55 s. to 65 s. Shearling 

 sheep were bought freely at from 45s. to 52s. ; 



