THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE, 



83 



exfent, arisinjj from the commercial panic, and up to the 

 present lime there are no buyers unless at farther depressed 

 currencies. The American dealers have returned to this 

 country nearly 0,000 bales, originally shipped, but which 

 are now beinfr forced for sale here. 



For hops there has been only a moderate demand. The 

 supply in the hands of the growers and factors continues 

 large, and prices have consequently ruled very easy. 

 About 9(10 bales have come in from Hamburg; but, owing 

 to the hij,'h duty, they have not entered into competition 

 with native-grown qualities. 



In Ireland and Scotland the transactions in wheat and 

 other kinds of'grain have been on a very moderate scale, 

 and prices have had a drooping tendency. The shipments 

 tj England have been on a very moderate scale. 



"REVIEW OF THE CATTLE TRADE DURING 

 THE PAST MONTH. 



Notwithstanding that the total numler of beasts exhibited 

 in the Great Metropolitan Market for Christmas consump- 

 tion has fallen short of the corresponding month in 1856, 

 the supply, taken as a whole, has seldom or never been 

 equalled in weij^ht, quality, or symmetry. Taking advan- 

 tage of past experience, the breeders and graziers have per- 

 severed until they have su-ceeded in effecting an important 

 and moit ^iratifying change in the symmetry of the various 

 breeds; consequently, they have at length blended fat .and 

 lean together, and altogether repudiated the production of 

 monstrosities, which, in a general way, leave very little pro- 

 fit either to sellers or buyers. Such a system as the present, 

 if persevereil in, must work immense advantages to all 

 parties, and better regulate the judgment of those con- 

 nected with the production of fat stock. All who visited 

 the Sho.\-yard in Baker-street, and who paid a visit to the 

 '• gr^at" market, will perfectly understand the object of 

 these remarks ; they will understand that fat alone is not a 

 feature which will ever render meat more valuable in the 

 eyes of the consumer, oradequately repay either the breeder 

 or the butcher. A point, then, of no ordinary importance 

 has iieen gained, and which may eventually be a source of 

 considerable profit to the producers. 



VA'hen we consider the great weight of meat brought for- 

 ward, and the drawback to the demand inseparable from a 

 great convulsion in mercantile affairs, the trade may be called 

 healthy. The beasts have sold at what may be termed fair, but 

 U'lt extravagantly high rates, and a much lafger number 

 of them have changed hands at market rates than we were 

 prepared f)r. Srteep have likewise met a good trade at im- 

 proved quotations. The Norfolk season for beasts has now 

 commenced, and that from Lincolnshire is just closing. The 

 forthcoming supplies from the eastern districts are expected 

 to come up to their usual average. 



The following are the total supplies of stock exhibited in 

 the Metropolitan market : — 



Beasts 19,830 head. 



Cows 375 „ 



Sheep 69,132 „ 



Calves 1,209 „ 



Pigs 1,915 „ 



Comparison of Supplies. 

 Beasts. Cows. Sheep. Calves. 



Very limited supplies of foreign stock have arrived in the 

 port of London, the total import being as follows : — 



Beasts 931 head. 



Sheep 5,188 „ 



Calves 489 „ 



Dec. Beasts. Cows. Sheep. Calves. Pigs. 



liioG.... 23,995 475 73,200 1,526 2,3rf0 



18.55... 22,412 590 94,030 1,376 3,184 



18.54.... 20,298 120 88,880 1,573 2,746 



1853.... 23,314 484 88,480 1,143 2,403 



Beef has sold at from 33. to 5s.; mutton, 3s. 2d. to Ss. 

 6d. ; veal, 3s. lOd. to 5s. 6d. ; and pork, 33. 6d. to 5s. 4d. 

 per 8 lbs., to sink the ollal. 



Comparison of Prices. 

 Dec, 18.56. Dec, 1855. Dec, 18,54. 



8. d. s. d. 8. d. s. d. 8. d. s. d. 



Beef, from 3 10 to 5 0.. 3 4 to 5 4.. 3 4 to 5 4 



Mutton.. 4 0—5 6.. 3 4—5 0..3 6 — 5 4 



Veal.... 3 8—5 6.. 3 10—6 0..4 — 5 8 



Pork.... 3 8—6 4.. 3 6—5 0.. 3 2 — 4 8 



Total 6,608 head. 



In the corresponding month last year, we received 1 1,079 ; 

 in 1855, 19,515-, in 1854, 18,349; in 18.53,21,918; and in 

 1852, 11,870 head. It will, therefore, be seen that ourim- 

 portatioiis from the continent are still falling off, and that 

 consumption is almost wholly met by home produce. 



The month's supplies from Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, 

 and Northamptonshire haveamounted to 10,100 shorthorns ; 

 from Norfolk, 2,200 Scots and shorthorns ; from other 

 parts of England, 4,500 of various breeds ; from Scotland, 

 1,150 Scots ; and from Ireland, 636 oxen. 



Very large supplies of meat have been disposed of in 

 Newgate and Leadenhall. Beef has sold at from 3s. to 4s. 

 8d., mutton 3s. 2d. to 4s. 8d., veal 3s. 8d. to 5s., and 

 pork 33. 6d. to 5s. 4d. per 81bs. by the carcase. 



Throughout the continent, fat stock continues very high 

 in price— too high, indeed, to allow of profitable shipments 

 to this country. 



There has been only a moderate business doing in cakes 

 and linseed, and prices have had a drooping tendency, al=> 

 though the imports have been on a very moderate scale. 



SOUTH LINCOLNSHIRE. 



lu the midst of the serious depression uuder which agricul- 

 ture is now labouring, it is very encouraging to witness such 

 a beautiful season as this we are now so pleasantly passing 

 through. We find oursidves engaged in such unusual farm- 

 operations as to lead us to think that the winter has actually 

 pas.sed away, and the interesting routine of spring-culture in 

 reality set in. We find in all directions the fallowing and 

 clearing of land general; the cultivator, harrow, and roller 

 everywhere at work, and the twitch-fires as numerous and 

 bright as at Midsummer. This early preparatiou of the land 

 for the spring-crops augurs well. Potatoes, should the season 

 be favourable, may be planted just when the planter pleases ; 

 and the graiu-crops have not been forgotten ; many lands 

 have heeu uuder preparation for them. This has caused 

 abuudaut employraeut ; and yet the labourer has not ftlt the 

 reverse of the times, and, as much under-drainmg is in pro- 

 gress, we trust their services will be iu constant requisition. 

 Just oue word on this pomt. I have read the report of the 

 diitcussion on subsoil drainage at the Farmer's Club. It is 

 one of the best and most prac ically useful they have yet 

 entertained. Had some one touched upon di ad-level drainage, 

 I should have been better pleased. This is the character of 

 this extensive county, and subsod-drainage is by no means its 

 leading department of business, and, iu many parts of it, not 

 practised. I think the occupiers, however, who neglect such 

 subsoil-drainage, are in great error ; and the result of the late 

 discussion confirms this idea. For the most part, the whole 

 district possesses a porous subsoil, and an equally open sur'ace- 

 soil. To subsoil-drain this soil is comparatively inexpensive. 

 The water will drain laterally a long way, and the drains may 

 be shallow — say 2^ feet, and the material thorns on arable, 

 and wedge on grass-lands. I liave drained considerably on 

 such soils, and I fearlessly assert that a large proportion of 

 South Lincolnshire may be efifectually subsod-flrained at a 

 cost of from 'Ms. to SOs. per acre : who, then, would neglect 

 subsoil drainage ? But to my report. The grass-lamls look 

 like May-pastures, and the stock doing well. Turnips and 

 coleseed hold out fairly, but do not possess any fattening 

 quality, and the sheep progress very slowly. We have 

 abundance of keeping at present. What a retrograde state 

 we are all in ! wheat thirty per cent, lower than the highest 

 point since harvest, and other grain nearly as bad 1 Wool is 

 thirty-five per cent, below its highest point. Store stock of 

 all kinds have gone down in similar proportion. Fat stock 

 still bears a good price, but looks downwards; notwithstand- 

 ing, we are strongly inclined to 1 elieve we have seen the 

 worst. The potato-crop is wofully bad, so no great amount 

 of food can be derived from it. Bread must be the great 

 support, and, as farmers have almost ceased thrashing for the 

 prese nt, the aupplies must run short. Fat itock are icaice 



