THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



867 



AGRICULTURAL REPORTS. 



GENERAL AGRICULTTTRAL REPORT FOR 

 FEBRUARY. 



This has been a remarkablj' fine month for all out-door 

 farm operations. In most parts of England they have pro- 

 gressed steadily, and are now quite as forward as in the ge- 

 neral run of years. Thus far, matters are satisfactory ; but, 

 If we turn our attention to the state of the grain trade, we 

 shall find matter for serious consideration. Not that the 

 fall in the value of produce since we last wrote has been 

 extensive —indeed, the fluctuations in prices have been com- 

 paratively trifling — but in various quarters gloomy antici- 

 pations have been indulged in as regards the future. Wheat 

 IS now about the cheapest ariicle of consumption, and pre- 

 sent appearances of the trade certainly indicate future de- 

 pression, notwithstanding that the manufacturing industry 

 of the country is recovering from the late panic, that money 

 is very abundant and cheap, and that consumption has 

 somewhat improved of late. There are, however, influences 

 at work calculated to preveat any upward moveraeutin the 

 quotations. In the first place, the stocks of wheat in the 

 hands of our farmers are unquestinnablj' large for the time 

 of year; in the second, the French markets continue to be 

 heavily supplied with all kinds of produce ; and, in the 

 next, we have as yet received but a limited quantity of 

 wheat from the United States, the growth of 1S57. In that 

 year the yield was an unusually fine one, both as to quan- 

 tity and quality ; but the movement to the shipping ports, 

 owing to the commercial panic, was very small during the 

 last three months of the season. For instance, since the 1st 

 of September the shipments of wheat were only about 

 3,000,000 bushels, a-ainst over 7,000,000 bushels in the 

 corresponding period in 1856 ; hence, present stocks in the 

 United States are very large, and prices continue to rule 

 low. In France, too, nearly the same state of things pre- 

 vails, and the fall in the quotations since the 1st of July 

 has been forly-one per cent.; nevertheless, with open ports, 

 or nearly so, present prices are eagerly accept eJ by the 

 growers. The fact is that the French agriculturists and 

 millers have been dissappoiuted as regards the effects of the 

 new law permitting the ex;iort of produce. They, at one 

 time, looked forward to considerable e.xcitement in the trade 

 and consequently to higher prices, as the result of the per- 

 mission given to ship grain and flour; but thej' appear to 

 have overlooked the fact that the growth of corn last year, 

 in all the grain districts of the world — and especially in 

 this country— was the largest on record. True, the partial 

 failure of our potato crop might be taken as a proof that 

 m )re grain would be consumed ; but as the growth of po- 

 tatoes on the continent has turned out very large, and as 

 immense quantities have been shipped to this country during 

 the last two months in fair condition, the losses have been 

 thus partially met by the foreigner. But even on this im- 

 portant matter much might be written, and, if our informa- 

 tion be correct, it would now appear that the actual losses 

 have not turned out soextensive as they were at one time sup- 

 po>ed. At all events, there is no actual scarcity of English 

 potatoes, though we admit that their quality is not such as 

 to command what may be termed a ready market. What, 

 then, shall we say in reference to the probable future range 

 in the value of wheat and other articles.^ It must be ad- 

 mitted that there is no scarcity of supply either here, in 

 France, or in the United States. The supply, we are of 

 opinion, will be found more than equal to general consump- 

 tion, and if the system — still persevered in to an unusual 

 extent, more especially in reference to the importations from 

 the north of Europe— of selling at any price, be continued, 

 it is impossible to say at what figure the downward move- 

 ment in wheat will stop. But even with present abun- 

 dance, it appears to us that it is absolute folly for the foreign 

 growers to inundate our markets with more produce than 

 the demand can take off. Fortunately, our farmers have 

 AcUd upon the defensive principle ; in other words, they 



have declined to thrash out larger quantities of wheat than 

 the local millers are able to take off ; still, there is one im- 

 portant element wanting in the trade, viz., s peculation, 

 which, with moderate arrivals, might again be m the as- 

 cendant, and give an additional, perhaps an important, tone 

 to the trade. 



Barley continues to be in fair request, and the quotations, 

 compared with wheat, rule somewhat steady, although the 

 exports of grain-spirit to the continent have fallen off to 

 some extent. Moat other kinds of spring corn have sup- 

 ported previous rates tolerably well, yet the currencies of 

 inferior oats have had a drooping tendency. From Ireland 

 the shipments of oats and other articles have been on a very 

 moderate scale; but from Scotland, large quantities of 

 wheat, barley, and oats continue to be forwarded to the 

 south. 



The cattle trade has been in a depressed state bath in 

 London and in the provincial markets, and prices generally 

 have given way. The supplies of live stock exhibited in 

 the metropolitan markets have not increased in number, 

 though there has been a decided improvement in the weight 

 and condition of the beasts ; still the great falling-ulf in the 

 consumption of meat in Manchester, Birmingham, &c ,ha8 

 had the effect of inducing many parties to forward unusu- 

 ally large quantities of meat to Newgate and Leadenhall. 

 These supplies have been disposed of at low prices, and con- 

 sequently the consumption of London has been chiefly met 

 by country-killed supplies. 



Although the supplies of hay and straw have not ia- 

 ci-eased, the demand has fallen off and prices have given 

 way. Meadow hay has sold at from £2 10s. to £3 16s ; 

 clover do., £3 10s. to £4 16s. ; and straw, £1 4s. to £1 fls. 

 per load. 



For all kinds of foreign and colonial wool the demand has 

 been in a most unsatisfactory state, yet the decline in prices 

 has not been extensive. English wools have met a slow 

 inquiiy on former terms. The present stocks of colonial in 

 London are 2!),I75 b-^les, viz.: 5,186 Sydney, 7. H:^'4 Port 

 Phdip and Portland Bay, 390 Adelaide, 7 New Z--aiand, 

 and 14,758 Cape. In addition to these supplies, there are 

 in warehouse 1,145 bales East India and 297 China. It is 

 a remarkable fact that not a single bale of Van Diemen's 

 Land wool is on hand. 



The root crops are lasting well, and very large quantities 

 are now offering at low prices. In some parts of the coun- 

 try large patches of turnips are offered for sheep-feeding 

 free of expense. 



In Ireland and Scotland the wheat trade has ruled heavy, 

 and prices have continued to give way ; spring corn, how- 

 ever, has supported previous quotations. For stock-feeding 

 the weather has been favourable. 



REVIEW OF THE CATTLE TRADE DURING 

 THE PAST MONTH. 

 Notwithstanding that the metropolitan market has been 

 very moderately supplied with beasts and sheep, more espe- 

 cially with the latter, during the whole of the month, trade 

 generally has beeu depressed, and a fall of from 2d. to 4d. per 

 81bs. has taken place in the quotations. Even at that amount 

 of depreasioD, the butchers have purchased cautiously, and 

 wholly for present wants. This state of the trade has induced 

 the opinion in some quarters that consumption in London has 

 greatly fallen o(f. Such, however, we believe is not the case, 

 since we 6nd that the receipts of meat (rom our provinces, as 

 well as from Scotland, have been considerably in excess of 

 most corresponding periods of the year. No doubt consump- 

 tion in our mauiifacturing "districts has seriously decline), and 

 this fact has induced those who have been in the habit of sup- 

 plying Birmingham, Manchester, &c., somewhat liberally, to 

 turn their attention to London, and the low charges by the 

 Tuious rftilway companie* (qx the conveyance of meat, vit., 



