412 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



collapsed on the commercial interests of the country in 

 November has not failed to rrcoil on food-producers, 

 and wherever ra^ih speculation or the most rigid 

 economy has not been observed, sequestration of effects 

 Iiavc since Christmas taken place over this once- 

 flourisliing locality to an extent unprecedented, we 

 believe, since the first ten years of the present century: 

 confidence is shaken to the core, and every business 

 transaction worked out 'from hand to mouth.' We 

 have never disguised our opinion that the profit of the 

 farm would bo >a7. Then we lived in hope of quiet 

 reaction in trade : our markets, on the reverse, con- 

 tinue languid in the extreme; every return shows a 

 downward tendency. Whenever reaction takes place, 

 the million will, for a time at least, be dependent on 

 foreign supplies of breadstuff. Granaried corn, we 

 believe, is unusually scant; and looking at the corn in 

 bulk, also considering defective yield from our last 

 crop, the quantity to be realized irom the stack is cer- 

 tainly less than usual at this period of the yeai\ Nor 

 can we say much in favour of the rising crop." 



From Cambridgeshire we have but another echo 

 of the complaint : "The price of nearly all farm pro- 

 duce has gone down very much — indeed, too low for 

 the well-being of the farmers, very good wheat selling 

 at 5s. per bushel, the coarser sorts still lower; while 

 the stock of the farm has greatly deteriorated in value, 

 and the fattening of all animals has been this yeai- a 

 desperately losing game. There appears a very heavy 

 cloud at present over-shadowing our agricultural pros- 

 pects ; and we take our mark amiss if those farmers 

 who have lately taken their farms at an advanced rent 

 do not find out their mistake. We have not an over- 

 weening disposition to look at the gloomy side of the 

 picture, but there is no mistaking the fact that the loss 

 of property by the British farmer within the last six or 

 nine montlis (in one form or other) amounts to a most 

 frightful sum." 



From Berkshire we have, more especially, intelli- 

 gence on the present price of stock, all to tlie ssime 

 end : — "The trade in beef is extremely depressed, more 

 particularly for inferior descriptions ; the general dul- 

 ness of trade is also felt in mutton. Fat lambs are 

 scarce, and great activity in the trade has prevailed 

 during the last week. Porkers a':d bacon hogs meet a 

 sluggish demand, at receding prices. Veal is also 

 cheaper. The trade in store sheep is dull, and prices 

 have given way from 2s. to 3s. per h.ead. Prime cows 

 just calved sell fairly, but all other descriptions of 

 horned cattle share the general dej)rcssion. Store pigs, 

 particularly the larger ones, are difficult to sell. Good 

 horses of all descriptions sell readily, at about 20 per 

 cent, cheaper than last year; inferior sorts are neg- 

 lected. There is scarcely anything doing in wool. Hay 

 continues quite a drug. There is rather more inquiry 

 for straw. Potatoes hold out well, and early sorts for 

 planting have been in fair demand. The lambing sea- 



son is now nearly over, and the increase is moderate ; 

 in some of the large flocks considerable mortality 

 among the evi'es has prevailed." Warwickshire con- 

 firms this: — " The fairs have been well supplied with 

 fat stock, for which there is a slack demand." And 

 Durham adds: — " Our fat cattle markets have been 

 well supplied, and prices have had a downward ten- 

 dency. Grazing has not been remunerative; of cattle, 

 that were bought-in in October and November, in many 

 instances their keep has been given away." 



In a yet more noted district — Leicestershire — 

 " The price of all kinds of stock has of late been de- 

 clining, and is lower than this time last year; yet the 

 market tor beef and mutton being depressed, the grazier 

 is very cautious of buying at present prices. Fat beef 

 is selling at 5d. to 6jd., and mutton in the wool at 6d. 

 to 7d. per lb." And, " Wheat has receded in value till 

 it has reached a figure at which it is not remunerative 

 to the grower." 



Yorkshire declares: " Fat is plentiful, and bad to 

 sell at anything like remunerative prices to those who 

 purchased feeders in the autumn." 



The climax comes appropriately in the concluding 

 report of the whole number, that from South Shrop- 

 shire : " The worst symptom at present is the gradual 

 fall in the price of beef and pork ; mutton is also lower, 

 but not to the same extent. Instances are very nu- 

 merous in this part of the country where cattle have 

 been fed for five or six months, and sold out recently at 

 less money than they were bought in : indeed, we have 

 heard of instances where less than the cost-price has 

 been accepted, even though the animals had been kept 

 on the best food the farm produced. At our local fair 

 yt Ludlow, on Tuesday last, the top price of beef was 

 5id. per lb., and a good deal changed hands at 5d., or 

 a trifle over, several oi the best lots returning home 

 unsold. It must also be observed that the quality of 

 the animals shown at the above-named town is first- 

 latp, being almost entirely of the Hereford breed." 



A reference to the recent reports of the meat market 

 will show a still further decline. The trade never 

 looked so bad as it does at this moment. 



Shall we sum all this up ? The average price of 

 corn is lower than has been known for many years. 

 Cattle and sheep never lirought a worse return. Good 

 manures are unprofitably high ; and taxation quite as 

 heavy as ever. - Still the farmer has made the most of 

 his opportunities. No one will deny but that within the 

 last few years the art of agriculture has greatly pro- 

 gressed. All we ask for it is fair-play; more parti- 

 cularly from those most interested in its advance. Let 

 us hear no more of "harsh cases." Let us have no 

 more sliarp practice in raising rents, simply because a 

 bad man may be ready to outbid a good one. Let 

 land'ord and tenant pull together, and the Firm will 

 pull through. 



IMPORANT TRIAL.-VERDICT £1000. 



SALE OF CATTLE AFFECTED WITH PLEURO-PNEUMONIA.— VERDICT FOR THE PULL VALUE OF THE 



CATTLE. 



KUdare Spring Assizes. — Before the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland. 



Malcolmson v. M'Donough. 



Mr. M'Donough, Q C, stated the case for the plaintiff. It 

 became nia duty to stale the various facts and circumstances 

 from which he asked them to find a verdict of substantial 

 datnapje?. The action was one of considerable importance to 

 the part,ii>8 concerned, and the public in general. It was par- 



ticularly important, (!s the defendant would seek to involve 

 the case in seme difficulty, arising from matters, not of fact, 

 but of opinion. No question was raised as to the existence 

 of the warranty. It was a fact which the defendant could not 

 deny. If a single heifer were diseased, the party could bring 



