THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



445 



in order to raise an equality with the foremost. 

 The equal condition of animals, as well as the 

 breeding, shows the proper management of 

 animals. 



The ewes and lambs that are eating vetches and 

 rye must have fresh food every two days. Begin 

 the soiling of horses and cattle in the yards. The 

 milch cows will need assistance in green food, if 

 the pasture be scanty. Feed the store pigs with 

 clovers and vetches ; and afford ample littering to 

 all animals. As the early soiling green crops are 

 consumed, plough the land for turnips. 



Put mares to the stallion, and get colts ; though 

 this operation may be more safely performed the 

 previous autumn. 



Finish the so.ving of grass-seeds on the barley- 

 tilths. Sow by machine, and cover with light 

 harrowing and a heavy rolling. 



Dig hop-plantations, and tie the bine to the 

 poles. Shut up watered meadows for hay. 



Wash sheep by hand in a clear running stream; 

 and, for preventing the maggot-fly, sprinkle the 

 animals from head to tail, from a dredging-box, 

 witli a mixture of hellebore-root powder and of 

 black brimstone — :',lb. to l.Ub. 



Weed young quicks. Set thorns in hedges, but 

 not to expose the roots quite bare to the sun's 

 rays in dry situations. Rather leave the weeds to 

 moisten the roots, provided the upward growth be 

 not checked. 



AGRICULTURAL INTELLIGENCE, FAIRS, &c. 



BLAIRGOWRIE FORTNIGHTLY MARKET was 

 well attended, but business wasidull. There were 124 cattle 

 on the ground, the best of which sold at from 63. .9d. to 8s. 

 per stone. Milch cows were on demand, and sold readily 

 at from £G 10s. to £12 IO3. 



CHESTER FAIR — The supplj' of milking cows and young 

 stock was large, but not a fat beast was to be seen. The 

 prices for sheep and barrens were a shade higher. In the 

 horse fair there were some good auiraals, but the business was 

 not brisk. 



CORWEN FAIR was very well attended by buyers. A 

 great number of cattle was exhibited, and there was a better 

 demand for barrens than for any others, their prices varying 

 from £9 to £11. Few horses ^vere shown, aud those not bcin^ 

 of the best qualities, but a small business transacted. Store 

 pigs were lower than usual ; sucklings from eight to ten weeks 

 old, from 7s. to lOs. 



DEVIZES PAIR was very largely supplied, sheep only 

 being an average number, about 5,000 having been penned. 

 The sheep, which were mostly tega, sold at from SOs. to 363. 

 each ; and couples at from 423. to ISs. ; the trade being rather 

 better than at late fairs. There «ere a few fat sheep, shorn, 

 sold at Gd. to 7d. per lb. The supply of heifers and calves 

 was very large ; trade was dull, aud prices 25s. to 30a. a-head 

 lower, from £15 to £20 being about the range. Beef sold at 

 from lOs. to lis. a score. Horses were numerous, and of all 

 qualities, except the best. 



DULOE FAIR.— There was a good supply of weil-fed 

 cattle, which found a ready sale at £3 per cwt. for beef, and 

 7\il. per lb. for mutton. The fair being remarkably brisk 

 there was a good amount of business doue. 



EAST GRINSTEAD FAIR —Business was brisk in horned 

 stock. Yearlings and two yearlings were in demand, aud 

 there was an improvement in prices. Fat stock was not so, 

 and rather bung in hand ; sheep were souxbt after, particu- 

 Urly good Downs, but the samples of sheep at the fair were 

 not of that character. There was a short supply of good cart 

 colts. Pigs were not so nnmerous as usual, and prices were 

 rather lower. On the whole there was a good share of busi- 

 ness transacted, and trade was brisk. 



FENNY STRATFORD FAIR was the largest we have 

 seen for many years. A great number uf cattle, sheep, aad 

 pigs were on sale, most of which changed hands. 



GLOUCESTER MONTHLY MARKET was well supplied 

 with every description of stock. The beef trade ruled heavy, 

 aud the number of sheep penned was fully equal to the de- 

 mand. Pieef, 6d. to 6^d. ; mutton, in the wool, from 7d. to 

 7id. ; shorn sheep, 6d. to e^d. per lb. 



LINCOLN FAIR, as far as businese is concerned, shows 

 a decided falling off. Up to Wednesday night less money 



had changed hands than had been known for many years. 

 The attendance of horse dealers this year has been very 

 large, including all the principal English and continental 

 buyers. France was largely represented— far more so than 

 during the Crimean war, and this ma}' be taken as an indi- 

 cation of the high estimation in which English horses arc 

 held among the French breeders. The business on Monday 

 was confined to first-class animals, which, however, were by 

 no means readily to be met with. Second and third-rate 

 hackneys iind carriage horses were a drug, dealers refusing 

 to comply with anything like the demands of sellers. The 

 business was throughout the day extremely slow. On 

 Tuesda}', owners of second-rate horses still reiuscd to accept 

 the prices offered by buyers, and the business effected was 

 limited. On Wednesday there was a very large show of 

 horses, the unsold ones and the new arrivals, which con- 

 sisted chiefly of cart and farm horses, making the supply- 

 far more than equal to the demand. As the day progressed, 

 a little more life iri the trade was manifested, and several 

 good hack horses changed hands at prices ranging from £30 

 to £50. All but the very best hung heavily, and prices for 

 all descriptions must be c[uoted fully 20 per cent below the 

 prices of last year. The sheep fair on Ihursday was a 

 very large one : at least G0,000 were penned. The average 

 quality was decidedly good, far better than could have been 

 expected, considenn;? the long dry season and the scarcity 

 of keeping. In the early part of the fair, prices ranging from 

 £2 to £2 ib's. per head were demanded, the high prices of 

 last year evidently being very prominent in the recollection of 

 sellers; but prime wether hogs of the same description 

 which last year commanded prices as high as 70s. per head, 

 could not be sold at a reduction of 30 per cent. The busi- 

 ness done, however, was very limited, and ncarlj' half the 

 pens remained unsold at a late hour. The current prices 

 for good useful hogs were -lOs. to 4.5j. Mr. Howard, of 

 Dunholme, sold a pen of splendid hogs for .id's, a head. 

 There was a good show of fat sheep, v/hich sold at a slight 

 decline on the prices of last market day, the extremely hot 

 weather causing the butchers to purchase with caution. A 

 few lamb-hogs were in the market, but the high prices 

 asked were not paid. As a whole, the fair must be pro- 

 nounced the dullest known for many years past. 



SHIPSTONON-STOUR FAIR was well supported, but 

 trade was dull, owing to the great reduction in the value of 

 first-rate horses ; prices varied from £'2o to £G0. There was 

 also a good supply of sheep and cows ; beef realized 6d. 

 to 6^d. ; mutton, shorn, 5id. to 6d. Some pens of sheep, 

 sold iiy atiction by Messrs. Rull and Sou, the property of Mr. 

 Sheldon, of Bradcs, realised 699. a head. 



SOMERTON FAIR was not so large as usual, and 

 prices generally ruled dull. Fat beef from Vs. 6d. to 10s. 

 0"d. per score ; fat sheep, Gd. to 7d. per lb. ; cows and calves, 



