540 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



soil's productiona. A few years of scientific research, aided 

 by the discoveries of modern science, will, in our opinion, 

 double the produce of the American ooil. 



Although stead}' iuipottationa of ioreign wheat and flour 

 have taken place, there has been rather more firmness in 

 the demand for wheat ; and in some instances fine qualities 

 have produced a trifle more money. Apparently, however, 

 present quotations are not safe, because the inland naviga- 

 tion in the United States is re-opened, and heavy ship- 

 ments of wheat have been commenced from the Lower 

 Baltic ports. Everywhere, great abundance exists. In 

 this country there is, we believe, more wheat on 

 hand than has been almost ever known at any correspond- 

 ing period of the year ; and in America the supply is, 

 according to all accounts, enormous. No doubt the surplus 

 supply of the world will be forwarded to us ; and no doubt 

 the quantity will be in excess of our warits. Under these 

 circumstances, speculation is out of the question ; and we 

 are somewhat apprehensive that the shipping-houses on the 

 continent, most of whom have continued to force sales ex 

 ship for many months past, will determine to sell on arrival, 

 to the prejudice of the English farmer. The present returns 

 upon the entire crop of last year, however, are more satis- 

 factory than might appear at first sight. We must not 

 forget that the yield has turned out very large ; that the 

 condition of the wheats is first-rate; and that a large 

 portion of the arrivals from the North of Europe is inferior 

 in quality ; hence, a wide dift'erence exists in prices, and 

 that difference is certainly in favour of English qualities ; 

 Still prices are low— lower indeed than could be desired ; 

 but, at the same time, the total return in money to the 

 home growers, taking into account the comparatively high 

 value of barley and other spring corn, is somewhat in excess 

 of former periods of great depression in the trade, the result 

 of overwhelming importations from abroad. 



For barley, oats, beans, and peas there has been a steadj-, 

 though not to say active, demand, at fair average quota- 

 tions. Throughout the continent extensive supplies remain 

 on hand ; and we have every reason to anticipate unusually 

 large importations during the remainder of the season. 



Good and sound potatoes have now become exceedingly 

 scarce ; prices have consequently advanced. Inferior 

 parcels have sold heavilj', at drooping currencies. The im- 

 portations from the continent have nearly ceased. 



The wool trade has been in a most inactive state through- 

 out the month ; and at the colonial sales prices have given 

 way Id, to 2d. per lb. English wool, however, has become 

 rather firmer in price than it was at the commencement of 

 the month. The total importations of foreign and colonial 

 wool into England during the first four months of the year 

 were 122,.382 bales, against 139,070 bales in the correspond- 

 ing period last year. This deficiency has since been more 

 than made good by the arrival of 40,000 bales in the month 

 just concluded. 



In Ireland and Scotland agriculture has made satisfactory 

 progress ; and the fluctuations in the value of grain have 

 been trifling. Fat stock has, for the most part, realized 

 fair quotations; and the supplies forwarded to England 

 have been quite equal to many former seasons. 



REVIEW OF THE CATTLE TRADE DURING 

 THE PAST MONTH. 



Notwithstanding that the supplies of live stock on ofi'er 

 in the Metropolitaa Market have been only moderate for 

 the time of year, little or no improvement has taken place in 



the general demand, compared with the previous month. 

 However, prices generally have ruled steady. As regards 

 the condition of the beasts and sheep brought forward, we 

 may observe that it has been fully equal to most correspond- 

 ing periods of the j-^ear. The dead weights have, too, fully 

 come up to previous estimates. These are important mat- 

 ters in connexion with the production of live stock. In the 

 first place they prove that grazing has continued to hold its 

 high position ; and, in the second, that the supply of meat 

 is increasing. There ma}' be a great difierence of opinion 

 on this latter point ; but no one who has narrowly watched 

 the progress of agriculture, and who has carefully observed 

 the various changes which have presented themselves 

 during the last ten years, will deny that our enormous con- 

 sumption of animal food is now easily met by the home pro- 

 ducers. The depressed state of the trade and commerce of 

 the country ha?, no doubt, caused less activity in the cattle 

 trade ; but we believe that there is now what may be fairly 

 termed an abundance of fat stock in nearly every district in 

 England. High prices during the past year, and the absence 

 of disease amongst the cattle, have produced a result both 

 important and gratifying. In many former j'ears, owing to 

 the scarcity of food about this period, large numbers of 

 beasts and sheep have been forced for sale in little less than 

 a half-fat state. Such, however, is uot the case at present, 

 owing to an abundance of hay on most farms, and to the 

 rapid extension of the root-crop system. But with all 

 these favourable features, it must be admitted that grazing 

 haa become rather an unprofitable business, arising from 

 the unusually high prices paid for store animals during 

 nearlj' the whole of 1857. The present moderate rates at 

 v/hich fat stock is selling may, however, serve as a whole- 

 some check to what may be termed high speculative prices 

 for store stock, even of a first-class character. If we trace 

 the course of the cattle trade through a series of years, we 

 shall find that high prices almost invariably lead to a de- 

 cline in the consumption ; indeed, place the actual neces" 

 saries of life beyond the reach of the great consuming 

 classes, this result is in no way surprising : hence, we argue 

 that moderately high prices are the safest basis upon which 

 to conduct both the live and dead trade. 



We have again to notice very moderate importations of 

 foreign stock, notwithstanding that the value of meat in 

 France has had a drooping tendency, and that the drain 

 upon the resources of Holland for French consumption has 

 become less excessive. We may remark likewise that the 

 general condition of the beasts and sheep imported has 

 fallen off, compared with many previous months. The fu- 

 ture arrivals of stock from Holland are not likely to increase, 

 for the all-important reason that the supply in the country 

 has fiillen off, and that our prices show no margin of profit 

 on imports. 



The following supplies have arrived in the metropolis 

 during the month : — 



Beasts 1,1 18 head. 



Sheep 3,931 „ 



Lambs 185 „ 



Calves 1,461 „ 



Pigs 13 ,. 



Total., 



Same time in 18.57 

 „ 1856 



6,708 , 



7,243 , 



3,556 , 



1855 7,10.3 , 



1854 '^ 4,708 „ 



1853 »13,007n 



1852 i!:8,B06^,: 



1851 m214JP„ 



