542 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



be brought to market ; hence the prospect of coming prices. 

 The labour market is easier, and good skilled hands are 

 more readily met with: wages for adult labourers from 

 12s. to los. per week. We trust, with a better supply of 

 men, agricultural improvements will still further advance, 

 for if the principle be sound of buying in the cheapest and 

 selling in the dearest market, then he must be the wisest 

 man who employs the most men when they are obtainable at 

 the least rate.— May 12. 



ISLEOFELY. 

 If we remember correctly, when our last report left us 

 the weather was severely cold, with sharp frosty nights; 

 but we believe, ere it appeared in print, the weather had sud- 

 denly changed, and we had some very fine warm days, and 

 were willing to hope spring had really come. But we were 

 sadly disappointed; for May opened upon us with cold nip- 

 ping winds blowing chiefly from the north and north-east, 

 and the days were nearly all followed by frosty nights. We 

 also had some cold rains at the beginning of the month, and 

 it was not until the last few days that milder weather set 

 in. The wind then veered to the S.S.W., and has since 

 been blowing softly, and vegetation is rapidly progressing. 

 We have also had some very fruitful showers, with thun- 

 der and gleaming sunshine. We cannot speak so favourably 

 of the appearance of the growing wheat as we did a month 

 ago. The cold rains which fell early in May have made 

 some of the cold tenacious clay soils present a yellow and 

 sickly hue, which is always a bad omen at this season of the 

 year, and bespeaks a small ear and a lighter yield. On the 

 black fen soils the weather has produced an opposite effect, 

 havinginade the wheats grow soft and Jlaggij •, and we see 

 many fields where a good deal is laid already, and looks 

 yellow and weak in the stem. Many of our Fen farmers 

 are sending men with hooks and scythes to cut off some of 

 the heavy flag, thereby enabling the plant to rise again. 

 At present these soils look much more like yielding a heavy 

 crop of straw than a large produce of grain. But it is 

 always diflicult to predict in May what will be the state of 

 the crop in August, as the changes in a crop of wheat whilst 

 growing are frequently so sudden and so great that we 

 never know the result until it is actually attained. The 

 cold rains and frosty nights have seriously injured the oat 

 crop, and in the Fens generally it is now looking badly. 

 The wireworm has committed fearful ravages in some in- 

 stances, and several fields either have been or must be re- 

 sown. On the high lands the prospect is better. Beans 

 generally are strong and look well. Mangel sowing is 

 nearly completed. The rains and warmer winds 

 of the last few days are highly favourable. Grass 

 keeping is improving. Our pastures are now good, but we 

 hear of complaints in some counties of grass being very 

 scarce. Store cattle are lower and slow to sell, we conceive 

 lu consequence of the shortness of keeping in other localities. 

 Beef is slightly better to sell. Store sheep are dearer- 

 mutton maintains its value. Pork is still a heavy trade' 

 and store pigs a little dearer. The wheat trade lluctuates 

 slightly, most weeks either a shilling up or down. Sup- 

 • plies are not heavy, and the weather and appearance of the 

 growing crops will now exert considerable influence upon 

 prices. — May 18. 



SUFFOLK. 

 Within the past few days we have had a change of wind from 

 N. and N.E. to S. and S.W., and the consequent increased 

 temperature combined with refreshing showers of rain have 

 greatly improved the appearance of vegetation generally in the 

 county. The wheats for the most part look promising, and 

 It IS the opinion of mauy that the crop neve'r presented a 

 better appearance ; but we observe in some cases a too perpen- 

 dicular asoeut of the stem, and a want of tillering The cold- 

 ness of the weather, and especially the frosts each night, have 

 natural y retarded the growth of the barley, and on the stiff 

 Clay soils the influence has been particularly remarked : but 

 smcethe late refreshing showers a burst of luxuriancy has 

 beeu the result, and the strength of the stem and the curlineas 

 ot the blade give indication of an abundant yield. Owincrto 

 beanTfhp'w' '" ""f Vnl^^rmng the land prepared^for 

 beans, the plants are strong and luxuriant. The peas look 



equally well. The mangold wurtzel seed has been put in very 

 satisfactorily, and the plant is generally up, with a dark-green 

 thrifty appearance. The cultivation of swedes hss greatly 

 dimiuished, owing to the ^ superiority of the mangold crop. 

 Some are already sown and up, whilst others are daily being 

 drilled. Stock farmers have been much pressed for feed, and 

 the chief reliauce has been the mangold wurtzel crop, which 

 yearly increases its reputation : even many^flocks have lived 

 mainly on this root ; and where a bite of green food has been 

 given in addition, the ewea and lambs have thriven well. 

 Beasts have been put on a shorter allowance of food, or they 

 are sent early to market, but so unsatisfactory have been the 

 returns, that the graziers' losses are considerable, and men re- 

 luctantly submit to such heavy sacrifices. — May 18. 



CUMBERLAND. 



The weather during the spring months has been as fa- 

 vourable for cleaning and preparing the land for the recep- 

 tion of the seed as could well have been desired. It was 

 sufficiently dry for the operation of pulverizing and cleaning 

 the land, and yet was supplied with sufficient moisture by 

 the showers of rain that occasionalli' fell to prevent it from 

 baking with drought or stunting vegetation by want of 

 moisture. On the afternoon of Frida}', the 14th inst., the 

 east of Cumberland was visited by a good deal of thunder, 

 heavy showers of rain falling here and there — in some places 

 mixed with a considerable quantity of hailstones. This was 

 followed, on the evening and night of Saturday, with a con- 

 siderable fall of rain, which has continued at intervals up 

 to the present time ; and to-day and yesterday it has been 

 blowing— and continues to blow — something like a hurri- 

 cane. A rather large breadth of potatoes has again been 

 planted under favourable circumstances, so far as the wea- 

 ther and state of the land are concerned, but the result will 

 depend upon the after-part of the season being wet or dry. 

 Mangel wurzel has been extensivelj' sown this year. The im- 

 portance of this valuable root is rapidly becoming better 

 understood and appreciated. The sowing of swede turnips 

 has been retarded these last few days, inconsequence of the 

 land being too wet from the recent rains to allow of its 

 being properly finished up ; the consequence is that much 

 fewer turnips have been got in than might otherwise have 

 been the case. Wheat, as it has done all the winter, is 

 looking very well— perhaps, too gross and thick upon the 

 ground, with a too-luxuriant blade, which, should it turn 

 out a damp summer, maj' be very prejudicial to the crop. 

 Oats were got in favourably and are going on well, with 

 little harm from their old enemy the grub. Barley, too, 

 was got in well, and is so far promising. Grass lands re- 

 ceived a considerable check from the severe weather in the 

 early part of March, with some cold east winds in April ; 

 but the fields rapidlj' recovered their green hue, and have 

 lately been full of grass. Should the present wet weather 

 continue some time longer, it will give a chance of a good 

 crop of hay, as, according to the old adage, 

 " A wet May 

 Gives plenty of hay." 

 The grain market, especially wheat, continues much de- 

 pressed, without any prospect of much improvement. Oats 

 and barley, though selling at a comparatively better price 

 than wheat, have been lower during the last two or three 

 weeks. Beef and mutton are both lower than some time ago. 

 Penrith fair, held on the 23rd April f..r sheep and the 24th 

 for cattle, being the first important fair in the district, is u 

 criterion to judge by of the value of cattle. At this fair 

 cattle and sheep for grazing sold lower than expected, con- 

 sequently the dealers, at least many of them, would realize 

 a loss instead of a profit, having picked them up in the 

 country at a price beyond what the market would afford. 

 Althoughprices are considerably lower than last year, they 

 are still high when compared with some former years. As 

 regards sheep, the decreased price of wool has assisted mate- 

 rially to reduce their value, and yet wool has often been 

 known to be sold at a less price than it is likely to be this year. 

 There is no reason for farmers to despond : the price of agri- 

 cultural produce is going through one of those periodical times 

 of depression which have regularly occurred in the course 

 of from eight to ten years. If any have reason to fear, it 

 will be those who have lately taken their farms at an in- 



