40 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



flourishing couiiti'ies iis Holland and Belgium, from 

 whence we obtain the best supply of both cattle and 

 sheep, the exporting power must necessarily be limited. 

 The number of sheep from Germany has certainly in- 

 creased ; but these are chiefly Merinos, and their 

 quality may be judged of, when we state that they do 

 not fetch more than from 15s. to 18s. each in the mar- 

 ket, after an expense of 2s. Gd. per head for freight, 

 and a heavy per-centage of loss on the voyage. 



Had it not been for the increased supply and improved 

 quality of the animals imported from Ireland, the price 

 of butcher's meat in London would liave been much 

 higher even than it now is. The old Irish herds of 

 animals of all kinds have been supplanted or crossed 

 with the best English breeds to so great an extent that 

 the Irish graziers can now successfully compete with 

 those of England in the size and quality of either cattle 

 sheep, or swine. Some Irish oxen having sold at 

 Smithfield at from £21 to £27, and sheep at from 50s. 

 to 65s. per head. 



The following table will show the decrease in the 

 importations of animals since 1854;— 



Importations of Cattle and Sheep in the 

 Years 1850 to 1859 inclusive. 



Years. 



1850 



1851 



1852 



1853 



1854 



1855 



1850 



1857 



1858 



] 859 



From 1850 to 1854 

 1854 to 1859; 



Total decrease. 



From the above facts it appears that the aggregate 

 importation has fallen off considerably since 1854, 

 being an average of 11,675 cattle of all ages, and 

 21,671 sheep and lambs per year; whilst the quality 

 of the latter is much inferior to what it was previously, 

 despite the great increase of price in the Englisli market. 

 There is therefore no reason to expect that we shall 

 have much increase of competition in the cattle market 

 with the foreigner. It is, tlien, of the utmost import- 

 ance, under the certainty that the consumption must 

 continue to increase, if moderate prices are sustained, 

 to inquire how the home supply may be so maintained 

 as to meet the demand, and thus prevent the rates from 

 advancing to such a degree as to act as a prohibition on 

 consumption by the operative classes. 



It is a question whether the modern practice of 

 getting animals of all kinds for the butcher at the 

 earliest possible age has not tended in some degree 

 to lessen the quantity of consumable meat. We refer of 

 course to the extended practice of fattening Iambs and 

 calves for the butcher, and thus decreasino- the 



number of mature animals, and consequently the 

 quantity of beef and mutton. Great credit is due 

 to the graziers of the pi-esent day for the efforts 

 they have made (and with so much success) to attain 

 precocity in the different classes of animals, by which 

 a much heavier ainount of meat is brought to market. 

 But on the other hand, to consign so large a portion of 

 the stock to the butclier in their infancy, we believe to 

 be contrary to the interest of the producer as well as of 

 the public at large. It may be said that to reduce the 

 quantity of lamb and veal would occasion considera- 

 ble rise in price. We say, be it so; this would be 

 an additional reason, because it would remunerate the 

 grazier better. While, as those descriptions of food 

 are chiefly consumed by the wealthy classes, the public 

 at large would be uninjured by it, because the advance 

 in price would fall upon those who are best able to bear 

 it, and a large supply of consumeable meat would be 

 brought to market to meet the increasing demand, and 

 thus keep the price from reaching a maximum that 

 would draw the operatives out of the market, or at any 

 rate cause him to lessen his consumption. It is simply 

 a question between a supply of the luxuries and the 

 necessaries of life. 



With the same end in view — the increase of animal 

 food to meet the increasing demand — it is desirable to 

 extend the cultivation of food for a greater number of 

 animals. In this point of view the farmer should keep 

 his eye on the malt-tax, which operates most 

 injuriously, it being clearly ascertained that a 

 small proportion of malt aids most materially in the 

 fattening of cattle and sheep, by reason of the con- 

 densation of the saccharine in the process of malting. 

 This is an additional reason for the abolition of 

 an impost, in every respect a heavy draw- 

 back upon the agriculture of the country. We 

 are by no means disposed to despair of having 

 remunerating prices for cereal produce ; indeed, 

 our exposition of the state of the corn trade, 

 as given a short time since, is already verified 

 by the present position of the market. But any de- 

 ficiency in the stock of corn is, as we liave already 

 said, easily supplied, the whole cultivated world being 

 open to us. Not so, however, with animal food. Look, 

 for instance, at the articles of butter, tallow, wool, 

 and leather, all of which must be taken into account 

 in dealing with the subject. The following table will 

 show their respective prices for the seven years from 

 1851 to 1857 inclusive : — 



We have not the prices for 1858 and 1859, but we 



