THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



977 



paratively trifling, and prices have ruled lower tliau iu imuy 

 prefiouB years. 



The growth of hops this year is a complete failure. Prices, 

 therefore, have rapidly advanced, and the estimated duty has 

 declined to £50,000. In some plantations scarcely any burr 

 is to be seen, and the growth will not pay the expense of 

 picking. 



The turnip crop is likely to be a very large one. Swedes 

 and mangolds have done well ; but warm weather is much 

 required to develope the qualities of those roots. We may 

 observe that there is now an unusually large supply of cattle 

 food for winter use. 



In Ireland and Scotland the grain trade has been active at 

 generally advanced rates. The shipments to England have 

 been on a very limited scale, owing to the reduced stocks of 

 produce on hand ; and very few sellers have come forward 

 except at high prices. 



REVIEW OF THE CATTLE TRA.DE DURING THE 

 PAST MONTH. 



The large supplies nf pastures and other food, the rapid 

 improvement in the condition of beasts and sheep, both in 

 the United Kingdom and on the Continent, and the increase 

 of arrivals from most sources of supply, have bad their ac- 

 customed influence on value. The decrease in the consumption 

 has no doubt had some effect upon the trade, which, com- 

 pared with several previous months, has ruled somewhat heavy, 

 on easier terms. The price of beef has now become moderate, 

 and that of mutton, lamb, veal, and pork are not extravagantly 

 high, considering the unfavourable season during the early 

 part of the year, and the scarcity of what may be termed 

 " really prime" animals. The Irish and Scotch demand in 

 London having wholly fallen off, metropolitan consumption 

 has been more readily met. That demand, which at one time 

 threatened famine prices in the Metropolis, seems to have result- 

 ed in heavy losses to those engaged in it ; hence, from Ireland 

 we are now receiving full average supples ; but from Scotland, 

 with the exception of a few sheep, next to nothing has reached 

 us during the whole of the month. We have, however, reason 

 to believe that the numbers of beasts nowin progress of fat- 

 tening in that country for England are larger than in most 

 previous seasons; but the graziers, true to their own interests, 

 wisely decline to forward them otherwise than in a fat state. 

 Had the Englith graziers adopted the same line of policy 

 during the last ten years the advantage to the whole country 

 would have been enormous. We should not have had to de- 

 plore a wholesale slaughter of young animals in a half-fat 

 state, the want of adequate supplies of food, or rapid fluctua- 

 tions in the quotations. However well the system may 

 have paid, it is obvious that from time to time we shall be 

 suffering from an unnatural state of things, and that we shall 

 be compelled to import largely to meet the necessities of the 

 people. 



In all quarters stock has been tolerably free from disease ; 

 but we are apprehensive that the prevailing wet weather will 

 lead to numerous cases of foot-rot in sheep. 



The imports of foreign stock have been on a very liberal 

 scale, as will be seen by the annexed figures : 



IMPORTS INTO LONDON IN AUGUST. 



HEAU. 



Beasts .. 6,647 



Sheep 38,249 



Lambs 1,856 



Calves 2,520 



Pigs 4,075 



Total 53,347 



Comparison of Imports. 

 Beasts. Sheep. Lambs. Calves. Pigs. 



1855 5,941 22,605 ,984 2,484 3,476 



1856 5,677 17,801 1,271 2,301 1,901 



1857 4,692 23,215 1,760 2,661 2.322 



1858 8,293 19.500 2,764 3,512 2,935 



1859 6,502 2,9175 3,308 3,254 1,805 



The above comparison shows that last month we imported 

 an unusually large number of sheep ; but we may obserTe 

 that they have added very little to the consumption, as they 

 have been principally composed of merinos from Germany, in 



vrretchcJIy poor cotrlitioD. Thi? roust be obviou?, when we 

 state that the majority of liiem have beeu sold at Irum I83. Ij 

 21s. each. Some of the Dutch sheep, however, have realized 

 over 60s. each. 



The total supplies exhibited in the Metropolitan Market 

 have been as under : 



HEAD. 



Beasts 22,290 



Cows •• .. 490 



Sheep and lamb 151,500 



Calves 3,346 



Pig 2.070 



The arrivals of beasts from Lincolnshire, Leicestershire 

 and Northamptonshire have amounted to 10,800 shorthorn?, 

 &c. ; from other parts of England, 4,500 of various breeds ; 

 from Scotland, 7 Scots ; and from Ireland, 1,826 oxen and 

 crosses. 



Comparison ov Supplies. 

 Aug. Beasts. Sheep& Lambs. Calves. Pigs- 



1855 20,816 151,870 3,356 4,272 



1356 21,271 147.-250 3,354 2,875 



1857 20,695 14.3,758 3,173 2,450 



1858 26,915 151.530 2,127 3,510 



1859 23,170 165,090 3,322 2,330 



Beef has sold at from 3s. to 53. 6d.; m-;tton, 33. 8d. to 5s. 

 6J. ; lamb, 53. 4d. to 63. 6d. ; veal, 4'. •2d. to53. 6d. ; and 

 pork, 4s. to 53. per 8 lbs. to sink the offal. 



COMPARI.SON OF PRICES. 



Aug. 1857. 

 s. d. 8. d. 

 Beef, from 3 to 5 0. 

 Mutton ..2 10 to 5 4. 

 Lamb .... 4 8 to 6 . 

 Veal 3 6 to 5 



Aug., 1858. Aug., 1859. 



s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. 



2 10 to 5 0.. 3 to 4 8 



3 0to5 0..3 2 to 5 



4 8 to 6 0..4 4 to 6 

 3 6 to 5 0..3 4 to 5 



Pork. 



,3 8 to 4 8.. 3 Oto4 2.. 3 6 to 4 6 



From Scotland and various parts of England increased sup- 

 plies of dead meat have been received up to Newgate and 

 Leadenhall markets, in which the trade generally has ruled 

 heavy, on easier terms. 



HEREFORDSHIRE. 



Gloomy as have been all our former reports from this county, 

 during the present year, we fear the worst is not past ; such a 

 succesiion of cold rains we never remember to have experiencei ; 

 and it appears the end is not yet, inasmuch as at the time we 

 write we have a falling barometer, a southerly wind, and after 

 only a few hours of dry weather, another fall of rain. Hay- 

 making has been a most tedious and expensive operation, for 

 with the exception of the early part of Jnly, there has been 

 no possible chance of making any good, and a great portion 

 of that put in the ricks was scarcely worth the labour of put- 

 ting it there. We never remember seeing so much damaged 

 and spoiled: this partly arises from the fact of farmers being 

 too busy turnip-planting during the short period of fine wea- 

 ther we had, to enable them either to spare hands to mow, or 

 properly attend to it after being cut, and strongly points to 

 the great benefit they would have derived from the use of 

 mowing-machines. In our own neighbourhood this part of our 

 harvest has been commenced twelve weeks, and is not yet 

 finished. Other harvest operations commenced with peas, 

 winter oats, barley, and clover-seed, and much of it has 

 shared the fate of the hay. Reaping has partially com- 

 menced, but the wheat is not ripe ; therefore, we ourselves 

 hesitate' beginning daring such a precarious season, trustin-; 

 in that Almighty Being who has promised us that "seed 

 time and harvest shall endure until the end of time," and may 

 He of His infinite mercy grant a speedy fulfilment of His 

 gracious promise. The wheat is generally very free from 

 blight, and has continued green a long time since blossoming, 

 which we consider a great blessing, inasmuch as had it been 

 ripe during the late terrific gales and heavy rains, the loss 

 would have been very serious. Where the crops are heavy, 

 they are much laid, but we regret to say heavy crops of this 

 corn is the exception and not the rule in the county this year, 

 and we see no reason to alter our former prediction, viz., that 

 the crop will be 10 per cent, below an average. Barley is 



