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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



it was considered a very dull fair, there being so few buyers. 

 8ud but little changed hands. 



HOLBEACH FAIR. — There waa a large show of horses 

 and foals, but a good deal of difficulty was experienced in 

 disposing of them at all satisfactorily, and many remained un- 

 sold. Mr. Turnbull, the father of the fair, was present as 

 usual, hale aud hearty as ever : iudeed he appears like " heart 

 of oak," equally proof against wet and dry. 



HOWDEN GREAT HORSE FAIR.— This fair com- 

 taenccd on Monday last, when there was an unusually large 

 attendance of buyers, and a superabundant supply of horses. 

 The day was wet and uncomfortable, and it was extremely 

 difficult to effect sales, except with first-class horses, which 

 were picked up the moment they entered the town. £80 ap- 

 peared to be the top price for good coach-horaes, but it is said 

 as much as £400 was given for two hunters. On Tuesday the 

 weather was beautiful, and the number of horses that came 

 into the town wai larger than has been seen for many years, 

 reminding us of the appearance of the town in former times. 

 Every stable in the place was full, strings of horses wandered 

 about the streets, unable to find accommodation. This was 

 the best day for business, but the sellers complained that they 

 could get nothing for their horses, and the dealers declared 

 they could find none worth buying. Both Wednesday and 

 Thursday were busy days, but the show appeared to draw to 

 a close on the evening of Thursday, when the principal dealers 

 took their departure. Dealers from all parts of the country 

 attended the show this year, an/l they appeared disposed to 

 give a good price for first-class horses, but a large portion of 

 those brought were not of that high quality required at How- 

 den fair, and we believe many went back unsold. 



LOUTH SEPTEMBER FAIR.— The supply of stock of 

 all descriptions on Friday last was much larger than usual, of 

 sheep in particular a very large number was penned. Buyers, 

 however, were either scarce or shy, as a comparatively small 

 amount of business was transacted at lower rates. A few lots 

 of lambs changed hands at from 248. to 28s. per head. 

 There waa a large show of horses, of which only a few were 

 sold. 



MOFFAT TUP FAIR.— The numbei of tups shown in the 

 pens V7as about 200 to 300 below the number of previous 

 years. There were 670 Cheviot rams, 132 Leicester rams, 70 

 blackfaced rams— total, 881. In addition to those shown in 

 the pens, there were 50 Leicesters sold by auction, and 20 

 Cheviots — making in all, 690 Cheviots, and 182 Leicesters, or 

 951 in all. With a few exceptions the rams were not equal 

 in condition to former years, first-rate animals being rather 

 scarce, the greater proportion being of an ordmary descrip- 

 tion. The sheep did not look so well as they otherwise would 

 have done, owing to the drenching rain. Little business was 

 done till after ten o'clock; and, except for the best kinds, the 

 demand waa very dull, the rain haviog also a considerable 

 effect in depressing business. Owing to the great deficiency 

 of breeding ewes this season, there are fewer rams required 

 for hill stocks ; and not only from this cause is there less de- 

 mand for tups, but from the heavy losses flockmasters have 

 sustained they were not disposed to give what are called "fancy 

 prices" for any animals which they actually required. Prices 

 were for the better class of tups 20s. to 30s. below those of 

 last year ; while inferior were 20 to SO per cent, depreciated 

 in value — indeed, in many cases for shearling rams prices 

 were offered not much higher than for good wedder lambs. A 

 large proportion of the inferior animals were driven off un- 

 sold. For Leicester rams there was a belter enquiry, as also 

 for Cheviots, but far from brisk. Very few blackfaced tups 

 changed owners. 



MORETON-IN-MARSH.— This fair was abundantly sup- 

 plied with all kinds of stock, which met a ready sale. Beef 

 7id. to 8d., mutton 7d. to 7-id. per lb. 



NORTHAMPTON ANNUAL CHEESE AND STOCK 

 FAIR was held on Wednesday last, which was scantily sup- 

 plied with the former article, aud liberally with the latter. 

 The show of North Wales Kents was large, and such as were 

 useful and good sold well, and not much lower in price ; the 

 same may be said of other breeds ; but middling and inferior 

 animals were decidedly lower, and a large number of all kinds 

 were sold. The Jlarket-square contained a very large number 

 of store sheep, especially barren ewes, the sale for which was 

 Mat ; good youug ewea, however, were sought after, and made 

 good prices, while inferior and old ones liung on hand, and 



could not all be sold. Good store lambs were not very plen- 

 tiful, and such were readily sold at good prices. In the fat 

 market beef was in large supply, with a heavy trade; cus- 

 tomers not very plentiful, and not eager to buy, excepting at 

 lower prices ; from 6d. to 7d. per lb. were the general figures, 

 but several were taken back unsold. The supply of mutton 

 was equal to the demand, making from 6d. to 7d. per lb., and 

 very little made anything more. The horse fair was well sup- 

 plied with all descriptions ; good ones could be readily sold at 

 good prices ; but it waa hard work to get quit of any other 

 sort, even at a bad price. 



PARTNEY SHEEP AND BEAST FAIR AND RAM 

 SALES, Sept. 18. — There was a large show of sheep, but 

 trade ruled dull, and during the early part of the day only 

 few sales were effected, holders being unwilling to submit to 

 reduced rates. As time passed on business became more 

 active, aud at a reduction of 23. to 3s. per head many lots 

 were sold. Lambs were worse to sell than drapes or store 

 sheep of any other kind, and at the close of the fair many lots 

 of lambs remained unsold. The ram sales, as usual, attracted 

 great attention. At the beast fair on Wednesday there was a 

 smaller show than is usual at the September fair. The fine- 

 ness of the day probablj' induced many persons to keep back 

 their stock in consequence of the urgency of harvest operations. 

 The best bullocks sold readily, at an advance from last fair of 

 £1 per head. Stores were rather a slow trade, but before the 

 fair closed a good clearance was effected, at about late rates, 



POOLEY FAIR.— This old-established fair was held at 

 Pooley on Monday last. It was originally a fair chiefly for 

 Fell sheep, but cross-breds have now been introduced. There 

 was also a quantity of cattle and horses shown. The business 

 done was considerable, it being what is called in cattle-dealing 

 parlance a selling market. 



READING FAIR.— There was a large supply of all sorts 

 of horses, but, as the harvest is verybickward, the attendance 

 of farmers was small. The demand for horses for London 

 heavy- work was pretty good, and the best animals were taken 

 off at £55 to £60, but the second class sorts made only from 

 £40 to £45. Fine cart-horses were but little inquired after, 

 and sold at £40 to £50 ; useful nags were cheaper than at 

 previous fairs, realizing only from £20 to £25. Carriage- 

 horses were short in number, and prices were £60 and up- 

 wards. Cart colts, two and three years old, £25 to £30. 

 There was a large supply of horned cattle, and Irish heifers 

 and steers were unusually numerous. Cows in full milk sold 

 well at at £13 to £21 ; inferior sorts, £10 to £18 ; heifers in 

 calf, £11 to £13 ; barren cows. £10 to £16. For the Irish 

 cattle there was literally no inquiry, and the herds were driven 

 away unsold. For English bulls, full age and size, there ap- 

 peared to be a slow trade ; two-year-old animals made from 

 £6 to £8, and yearlings £5 to £7 ; steers, £11 to £13. 



TEWKESBURY FAIR was largely attended. The supply 

 of stock, especially sheep, was unusually large, there being 

 nearly 3,000 of the latter penned. Messrs. Weaver and 

 Moore's catalogue contained 1,300 sheep (of which 800 were 

 fat) and 92 head of cattle, which realized upwards of £3,200. 

 Messrs. Thomas and Son also had upwards of 900 sheep aud 

 60 head of cattle. Mutton realized from 6Jd. to 7^d., and 

 beef 6d. to 7d. per lb. A small demand for store stock. 



WALTHAM HORSE FAiR, Sept. 18.— There was a 

 large show, and the trade very brisk, especially for useful 

 colts, which realized high prices — from £30 to £40 each ; but 

 inferior kinds met with a slow sale, and many were turned out 

 unsold. First-class riding and harness hacks were much 

 sought after, and readily bought up at good prices. 



WALTHAM CATTLE FAIR, Sept. 19.— There was a 

 large show of beasts. The trade for stores was not brisk, and 

 those sold did not realize so much by £1 to £2 per head as at 

 some recent fairs. Fat beasts made 6d. to Is. per stone less 

 money. 



WORCESTER GREAT FAIR.— The annual fair held at 

 Worcester, on the 19th September, was not so well attended 

 as usual. Farmers asked full prices for fat stock, and a good 

 deal was driven home unsold, the butchers buying sparingly. 

 There are no new hops yet picked ; old hops were not very 

 abnndant, and prices are still higher. The frost of last week 

 having been followed by heavy rain has done a great deal 

 more injury than was expected, and the estimated duty has 

 gone down to J£30,000, with no backers ; and the Worcester 

 duty is put as low at ^2,500 to jC3,000. Preaeut rates of 



