464 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



have met a dragging trade. It would, therefore, appear that 

 we have passed the highest range in general value for some 

 time ; but we must be careful how we estimate the future by 

 the present state of the demand. No doubt the position of 

 the consumers is improved so far as home supplies are con- 

 cerned ; but we have yet to understand the effect which a 

 material fallino: oflf in the importations from the continent will 

 hive upon value. Ere long the contiuental ports will be closed 

 against shipmeutsi; but the question is— has our own stock so 

 much increased in weight as to render large importations un- 

 ntccssRry, to kfep prices at tbsir present level? One thing ia 

 quite clear to us, 'iz. — that ^vt h ve now more Englis'.! stock 

 on hand than at this perioci in 1859 ; but, at the same tiaie, 

 we are of opiuion, considering the extent of the consumption, 

 thut the quotations will advance above their present level 

 during the last two months of the year. 



The supply of turnips, swedes, &c. is likely to be unusually 

 large in quantity during the winter ; but, owing to the want 

 of warm weather during the last two mouths, we apprehend 

 that their quality will not be so good as in the ordinary run 

 of years. 



The annexed figures show the imports of foreign stock into 

 London during the past month :— 



UGAU. 



Beasts 6,750 



Sheep 24,980 



Lambs .. .. .. .. ,, 217 



Calves 1,662 



Pigs 2,074 



Total 



35,683 



Imports at corresponding Periods. 



October. Beasts. 



1859 6,036 



1858 4,600 



1857 5,819 



1856 8.871 



1855 8,136 



1854 6,894 



Sheep. 

 24,323 

 24,145 

 24,102 

 10,502 

 21,137 

 16,328 



Calves. 



784 

 1,581 

 1,998 

 1,280 

 1,358 

 1,009 



Piers. 

 878 

 553 



l,£-33 

 895 



1,501 



1063 



The total supplies of home and foreign stock exhibited in 

 the Great Metropolitiu Market have been as under : 



HEAD. 



Beasts.. 26,240 



Cows •• .. 525 



Sheep 128,250 



Calves 2,289 



Pigs 2,620 



Included in tiie above supplies are 12,600 shorthorns, from 

 Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, and Northamptonshire; 5,300 

 various breeds from ether parts of England ; and 1,100 oxen 

 and cows from Irelard. No beasts have appeared on sale from 

 Scotland. Surprise hss been expressed at this circumstanre ; 

 but we believe that it has been found more profitable to for- 

 ward dead meat to Newgate and Leadenhall, than live stock to 

 the Metropolitan Market. Of one thing we may rest assured, 

 and that is, a great abundance of both beasts and sheep in the 

 large producing districts in that country. The Scotch graziers, 

 however, are wise in thfir generation. They, for the most 

 part, act upon a principle which all must acknowledge is a 

 correct one— iu other words, they decliue to forward supplies 

 otherwise than iu first-rate condition, and for which they in- 

 variably realise a good market in the south, both as regards an 

 active trade and remunerative prices. If the English graziers 

 generally were to act upon so wholesome a system, we should 

 not be suiTerin? from the efifects of great fluctuations in the 

 quotations, or from deficient supplies at periods when they 

 are most required. Besides which, we are perfectly satisfied 

 that much greater profits would be realised iu the long run. 

 In the past mouth beef has been sold at from 2s. 6d. to 4s. 

 8d. ; mutton, 3s. to 59. 4d. ; veal, 3». 8d. to 4s. lOd. ; and pork, 

 43. to 5s. 4d. per 81bs. to sink the offal. 



Comparison of Prices. 



Oct., 1856. Oct., 1857. 



_ , , 8. d. 8. d. 8. d. e. d. 



Beef, from 2 10 to 4 10 .... 3 2 to 5 



^"«<"» 3 6 to 5 2 .... 3 4 to 5 6 



^«* ...3 6 to 5 4 .... 3 4 to 5 4 



^O'l* 3 6 to 5 2 .... 3 6 to 5 4 



Oct., 1858. Oct., 1859. 



s. d. B. d. 8. d. 8. d. 



Beef, from 2 8 to 4 10 .... 2 10 to 4 10 



Mutton 2 10 to 5 3 to 5 4 



Veal 3 4 to 5 .... 3 8 to 5 8 



Pork 2 10 to 4 4 3 4 to 4 8 



It must be understood that at the close of the mouth the 

 top price of beef was 4s. 6d. ; of mutton, Ss. 2d. ; of veal, 48. 

 6d. per 8 lbs. It follows, therefore, that the latest prices show 

 rather an important decline in a comparative seme ; but this 

 decline must be chiefly attributed to the immense quantities 

 of English and Scotch meat which have made their appear- 

 ance at Newgate and Leadenhall. They have amounted to 

 nearly 90,000 carcases of each kind. This excess in the sup- 

 plies has reduced prices materially. This must be evident 

 when we state that the best beef has declined to 4s., the best 

 mutton to 4s. 2d., the best veal to 4s. 2d., and the best pork 

 to 5s. 4d. per 8 lbs. by the carcase. 



The price of rough fat, owing to a further rise in the value 

 of tallow, has advanced to 33. 2d. per 8 lbs. We may observe, 

 however, that the shipments of tallow from St. Petersburg this 

 year have amounted to 120,003 casks, against 77,188 do. in 

 1859, and 84,412 do. in 1858. Whether this excess 

 will be followed by reduced prices for tallow remains to 

 be seen. It is well to know that nearly the whole of the tal- 

 low in London is in strong hands ; but of course the future 

 range in the quotations will, in some measure, he regulated by 

 the quantity of town tallow produced during the winter 

 months. Our impression is that it will be much larger than 

 during the two previous years. 



LEICESTERSHIRE. 

 We have somewhat delayed our usual report on agricultu- 

 ral affairs in this neighbourhood till we could speak with a 

 greater degree of certainty as to the result of the harvest, in 

 this peculiarly trying season. In our last we noticed, that 

 " should the weather prove hue for cutting and harvesting 

 the crops, we saw no reason to despair of a satisfactory 

 result as to the produce, and we have gi'^nt l...pes that it will 

 reach an average." This, alas ! was not realized : the fre- 

 quent and heavy rains in August, and absence of sun, re- 

 tarded the ripening of grain, and injured the full crops, by 

 laying them flat, and thus we were driven into a September 

 harvest; and, iu this month, we registered, after the 14th, 

 nearly .1^ inches of rain. With such a large rain-fall, and 

 after a sunless summer, the corn was not ripe, and very 

 little fit to cut before the commencement of this month. 

 Fortunately the first fourteen days were very fine, with the 

 exception of a slight thunder shower or two, and on for- 

 ward soils a large quantity of corn was cut and stacked in 

 fair condition. Had not Providence of his goodness fa- 

 voured us with this fortnight of warm sunny weather, the 

 consequence to our harvest would have been most lamenta- 

 ble ; for since the 14th of September up to the present 

 lime, we believe it has not been possible to secure grain in 

 any state near good condition — that is, none fit for grinding 

 without mixing it with old dry corn. Even in this forward 

 district, on strong clay laud, a large portion of the crops 

 have been hastily carted, and stacked in such a damp state 

 that they have heated, and, in several instances, have been 

 taken to pieces and restacked in the best manner they 

 could, with great waste and unsatisfactory results, the grain 

 being greatly injured. We are now enabled to state that no 

 cereal crops are outstanding excepting on poor cold uu- 

 drained land ; but here some are not yet ripe, and can only 

 be used as fodder for stock in a green state. Very few beans 

 are yet in " the stack," and we fear the " spotted pack" will 

 issue forth in full chase with the greater portion of this crop 

 standing uncut, or in the sheaf; and if reyuard takes his 

 flight across these fields, his pursuers may be treading out 

 the corn with the feet of quadrupeds, as in primitive times, 

 but not on the tlu-ashing floor. For the most part this crop is 

 in a very unfit state to stack ; the upper pods are yet green, 

 and the rains of last week have prevented the corn hardening; 

 and, at this late season we fear there is little chance | 

 of securing this otherwise fine and abimdant crop, without I 

 great injury to the produce. We have no doubt, had the 

 harvest weather been equally good with ordinary seasons, 

 the quality and quantity of all crops in this county would 

 have proved a full aver.ige ; even witli the groat waste 



