THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



467 



AGRICULTURAL INTELLIGExNCE, 

 FAIRS, &c. 



AXMINSTER FAIR.— About 5,030 Bheep were penned, 

 but the sale was very dull, and prices partook of the depression 

 noticed at Weyhill. Mutton sold at 7d. per lb. ; Down ewes 

 253. to 30s. each ; horn ewes, 27s. to 358. ; cross-bred ewes, 

 30a. to 32s. ; horn lambs, 16s. to 243. 61.; Down and cross- 

 bred lambs, 163. to 21e. Besf lOs. per score. Poor barreners 

 53. to 6s. per score. Fresh barreners Is. per score higher. 

 Pigs were plentiful, and sold well, but at lower rates. Slips, 

 2l3. to 278. each ; young pigs, 8s. to 12s. each. There was a 

 large supply of horses, end a few useful ones were picked up. 



BAMPTON FAIR, on Thursday last, was attended by 

 some 600 or 700 persons from all parts. The Exmoor ponies 

 however were less in demand than usual (owing, perhaps, to 

 the scarcity and cost of keep) ; but 54 out of 57 found 

 new homes. They made from 20 to 25 per cent, lower than 

 last year ; but the cobs sold well, and " The Comet" went to 

 the Earl of Portsmouth's stables at 50 guineas : six of them 

 averaged £44 ; ten, £40 ; and sixteen, £35 each. There 

 were purcVasers from 19 counties, and from both North and 

 South Wales. It is intended to take the Exmoor stock to 

 the railway s-de next year, and to sell them one month 

 earlier. All the cobs and ponies were young horses, and" 

 scarcely three of them had been ridden on the roads off the 

 farm, 



BLYTH FAIR.— The supply of cattle and sheep was ex 

 tensive, but there was only an indifferent one of fat beasts 

 The prices had a downward tendency, and the business trans- 

 acted was limited. In the sheep fair some tine pens of good 

 Iambs were exhibited, but the demand was not so satisfactory, 

 as comparatively few changed hands. The show of horses 

 consisted chiefly of the Irish breeds. Of pigs there was a 

 first-rate supply. There was a heavy market, and many left 

 unsold. 



BROMYARD FAIR.— The supply of stock of all descrip- 

 tions was very large. Beef fetched 6d. to 6|d. per lb. ; mut- 

 ton, 6|d. to 7d. Pigs were lower in price, 



CAMELFORD FAIR.— The show of stock was much the 

 same as in former years at this season, but the sales were so 

 few for sheep that no price can be quoted. Fat bullocks sold 

 at about £3 per cwt., and £2 10s. for second quality. The 

 fair was altogether a dull one. 



COLCHESTER FAIR.— There was a large supply of bul- 

 locks, in middling condition, consisting of Shorthorns (Here- 

 fords fetching from £12 to £14 per head), Scots, Welsh runts 

 (£3 to £5 each), Irish beasts, and calves, the best of which 

 only seemed to attract attention, and barely late rates main- 

 tained, there being many lots unsold, although offered at less 

 money. The supply of sheep aud lambs was very meagre, the 

 trade in which was depressed, at a downward tendency in 

 prices. Shearling wethers offering at from 30s. to 35s. per 

 head, with no buyers. The supply of horses was quite an 

 average. Good cart horses fetched from £30 to £40, colts 

 from £20 to £30, with a dull sale, which was confined to the 

 better sorts. 



DEVIZES FAIR. — There was the largest number of sheep 

 penned ever remembered, being estimated by many at 25,000 ; 

 but buyers were scarce, and consequently the trade was very 

 dull, prices being from Is. to 28, a-head below those of Wey- 

 hill, and from Ss. to 4s. below those at Wilton ; a great many 

 were driven home unsold. Ewes fetched from 253. to 35s. 

 each ; and lambs from lOs. to 26s. each ; some very inferior 

 ones going below lOs. Horned cattle were in large supply, 

 aud a very considerable proportion of them of the most infe- 

 rior quality, and some evidently to be got rid of at any price, 

 many aged cows being offered as low as £4 and even £3 each ; 

 real good animals, however, sold pretty well. There was but 

 little fat beef ; prices from 10s. 6d, to 128. score. There was 

 a large number of horses ; good ones sold pretty well, but at 

 lower rates than of late. 



DONINGTON FAIR was very dull for both beasts and 

 horses, prices being very low, and anything but profitable to 

 sellers. 



EDZELL TRYST.— There was a fine show of sheep, and 

 an unusual business done. All the best lots of two and three- 

 year-old wedders were speedily sold at an advanc of from 28. 

 to 38. above last year. The top lots of three-yeai-old wedders 



went off briskly at £27 to -£29, and the two-year-olds from 

 £23 to £26 per score. The Glaacory lot — three-year-olds — 

 brought £29 ; the Blairno lot being nearly the same ; and the 

 Auchoolie, £28. These were among the top lots in the 

 market. The best lot of two-year-olds was from Arnbarrow, 

 and went off at £26 lOs. A fine lot, same age, from Kiunie, 

 at £25 5s. Crock ewes sold well at fair prices, if in good 

 condition ; but very lean stock were a stiff sale. Best quality 

 of blackfaced ewes brought £20 ; second-class, for good, £16 

 to £18 per score, down to £12 for inferior lots. The Bridge 

 of Dye lot of three-year-old wedders were sold before they 

 came to the market, and, it is said, at fully the top price. 



ELSDON TRYST.— A great number of ewes, aud most o 

 them good in quality aud condition. The demaud was slowf 

 Prices about the same. Good Cheviots from the hills selling 

 from 228. to 24s. ; inferior, lower. A few lots of blackfaced, 

 and mostly sold. An excellent ten score lot from Ryle was 

 understood to be about ISs. No wedders worth notice. A 

 few short-horned cattle, and good many kyloes, but little 

 business among them. 



FALKINGHAM FAIR.— The number of sheep penned 

 considerably exceeded the average of several former years, 

 and there was a great amount of business done at improved 

 rates. Shearlings ranged from 36s. to 483., lambs from 208. 

 to 273. each ; mutton. G^d. to 7d. per lb. 



FRODSHAM FAIR.— There was a very poor show of cat- 

 tle, and only little business transacted. Good milch cows 

 fetched from £12 to £15, hut drapes and inferior stock had 

 scarcely a chance of being sold. Of pigs the supply was 

 greatly in excess of the demaud, and prices ranged from Ss. 

 to 78. per head less than had been obtained a few weeks 

 previously. 



GAINSBOROUGH FAIR was the largest we have had 

 for yews past. Beasts sold better than at some of the 

 neighbouring fairs lately held. Milch cows, £12 to £18 each ; 

 fat beasts, 15 to 20 guineas each, or 6s. 6d. to 78. 3d. per st. 

 Upwards of 100 pens of sheep were shown, for which the 

 trade was rather slow ; many, however, found buyers at prices 

 ranging from 34s. to 403. each for tupping ewes, and for fat 

 sheep from 6d. to 7d. per lb. Lambs, £1 to £1 6s. each. The 

 horse fair was well supplied with inferior animals, young colts 

 predominating, for which £20 to £25 each was paid. A pretty 

 fair number of horses of all descriptions changed handa at 

 varying prices. 



HEREFORD FAIR.— Dealers were particularly shy in 

 their speculations in store stock, unless the quality was very 

 prime, and the condition pretty good ; and the reduction in 

 prices may be quoted at from fifteen to twenty -five per cent, 

 off the rates which have been obtained up to a comparatively 

 recent period. For fat stock, and for animals nearly fit for the 

 butcher, there was a brisker demand, at an abateraentof about 

 10 per cent, in values. There were many lots of splendid 

 steers in offer (though not so many as we have generally seen 

 at the October fair), most of which exchanged bands, some, we 

 believe, at the high figure of £64 the pair of three-year-olds. 

 On the whole, the clearance that was effected was not satis- 

 factory to the breeders, and we fear that many lots of cattle 

 returned to their home-quarters ; their owners being unwilling 

 to accept the reduced rates, and dealers being unwilling to ad- 

 vance. The average price of beef, of prime quality, may be 

 quoted at 6^d. per lb. There was a good supply of sheep, 

 but the trade was dull, particularly in stock ewes. Prime 

 wethers sold pretty well, the average figure being 6^d. per lb. 

 Business was languid for a long time, and there was by no 

 means a full clearance effected. In the pig department, there 

 was a fair demaud for useful stores at aboiit the same rates as 

 those which have been recently obtained. Bacons, of which 

 the supply was not large, were worth 6s. 6d. to 68. 9d, per 

 stone of 121b3. ; porkers, 7s. ditto. lu the horse fair there 

 was a large number of powerful, active horses for draught pur- 

 poses, which realized good prices, and for the most part met 

 with a fair demand. 



ILSLEY FAIR. — There was a considerable supply of 

 sheep, but the trade was dull. la some cases rather less 

 money was given than at the last fair, but generally sales were 

 effected at the same rates. 



MATLOCK FAIR was extremely dull. "Very few cattle 

 were to be found, and what were there was for the most part 

 but of poor quality. The supply of pigs aud slicep was also 

 deficient, and the sales effected were at increased prices. 



