THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



533 



kets in the world, agricultural reports from the various 

 counties of the condition and prospects of the crops, reports 

 of the cattle, wool, and provision markets, with weekly ave- 

 rages of prices. Fairs are regularly held all over Great 

 Britain in the principal towns, weekly, monthly, or at other 

 intervals, at which farmers and others buy and sell all their 

 farm products. I attended several of those fairs, and wit- 

 nessed the manner of conducting their business, and was 

 struck with the perfect reliance placed upon the seller's re- 

 presentation. Grain is usually sold by samples. The far- 

 mer is met by a buyer wlio accosts him with, " What have 

 you to-day to sell.'"' or the like. The farmer replies, " So many 

 quarters of white wheat, so many quarters of red wheat, so 

 many of barley." " Have you samples ?" The farmer 

 takes from his capacious pocket several small bags of a half- 

 pint each, opens them, and allows the buyer to examine, 

 which he does carefully by feeling, tasting, and smelling. 

 The price is named, and agreed on, and the buyer takes the 

 sample and pays the price, and never sees his purchase till 

 received perhaps in Liverpool or Manchester. I was as- 

 sured that fraud was almost unknown in these sales, and 



moat of the grain sold in the country changed hands in this 

 way. Can we not profit by this example ? The farmer 

 wants free trade and an open market, in order to protect 

 himself. In this country an agent from the city slips 

 round before harvest, and bargains privately for all the 

 wheat, or wool, or apples, for all the butter, cheese, poultry, 

 and everything else, at the farmer's door, and monopolizing 

 the article adds a frightful commission, and giving the far- 

 mer the lowest prices, compels the consumer in the city to 

 pay the highest prices. Thus both producer and consumer, 

 by being kept apart, support a large class of middlemen 

 who wax fat at their expense. 



If any man doubts of these things, let him try the 

 buying and selling price of any of these commodities, in 

 Quincy Market, in Boston, any daj', and he may learn. 

 Market fairs we want and must have, regularly, in all 

 our large towns. 



Much more might we learn of the Mark Lane Ea-jpresi, 

 had we time and space, but betweefi text and commentary, 

 our sheet is already filled, and ^e must await a future 

 opportunity. 



THE LATE LORD MANVERS. 



SrB, — I will leave to others the task of the genealogical 

 details and the history of the early life of the late Earl 

 Manvers, and I will content myself with a short account 

 of his Lordship as one who " dwelt amongst his own 

 people." Few noblemen have made so much of their oppor- 

 tunities of usefulness in the country as he, and at the risk 

 of being deemed a flatterer, I will refer to his Lordship's 

 country life, as showing what may be done where there is a 

 will to do it. 



The tenantry on the Thoresby and Holme Pierrepont 

 estates can best tell the kind consideration they have always 

 experienced at their landlord's hands. One remarkable in- 

 stance occurred when the railways had removed the traffic 

 from the Great North road, and although his Lordship was 

 one of the last to avail himself of the improved means of 

 transit, he did not overlook his tenant's loss asthe occupier 

 of one of the posting-houses on the line. 



As a sailor, he was not to be espect^jd to be a practical 

 agriculturist, and, although he did not appreciate the merits 

 of drainage of the clay lands so soon as some of his neigh- 

 bours, yet when the system was proved to be so decidedly 

 advantageous, no estate in the county had a more efficient 

 staff in operation, and having the benefits of the experience 

 of others, few estates have been drained more efficiently 

 and economically. The improvement in the estates and in 

 the condition of many of the tenants in the last twenty 

 years, is a sufficient corroboration of these remarks. 



The example sec as a man of business in the county 

 has, I fear, but few imitators. So long as he was able to 

 attend to his duties, no one was more active in the dis- 

 charge of them ; his attendance as chairman of the board 

 of guardians of the union, when first established, was con- 

 stant, and his endeavour to secure the right man in the 

 right place, though not always successful, yet had a great 

 weight in the subsequent changes. His Lordsliip's atten- 

 tion to the charitable institutions in London are we'I known, 

 but no one will ever know the benefits conferred so un- 

 obtrusively on the poor in his own neighbourhood, inde- 

 pendent of the care that was taken in the education of the 



families of all connected with the estate. I should be sorry 

 to intrude unnecessarily upon the domestic life of his 

 Lordship, and indeed it would seem to present no features 

 to invite comment, but it was the quiet unostentatious 

 hospitality which was its greatest charm, and the freedom 

 from x)ersonal feeling in many great political questions 

 enabled Lord Manvers to keep the balance in the county 

 at the time when party spirit ran so higli. 



As a sportsman. Lord Manvers will long be remembered 

 in the Paifford hunt. When able to take his place in the 

 field no weather would prevent his being at the place of 

 meeting, and Captain ^Yilliams could best tell the support 

 given to the hunt whilst he was at the head of it. The 

 game on the estalo was not neglected, but I never heard 

 of a tenant sufi'ering from over-preservation. 



His Lordship's veneration for the antiquity of Sherwood 

 Forest is well known. When he received a part of it in 

 exchange for part of Regent's Park, none of the old oaks 

 were allowed to bo destroyed, but they remain, forming 

 the most beautiful scenery, and which is almost unique in 

 this country. 



By the death of Earl Manvers, we have lost a great and 

 good man, and although succeeding generations may " do 

 as well in their degree," yet as we have seen the benefits of 

 his Lordship's mild sway of his authority for the last 

 forty-four years, I hope we shall not be deemed invidious to 

 his successors if we claim for the late Earl Manvers a liigli 

 place in the eslimatiou of all who knew him. 



I am, Mr, Editor, jouv obedient servant, 



South Notts. 



With the most thoughtful attention to the circumstances 

 the agricultural body are placed in from the very wet and nn- 

 seasouable harvest, the worthy M.P. for North Hants (W. 

 W. B. Beach, Esq.), hai directed his agent to defer holding 

 the audit for the receipt of the Michaclmau rents until April 

 next, in order to give his tenantry an opportunity of making 

 the best market for their produce. This liberal and well-timed 

 neasure needg no comment. 



