82 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



but they Lave reached us in first-rate condition. The 

 favourable season for rearing stock during the last six 

 months, and the abundance of food, lead us to conclude 

 that we shall receive a larger number of finer animals than 

 usual between this and the end of December. 



The imports of foreign stock into London have been on 

 the increase, or as follows : — 



Beasts I,fi56 head. 



Sheep 11,5G7 ,, 



Lambs 2,148 „ 



Calves 1,909 „ 



Pi^s 117 „ 



Total 



17,720 „ 



The total arrivals in June, 1057, amounted to 13,551, and 



in the same month in 1856, to 10,136 head. 



The following figures show the supplies of each kind of 



stock — English, Scotch, Irish, and foreign — e.xhibited in the 



great market : 



Peasts 18,492 head. 



Cows 5 ■- 3 „ 



Sheep and lambs 144,280 „ 



Calves 2,972 „ 



Pigs 3,115 „ 



Comparison of SrjppLiES. 

 Sheep and 



June. Beasts. Lambs. Calves. Pigs. 



1855 1.0,173 125,570 2,209 3,180 



18.i6 17,896 112,110 1.839 2,740 



1857 20,063 108,480 2,404 2,125 



Beef has sold at from 3s. to 4s. 6d. ; mutton, 3s. 2d. to 

 4s. lOd.; lamb, 5s. Sd. to 7s.; veal, 3s. 8d to 5s.; and 

 pork, 3s. to 4s. 4d. per 8 lbs. to sink the offiil. 



The supplies of home stock have been thus derived : — 

 Norfolk, SulFolk, Essex, and Cambridgeshire, 12,700 ; 

 other pa: ts of England, 1,800 of various breeds; Lincoln- 

 shire, 1,000 shorthorns; and Scotland, 179 head. Scarcely 

 any arrivals have taken place from Ireland ; but nearly 

 2,000 lambs, in fair condition, have reached the market 

 from that country. 



Newgate and Leadenhall markets have been scantily sup- 

 plied with each kind of meat, which has sold slowly on 

 lower terms. Beef, from 2s. lOd. to 4s.; mutton, 2s. lOd. to 

 4s. 4d. ; lamb, 5?. 4d. to 6s. 6d. ; veal, 3s. 6d. to 4s. 6d. ; pork, 

 3s. to 4s. 2d. per 81bs., by the carcase. 



SOUTH LINCOLNSHIRE. 



We have never had the gratification to present a report so 

 truly favo>ira'>le and satiafactorv as ne have now the pleasure 

 to do. Throughout the month of May up to the present time, 

 with but a triflini; exception, we have been blessfd with un- 

 usually favourable w eather, and ihe past three weeks have been 

 surpassingly fine. SdcIi a season for the growth of grass and 

 perffcting of the corn crop was scarcely ever known. These 

 ere roo^t spendid, and at present all standing up, and looking 

 ttroug and healthy. AVe have heard of orae failure in the 

 beau and pea crop froai dry heat, occasioning a loss of flower, 

 but we believe it is partial ; however, it is now just the time 

 when such i'jury is likely to tuke place, hut we have not yet 

 seen an instance. Many crops drooped sadly about the I4th 

 and 1 5th iust., but we ohserved their recovery iu a day or two ; 

 Btil) we believe loss of flower would ensue to sfrae extent. We 

 had written thus far, when we were called away for a short time. 

 The past I'ay or tw i have been very flue, and not having had 

 tinie to examine our crops again, we are now compelled to re- 

 pudiate in a great detrte what we haJ written as above, only 

 four days aijo, as relates to the crops. The wheat crop is cer- 

 tainly progreasiiifj too fa»t to be safe, and premature ripening', 

 with its defective yield and bad quality of grain, may be the 

 resuh. The oat crop is comine; into shag before attaining its 

 requisite growth. The barley crop is dropping its bottom flag 

 or leaves much too fast, and is turninf; pale. Beans are par- 

 takiug iujury from drought, heat, and green dolphin. Peas are 



8ufl°eriDg very seriously from the same cause, the dolphin in< 

 creasing ver^' fast. These pests were not perceived in this 

 neighbourhood before Monday last. A neighbour estimates 

 his crop at three sacks per acre instead of ten or twelve ; but 

 this is excessive. At all events a comparatively severe loss 

 must ensue from what were our expectations of a moat splen- 

 did flowering. The demand for wool was last week active; but 

 has somewhat abated : as growers proved willing sellers, the 

 buyers were soon, in a great measure, supplied. Beef and 

 mutton keep up in price satisfactorily. Potatoes are looking 

 well, and a larfe breadth growin?. Pigs and pork are the 

 greatest drug we have iu the market. The stock of pigs is 

 soon made up by breedin?, when a high price prevails ; we are 

 just now overdone. Cattle and sheep are doing tolerably well, 

 but are very restless from heat and the attacks of innumerable 

 flies. Mangolds and turnips require rain. Hay plentiful and 

 good. — June 23. 



NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND. 



After studiously looking at the voluminous agricultural 

 reports that have been published during the last six weeks 

 in favour of the growing crops, we must succumb quietly 

 to the generally-subscribed opinion ; and truly thankfiil 

 would we feel if we could from this district see a like flat- 

 tering prospect. Taking the wheat first as our most valu- 

 able cereal, we calculate a full average Ireadth — one-third 

 a very fine full crop, one-third middling, and one-third not 

 half planted. From local observation we hazarded such 

 opinion in our last report, and have subsequently had ocular 

 proof of its correctness. Barley general!}' good, but a less 

 than usual breadth sown. Oats a full breadth, but very 

 various. Beans brairded full and strong, but owing to con- 

 tinued drought, will cut short : they came too early into 

 bloom, and already show s\'niptoms of a short stunted crop. 

 Potatoes have made a full fine braird, and look as well up 

 to this d.ay as could be wished. Seeds : Hay all ready for 

 the scythe, and part cut; a verj' thin poor crop general!}'. 

 AV'here grazed, very thin, with a great want of clover, which 

 the frost in April all but annihilated. We allude more 

 particularly to the broad-leaved red clovers ; but where 

 intended for pasture, a strong admixture of wiiite is gene- 

 rally sown ; and so far this variety has made only puny 

 growth. Old meadows either grazed or laid up for hay 

 are an agreeable exception, being richly clothed with the 

 natural grasses, and affording a full bite for fattening stock, 

 which so far are healthy and doing well, with one solitary 

 exception, viz., a failure in supply of pure water. Nor 

 can other be expected, when we look back to the last seven 

 months, without a fall sufficient to fill the reservoirs. The 

 watery element in town and country is being husbanded 

 with economy, and on more than isolated occupations at 

 this early season already creates some alarm. In atmos- 

 pherical phenomena : We had a fall of cold rain on the 

 1 8th and 19th of May, which capped the h'gh mountains 

 idiile. The following week dry, cold, and withering. June 

 came in dry, with great forcing heat. A heavy thunder- 

 storm on the 3rd, which battered down the newly-finished 

 turnip drills, and left them completely crusted. Very hot 

 sultry days succeeded, and again on the 16th and 17th 

 thunder, rain, and hail. Many casualties occurred in this 

 locality, without loss of human life. On one farm four 

 horses fell at one stroke, one on another ; sheep and lambs 

 on other places. The weather, with very few exceptions, 

 has been favourable for field operations, enabling the culti- 

 vator to act vigorously in clearing land and sowing turnips, 

 which over the breadth of the county were earlier brought 

 to a finish than for many years past ; yet, owing to the 

 sudden downfall, and hot dry following days, the plant has 

 been completely either destroyed by the beetle or encased 

 in the soil. Rolling, scarifying, and re-sowing to a very 

 great extent has been resorted to, and up to this day over 

 only portions of our freest soils can we report a full plant, 

 while over by far the largest breadths sown, not a plant is 

 yet visible. To return to the wheat. All the early sown 

 is now out into full ear, with fine, clear, cool atmosphere 

 for blooming. U'hat was sown in December and January 

 decidedly tliin, and of various growths, coming into ear ; 

 sown in February or March^ better planted, and with fine 

 weather may yield a good crop. More of this next month, 

 —June 25. 



