444 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZLNE. 



waste, whicli are swarminpf vith thstl -lown, and which is 

 exhausting the powers of tlie labourers in attempting to 

 reduce it. If the Ongar Labourers' Friend Society could 

 succeed in eradicating these pests from permanent pastures, 

 it would, I am sure, be the most valuable society in the 

 world." Sir Charles C. Smith gave his own and an un- 

 known lady's plan for eradicating them. Was there not 

 satire in the lady's advice? However, hear Sir Charles, 

 He said: " With regard to the thistle question, he had a 

 tield which appeared as though it were going to grow no- 

 thing but thistles, and the other day a lady noticing its 

 state exclaimed, ' Why on earth don't you turn j'our 



donkey into the field I-' he would eat up all the thistles 

 directly.' But he (Sir Charles) did not think the donkey 

 would eat up all the thistles. The donkey would detect a 

 difference, if Sir Bowyer Smijth had failed, and would only 

 eat the sow tliistlcs— the common thistle the doukey would 

 not touch or look at. The only practical way of dealing 

 with thistles he (Sir Charles) thought was to mow them 

 down before seed-time. But the practice of getting rid of 

 spreadin;? fences and copses would do more towards the 

 eradication of those obnoxious weeds than anything else, 

 and no one had done more in that way than his friend Sir 

 Bowyer Smijth." 



AGRICULTURAL REPORTS. 



GENERAL AGRICULTURAL REPORT 

 FOR OCTOBER. 



Although the importations of foreign wheat have not been 

 to say extensive for the time of year, and although the supplies 

 of English on ofifer in our various markets have not increased, 

 the trade in all parts of the United Kingdom has continued 

 heavy, and slightly reduced rates have been again submitted 

 to. Spring corn, too, has sold slowly, and, with the exception 

 of fine malting barley, which is very scarce even in our beat 

 districts, prices generally have had a drooping tendency. The 

 continued depression in the corn trade has given rise to serious 

 forebodings as regards the future. Although our impression 

 is that the quotations have seen their lowest point, we may 

 briefly inquire into the causes which have led to the present 

 heaviness. In the first place, we find that the importations of 

 foreign wheat into the United Kingdom, during the nine 

 months ending on the 30th September, were 3,236,038 quar- 

 ters, against 1,312,705 quarters in the corresponding period in 

 1857, and 3,234,717 quarters in 1856. Compared with last 

 year, therefore, there is a very large excess in the arrivals ; con- 

 sequently the stocks in warehouse, although extensive forced 

 sales have taken place, have accumulated. In the second place, 

 we must bear in mind that our farmers still hold a large quantit}' 

 of wheat grown in 1857, and that they have this season 

 grown what may be termed an average crop. And, in the last 

 place, we may notice a similar state of things in the United 

 States, where the actual surplus produce of wheat on hand, 

 above the wants of the people, is estimated at 4,000,000 quar- 

 ters. Consumption in this country has certiinly not fallen off; 

 but, under the peculiar features of tlie traie here referred to, 

 Bpeciilation in arrived produce has become wholly in abeyance; 

 and the question to determine is, what feature is there in the 

 trade calculated to give rise to speculative investmeuts ? At 

 present, with a knowledge on the part of the millers that 

 ample supplies are everywhere to be met with — that little or 

 no demand is likely to arise at the outports for inland con- 

 sumption — and that future arrivals from abroad will be fully 

 adequate to our requirements — the wheat trade is conducted 

 wholly upon the "hand to mouth" principle. A plentiful 

 ■upply of money in the discount market, with the quotations 

 for best paper as low as 2J ;^ per cent., has failed to induce 

 operations in produce. With ample supplies, therefore — with 

 more than usual anxiety ou the part of the shippers abroad to 

 turn their wheat into money as fast as it arrives in this country 

 —we may safely state that there is no prospect of any upward 

 movement in prices for some time. At one time it was thoueht 

 that France was about to return to protrctionist principles ; 



but we DOW find that, as regards vnportations of food, the 

 Decree of the 22nd of September, 1857, has been extended to 

 the 30th September, 1859. Be it observed that the official 

 notice extending the time for imports is wholly silent as regards 

 exports, consequently the sliding scale respecting the latter ia 

 in operatiou. At present prices the export duties in France 

 are not high, but, of course, they add materially to the ex- 

 peuse of forwarding food to England, aud they tend to prove 

 that our previous estimates of the crops in that country — viz., 

 that they are deficient by one-fourth compared with 1857 — are 

 tolerably correct. If the yield of wheat were large, aud in 

 excess of consumption, the French Government would hardly 

 have deemed it necessary to impose duties upon exports. Our 

 impression is, therefore, that in 1859 we shall impoit consirie- 

 rably less grain than during the present year — that there will 

 be much less pressure upon our markets — and that prices will 

 show more steadiness than .for some time past. It must be 

 admitted that wheat is now selling at what may be called an 

 unnaturally low price, and that, consequently, there is ample 

 room for an improvement in it. 



The potato crop, both in the United Kingdom and on the 

 Continent, appears to have turned out much better than was 

 at one time anticipated. The quantity of potatoes grown is 

 enormous, and the actual losses by disease have been much 

 exaggerated. At the corresponding period in 1857 pricea 

 raiiged from £4 to £7 per ton ; now they are quoted at from 

 £2 15s. to £i 10s., and the supplies coming forward exhibit 

 very few traces of rot. Abundant supplies of potatoes must, 

 as a matter of course, have considerable influence upon the 

 value of the better kinds of food. 



Farmers have thrashed out about average supplies of wheat, 

 and, for the most part, they have been disposed of in fair 

 average condition. On the continent the trade has continued 

 heavy, and in the United States produce generally has been 

 selling at very low prices. 



Owing to the want of moisture out-door farm labours have 

 made comparatively little progress. The hardness of the soil 

 has prevented ploughing to any extent, and rain is still much 

 wanted in nearly every county iu England. 



The turnip and carrot crops are turning out tolerably pro- 

 ductive; but they are certainly not e-jual to many former 

 years either as regards quantity or quality. 



For hay there has been a steady demand, and prices have 

 had an upward tendency. Straw, however, from its abun- 

 dance, has sold slowly, at low currencies, viz., from 243. to 

 29s. per load. 

 Notwithstanding that the manufacturing industry of the 



