53G 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



refer more particularly to second and third rate stock, which 

 for many mouths past have yielded scarcely any profit to the 

 graziers, whose outgoings for food have been a most serious 

 item in their expenditure, arising from the want of adequate 

 supplies of moisture during the past four months in not a few 

 of our grazing districts. Again, the same state of things has 

 prevailed in the North of Europe, from whence we have im- 

 ported much larger supplies of stock than we had any reason 

 to anticipate, and such is the scarcity of food in that portion 

 of the continent that large imports of hay have been found 

 necessary. Rather, however, than run the risk of feeding at 

 high prices, many of the graziers have disposed of moat of 

 their stock, even at a considerable sacrifice, and hence 

 we assume that our arrivals from abroad next year will be 

 small, and that consequently they will have a less governing 

 influence upon the quotations. This, of course, is a matter of 

 no ordinary importance both to the breeders and feeders in 

 this country. The latter important body of men may be in- 

 duced to purchase store animals at almost any price, and they 

 may perhaps conclude that the available supply of stock in the 

 United Kingdom is by no means equal to our wants. Too 

 frequently, however, information on this important matter is 

 extremely fallacious, and it invariably happens that stock 

 under the influence of high quotations is drawn from quarters 

 whence little was anticipated. Take for instance Ireland at this 

 moment : our imports still continue very large, and the defi- 

 ciency in the weight of the importations from Holland, &c., 

 has been more than made good by the Irish graziers. When 

 we consider that there is plenty of food in the sister country, 

 and that stock is abundant, notwithstanding heavy exports, 

 great care should be exercised in buying lean stock at very 

 high quotations. 



Although the trade in butchers' meat in Paris has now 

 been thrown open for some months, and although fat stock 

 has fallen in some departments, the prices of meat in 

 that city still continue very high — the difference between 

 the live animal and the carcase being from 30 to 40 per 

 cent. The absurd scheme, therefore, on the part of the 

 authorities, to regulate the value of any particular article, is 

 in this instance a complete failure. But why should so 

 important a trade be interfered with at all ? What, in 

 point of fact, can bring down prices to their natural level 

 but wholesome competition ? 



The imports of foreign stock into London, during the 

 month, have been as follows— 



Beasts 4,787 head. 



Sheep 18,253 „ 



Lambs 51 „ 



Calves 1 ,1 74 „ 



Pigs 15G „ 



Total 24,421 



At least three- fourths of the above supplies have come to 

 hand in miserably poor conditiou, and have, consequently, 

 sold at low currencies. Had food been abundant in the 

 North of Europe, our arrivals would have been on a much 

 less extensive scale. As it is, they have added very little 

 to the supply of food in the metropolis. 



Imports at Corresponding Periods. 



Nov. Beasts. Sheep. Calves. Pigs. 



1857 4,409 12,839 2,fi87 136 



185C 6,102 16,380 1,152 309 



1855 7,367 17,094 1,127 454 



1854 7,120 16,604 1,108 369 



1853 7,390 22,565 1,629 919 



1852 3,102 18,152 1,215 427 



The total supplies of stock exhibited in the Great Metro- 

 politan Cattle Market are as under— 



Beasts 24,856 head. 



Cows 534 „ 



Sheep 114,643 „ 



Calves 1,437 „ 



Pigs 2,970 „ 



Nov. 



1857 25,383 



1856 24,711 



1855 25,444 



1854 23,442 



185.-? 25,760 



1852 23,583 



Comparison of Supplies. 

 Beasts. Cows. Sheep. Calves. 



505 

 457 

 515 

 512 

 562 

 485 



103,1-20 

 97,460 

 10.5,750 

 121,031 

 127,150 

 115,770 



Pigs. 



3,002 3,067 



1,585 3,535 



2,096 3,415 



1,848 2,726 



2,615 2,790 



1,718 3,210 



Since our last, about 13,000 beasts have come to hand 

 from Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, and Northamptonshire, 

 2,200 from other parts of England, 450 from Scotland, and 

 3,820 from Ireland. Prices have ruled as follows : Beef, 

 from 2s. 8d. to 4s. lOd. ; Mutton, 2s. 8d.to 5s. ; Veal, 3s- 

 4d. to 5s. ; Pork, 2s. lOd. to 48. 2d. per 81bs., to sink tho 

 offal. 



Comparison of Prices. 



Nov., 1857. Nov., 1856. Nov., 1855. 



s. d. s d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. 



Beef, from.. 3 to 4 10 2 8 to 4 10 3 4 to 5 2 



Mutton ....3 — 5 4 3 2 — 5 2 3 4—5 2 



Veal 3 10 — 5 4 3 8 — 5 4 3 6—5 4 



Pork 4 0—5 2 3 6 — 5.4 3 6—5 



Newgate and Leadenhall markets have been heavily 

 supplied with country-killed meat, especially pork. The 

 trade has continued heavy, and prices almost generally have 

 ruled low. 



AGRICULTURAL INTELLIGENCE, FAIRS, &c. 



ANDOVER SHEEP FAIR. — The number of sheep 

 offered for sale was much below the usual average, being under 

 2,000 : so short a supply has not been witnessed for 40 years 

 past. The attendance of dealers was also short, probably 

 owing to another similar fair being held at Ilsley on the same 

 day Business commeuced with good spirit early in the morn- 

 ing, and sales were effected at satisfactory prices, more par- 

 ticularly for first quality lambs, which were in great request. 

 At the close of the fair very few sheep remained unsold. The 

 prices obtained were about as imder: — Ewes 288. to 44a. ; 

 wethers, 34s, to 503.; lambs, 283. to 443. Some superior 



lambs obtained higher prices. There was a large number of 

 Shorthorns, Devons, Herefords, Welsh and Irish beasts, with 

 some fine home-bred cows and Alderneys. Trade improved. 

 Sales easily effected at rather more money. Best stores, three 

 years old, £13 to £15 per head; small ditto, £10 to £11 ; 

 Shorthorn cows, Down calving, £18 to £20; moderate ditto, 

 £14 to £16 ; heifers, from jGIO to £16 each ; fat beasts, from 

 73, to 83. per stone of 141bs. Of light and heavy horses there 

 was a good supply, the trade for which was also better than at 

 other fairs. Some fine heavy agricultural, warranted from four 

 to six years old, were in good demand, at prices from £30 up 



