THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



275 



HEAD. 



Beasts .. 1,494 



Sheep 4,395 



Calves 1,066 



Pigs 63 



Total 7,018 



Same time in 1859 7,809 



1858 2.320 



1857 4,720 



1856 8,087 



1855 2,839 



„ 1854 10,683 



Beef has changed hands at from Ss. 6d.to4s. lOd. ; mutton, 

 33. lOd. to53. lOd.; veal, 4s. 6d. to 68.; pork, 3s. 6d. to 5s. 

 per 81bs. to sink the offal. 



Immense quantities of meat — over 60,000 carcases — have 

 been received up to Newgate and Leadenhall markets from 

 Scotland and various parts of England. Notwithstanding 

 that sales have progressed slowly, prices generally have been 

 well supported. Beef has sold at from 3a. 4d. to 43. 4d. ; 

 mutton, 3s. 6d. to 43. 6d. ; veal, 4s. to 5s. 4d. ; pork, 3s. 6d. 

 to 5s. per 8 lbs. by the carcase. 



CUMBERLAND. 



The second month of the year is now nearly elided, and 

 still the same severe wintry weather prevails that characterized 

 the whole season, almost, it may be said, from the middle of 

 October. Frost, snow, and rain have followed each other in 

 rapid succession, while the trauEition to and from the one to the 

 other has been remarkably sudden, February commenced in 

 a way calculated to prove the truth of the old adage, 

 " February fill the dyke either with black or white." Much 

 snow fell in the early part of the month ; but although the 

 frost still continues severe, not much snow has fallen this last 

 week or two. This unusually severe winter has not been 

 without its necessary effect. What green crop was left ex- 

 posed to its influence in the fields has suffered severely, being 

 almost entirely destroyed. Turnips were a miserable crop to 

 begin with, in consequence of their all but entire failure, being 

 nothing like a tithe of a usual crop, and soon cleared off by sheep, 

 which were hurried off to market from want of further keep, 

 very few beiug left to supply the wants of the butcher; the 

 price of mutton consequently rules high. The loss of the 

 few turnips left to draw off for store cattle, and nothing for 

 young cattle to be had by turning them out into the fields an 

 hour or two each day, which would have been the case had 

 the season been a mild one, like the winter was that succeeded 

 the droughty summer of 1826 — these causes combined 

 makes the draw upon the scanty supply of hay and straw 

 difficult to sustain. And how some will be able to "tide 

 over" until grass comes, is uot easy to foresee. Candlemas 

 being the usual time for leaving and entering upon farms in 

 Cumberland, the customary sales on leaviug farms took place 

 before Candlemas. The general custom is for farmers to keep 

 up their usual stock of cattle, and feed them as usual in the 

 farm buildings, and thus consume a fair proportion of their 

 fodder, and what remaiua they are allowed to sell to be taken 

 off the farm. This is the custom where there is no special 

 agreement. At those sales which have taken place, the crop 

 has been selling at very high prices. Notwithstanding the 

 low price of wheat in the market, on account of the scarcity 

 of fodder, wheat stacks have been sold at prices which, when 

 thrashed, will be at the rate of about 409. the Carlisle bushel 

 of 3 imperials, or about 104s. or lOSs. a quarter; other kinds 

 of grain in proportion. Notwithstandmg the high price of, 

 and the difficulty there is to procure, keep for stock, cattle 

 were' also bringing high prices. Wheat straw is a ready sale 

 at sixpence per stone (Hlbs. to the stone), and hay, &c., pro- 

 portionately high. But, after all, the difiSculty with farmers, 

 owing to the great scarcity of keep, will not be without some 

 good result. It is a trite saying that " necessity is the mother 

 of invention ;" and the result of the temporary evil will be 

 that other modes of preparing food for cattle will be hit upon 

 that would never have been thought of had it not been for 

 the diflSculty arising from the shortness of keep. Amongst 

 other things, it has caused a great demand for straw or chaff- 

 cutters, the sale of which has been upon a large scale. This 



chaff, scalded with hot water, in which meal or bruised linseed- 

 cake had been boiled, is found to make an excellent feed for 

 cattle, and much relished by them. Farmers are beginning 

 to say that it will uot be necessary to draw so many turnips 

 ofif the land ; that it will be better to provide other food as a 

 substitute, and consume more turnips on the land by feeding 

 them off with sheep. If this be so, it will at once be seen 

 that a great saving in labour would be effected, as loading and 

 storing turnips is a heavy item in labour, while the land 

 would be improved by the crop being consumed upon it, and 

 much injured by being trampled and carted upon in loading 

 the crop off. Field labour is necessarily very backward, from 

 the severity of the season, and the grass fields have a very 

 wintry and dead-like appearance. Wheat that was sown 

 early upon bare fallow came well, and still looks promising; 

 but the later sown, after green crop, was long in making its 

 appearance, and wears a kind of yellow, instead of its usual 

 green colour. Wheat is a hardy p]ant, and will probably turn 

 out better than its present appearance would seem to indicate. 

 There is still a portion not yet got in, which must remain over 

 for spring seeding. The price of wheat continues without 

 improvement, and with liitle prospect of au early advance. 

 The deficiency of fodder has caused it to be thrashed freely, 

 and thus has kept the markets heavily supplied. Summer 

 will find the stack-yards emptier than has been the case for 

 many years back. There will likely be a shorter supply for 

 market during the summer mouths, which may probably cause 

 a reaction in the price. Barley continues much about the 

 same in price, with very few good malting samples at market. 

 Oats bring the highest relative price, and are the most defi- 

 cient in quality, being exceedingly light and small in the grain. 

 The markets for store cattle have not yet opened, and it is to 

 be feared that they will appear in only poor condition. Horses 

 have been selling at better prices than might have been ex- 

 pected, and the backward state of farm work will increase the 

 demand. Good ones are as usual briuging high prices, aud 

 inferior ones are difficult to sell; but useful horses will find a 

 market. Fat cattle are scarce and dear, and so are fat sheep. 

 It will be no easy matter for the butchers to meet with a sup- 

 ply until grass-fed stock are ready for market. Fat pork ia 

 selling well, beiug worth from 73. to 73. 3d. per stone ot 141b3. 

 without offal ; so bacon curers must be looking forward to 

 good prices for bacon before they can expect to realize a fair 

 profit.— Feb. 23. 



WEALD OF KENT. 



The winter months are passing rapidly away, and not 

 without the ordinary winter weather. Since November the 

 brooks and rivers have been oveiflowing their banks, flood- 

 ing all low places, numbers of acres having been under 

 water for several weeks. The land is in a verj' wet state, 

 and all out-door work is almost at a stand. Dry weather is 

 much wanted, farmers being anxious to get in their Lent 

 corn. We hear of several complaints about the wheat plant, 

 which is looking sickly from the effects of so much rain : a 

 few dry bright days, however, would soon alter its appear- 

 ance. Sheep have required great care and attention. 

 Some of our flock masters have experienced heavy- 

 losses, which will be felt by the prices, which 

 must rule high for some time to come. Meat of all kinds sells 

 well, aud prices are remunerative. The yield of corn gene- 

 rally has proved to be quite an average. The condition of 

 most of the wheat samples brought on the marktt since 

 Christmas is deplorable, and several parcels have had to be 

 kiln-dried, to render them fit for use. Dry samples are much 

 sought after, which are few aud far between, aud command 

 high rates compared with those out of condition ; this no 

 doubt helps to keep the market lu that dull state in which it 

 has been for some time. The hop trade has received such a 

 blow from the hands of that clever free-trader, whose 

 dealings with the home-producer is anything but 

 honest, that we fear it will be some time ere it recovers 

 itself. The present Chancellor of the Exchequer can be no 

 friend to the British producer, otherwise he would have better 

 considered their position as regards the malt and hop duties, 

 which press so heavily on not only the producer, but also the 

 labourer. A removal of these imposts would have beeu far 

 more consistent towards the agricultural body than the remis- 

 sion of the two millions of customs' duties from luxuries, 

 which can never benefit the labouring classes' — Feb. 25. 



