THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



365 



cattle; aod buyers not being numerous, the amount ofbuei- 

 ue83 transacted was very limited. 



ROSS FAIR.— There was a plentiful supply ; but, in con- 

 sequence of the shortness of keep, the demand was limited, 

 except for meat fit for the butcher. Prime quality of mutton 

 in the wool realized 7id., beef 6^d. per lb. Good horses were 

 sought, but inferior animals were a drug. 



SHREWSBURY GREAT HORSE FAIR.— The selling 

 prices of horses may be quoted as follows : Selections of young 

 horses for pair harness 65 to 75 guineas ; matched pairs ranged 

 in prices from 160 to 220 guineas the pair ; quick, active- 

 stepping horses, for broughams and light harness, made from 

 45 to 60 guineas ; unbroken colts of this class made figures 

 varying from ;>3 to 45 guineas; thickset young horses, suitable 

 for van purposes and carriage work, realized 26 to 38 guineas, 

 and fashionable high-stepping cattle, for phaeton and single 

 harness, made from 50 to 75 guineas ; saddle horses varied in 

 prices from 48 to 60 guineas ; blood horses of high pedigree 

 were selected at very high prices ; horses adapted for the 

 hunting field ranged in prices from 85 to 160 guineas ; cart- 

 horses, light-built easy walkers, suitable for town work, 

 fetched from 35 to 45 gtiineas ; matched teams 50 to 60 

 guineas a horse ; seasoned horses for agviciiltural work 25 to 

 35 guineas; cart colts 20 to 35 guineas; yearlings 15 to 18 

 guineas ; brood mares to foal down 20 to 28 guineas ; well- 

 bred ponies made from 10 to 15 guineas; thick-set cobs, for 

 which this county (Shropshire) is famed, commanded a very 

 good sale at prices varying from IS to 24 guineas ; and com- 

 pact cobs, up to heavy weight, made 28 to 35 guineas. All 

 useful descriptions of horses were sold at remunerating prices 

 to breeders, and, although this county does not rank first as a 

 horse-breeding district, yet great improvements are annually 

 made in the breeding of horses, and many most valuable ani- 

 mals were sold at this spring fair. 



STAMFORD FAIR.— There was an average show of sheep- 

 Sellers start with such high prices that trade was inactive for 

 a time ; subsequently, rather lower rates were quoted, and 

 Bales were consequently more brisk. Great loss has recently 

 been experienced by dealers. We are told that within seven 

 miles of Kibworth upwards of 4,000 sheep have died since 

 Michaelmas. Similar causes caused the high prices we have 

 alluded to. Useful lamb-hogs made from 403. to 50a., in one 

 or two instances 538. were obtained, inferior about 34s. ; fat 

 sheep (a few) clipped 7d., in the wool 8d. per lb. There was 

 a small show of beasts, and very few transactions took place. 

 Full rates were obtained for fresh beasts, but inferior animals 

 were a drug. 



TENBURY FAIR was thinly supplied with every descrip- 

 tion. Mutton averaged 7|d., and beef 6d. per lb. Barren 

 stock about the same, 



TEWKESBURY FAIR.— There was a great supply of 

 stock, especially sheep, it being estimated that upwards of 

 2,000 of the latter were penned. Store stock was almost a 

 drug in the market, aud it was with great difficulty, and at 

 very low prices, that any was disposed of, owing, no doubt, to 

 the scarcity of keep. There was a good demand for fat meat, 

 but sellers had to submit to a reduction in price. Mutton sold 

 at from 7d. to 7^d., and beef at from 6d. to 7d. per lb. The 

 horse fair was unusually well supplied with all sorts and sizes ; 

 good cart horses fetched long prices, but there was a small 

 demand for other animals. 



TORRINGTON GREAT MARKET.— There was a 

 large supply of cattle, and also a good attendance of pur- 

 chasers. The sales were not so numerous nor the prices so 

 high as the preceding year, aud prices were as follows : 

 Oxen, from £15 to £22 each ; steers, two-years-old from £7 

 to £10 each : three-yeara-old ditto, £8 to £15 each ; bar- 

 reners, £8 to ~18each; fat bullocks, from lOs. 6d. to lis. 

 per score; cows and calves, £11 to £16; fat sheep 7id. per 

 lb.; hoggs, £1 5s. to £1 lOs. 6d. ; ewes and lambs, £2 29. 

 to £2 128. each. 



TRURO FAIR.— There was a pretty good supply of fat 

 beasts, which sold at from 56s. to £3 per cwt. Working 

 oxen and steers were in tolerable demand, and sold at high 

 rates. Other store cattle were not in request. Fat sheep, of 

 which the supply was limited, were worth about 8d. per lb. 



WORCESTER FAIR— The show of fat stock was good ; 

 stores were plentiful, and the attendance of bayers was very 

 good. Beef made from 6|d. to 7d. per lb., and mutton 6p., 



shorn ; in the wool, 7^d. to 8d., and all sold : stores were 

 some little lower, in consequence of the shortness of keep. 

 Pigs, 10s. 6d. to lOs. lOd. per score ; stores very dear. 



IRISH FAIRS.— Athlone : Store cattle were £1 ahead 

 under last year. There were several lots of stall-feds, which 

 were bought up at prices which were considered remunerative 

 to holders. The sheep market was not only under the usual 

 supply, prices were at least from Is. to Is. 6d. under what 

 were obtained this time twelvemonths. The lambs were very 

 short of the usual supply. The average prices were 378. each. 

 Few lots were sold. Pork went so high as from 47a. to 508. 

 per cwt. The horse fair was a great falling- off in supply. 

 Mr. Henry Reynolds, of Dublin, bought for the military at 

 from £25 to £30. Mr. Thomas Gannon refused £50 for a bay 

 hunter. 



THE HEREFORDS IN JAMAICA. 



Sir, — As great efforts have for some years past been made 

 to improve the breed of cattle in Jamaica by selecting 

 Hereford, Shorthorn, West Highland, and Devon bulls 

 from the herds of this kingdom, it may be interesting to 

 some of your readers, particularly the Hereford breeders, to 

 know the success which has attended the introduction of the 

 Herefords into that colony by Mr. John Edwards, a native 

 of this county, who is now managing the extensive posses- 

 sions of John Malcolm, Esq., in that island, and who pur- 

 chased the Hereford bull Sir Oliver (1732), bred by Mr. 

 T. Rea, of Westonbury, which was exhibited at their agri- 

 cultiaral show on the 3rd of February last, and won the 

 first prize of £15 as the best imported bull of any breed. 

 This gentleman also won the following first prizes with 

 cross-bred animals of the Hereford and native breed, viz., 

 best bull calved in 1856, £15; best bull calved previous to 

 1856, £15; best cow exceeding 6 years old, £10; best 

 heifer in calf, £10 ^ best lot of eight steers, £10; best cow 

 for dairy purposes, £5; best fat steer, £10. 



Thus have our beautiful animals again refuted the state- 

 ments we have heard and read, that they will not do out of 

 their own locality, and proved that the exercise of sound 

 judgment by those to whose care their selection is intrusted 

 is all that is required to insure their winning equal laurels, 

 even in tropical climates, to those which have been so fre- 

 quently for many years awarded them at the principal shows 

 of this kingdom. T. Duckham. 



Baysham Court, Ross, Herefordshire, \^th March, 



ROLLING AND HOEING WHEAT. — The con- 

 tinual cold rains and frosts without snow this winter have, 

 drenched and lifted the wheat plants too much for their 

 own good on light and shallow soils, in some cases almost 

 out of the ground, causing in them a sickly and unpro- 

 mising appearance. Such, however, as were early sown on 

 deeper and well cultured subsoils (which unfortunately are 

 iDut few this season) have obtained a firmer hold, and are 

 progressing more favourably in Essex, since the cold rains 

 and frosts have subsided. As there are but few winter 

 weeds this spring, we think it advisable to hoe it but little 

 if at all (especially as labour is scarce and dear), believing 

 it would only tend to still loosen it more ; indeed, it is 

 questionable if even harrowing will not cause it fo be much 

 more rootfallen, the land being so unusually puffy. To re- 

 medy the evil we intend immediately to only well and re- 

 peatedly roll all our own down tight, surface solidity now 

 for wheat, with deep subsoil tillage, being our motto. At all 

 events, where it is thought best to hoe or harrow it, rolling 

 it down firmly directly afterwards is an important point, and 

 never ought to be neglected ; but it is certainly best policy 

 to roll wheat j ust as it is renovating, aud not later. — Hardy 

 & Son, Seed-growers, &c., Maldon, Essex, March 19. 



THE BIRMINGHAM CATTLE AND POULTRY 



SHOW. Mr. John Baker Lythall has been elected Secretary 



of this Society. His chief opponent was Professor Tanner, 

 sixteen members ot the council voting for the one, and eleven 

 for the other, 



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