•162 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



Ireland and Scotland, have become much reduced. The trade, 

 generally — in the absence of any supplies of importance from 

 abroad — has ruled healthy, and prices have somewhat im- 

 proved ; but the trade has not been to say active. The ahip- 

 ments to England have been smaller than in many previous 

 months, and we believe that they will continue limited for 

 some time. 



REVIEVY OF THE CATTLE TRADE DURING 

 THE PAST MONTH. 



Owing to the backward state of vegetation, and the scarcity 

 of food in nearly all parts of England, increased supplies of 

 both beasts and sheep have been on offer in nearly the whole 

 of our leading markets held daring the month. Their general 

 condition, however, has proved inferior: hence, the actual 

 weight of meat disposed of has not shown any important ex- 

 cess, when compared with most previous corresponding 

 periods of the year. The enormous amount of consumption 

 going on has produced much firmness in the demand ; prices 

 have continued to rule high; and the trade generally has 

 ruled healthy. From various localities reports have reached 

 us to the efTect that the scarcity of stock has become more 

 than ever apparent. We are so much accustomed to these 

 statements, that we naturally regard them with some amount 

 of distrust. There is, however, one thing certain — viz., that 

 production is not keeping pace with consumption. When 

 we consider that the trade and commerce of the United King- 

 dom are in a highly flourishing state, notwithstanding the high 

 range in the value of money, and that the demand for stock is 

 likely to continue active during the whole of the present year, 

 it is clearly apparent to our minds that meat will long rule 

 very high in price, not only here, but throughout the conti- 

 nent. We may import largely from Holland and Germany ; 

 but even our present quotations will, we imagine, fail to se- 

 cure for us such an increase in the supply of food as shall 

 produce an important downward movement in price. For 

 some years past, we have received steady importations of both 

 beasts and sheep from Ireland ; but we now seem, at least for 

 a time, to have arrived at a reversed order of things. During 

 the past fortnight, several lots of sheep have been purchased 

 in the Metropolitan Market for consumption in Dublin and 

 Liverpool, which markets have drawn largely from sources 

 which, at this period of the year, usually supply the Metro- 

 polis. The effect upon the live trade has not been to say im- 

 portant ; but in the dead markets, as much as five shillinr/s per 

 81bs. has been paid for prirae mutton. This is the highest 

 quotation known for a considerable period ; and it proves that 

 there is a decided scarcity of the most valuable or selling 

 breeds of sheep in the country. The only arrivals from Ire- 

 land, since we last wrote, have been 72 oxen and heifers ; and, 

 from information derived from reliable sources, the receipts 

 during the next two or three months will be on a very limited 

 scale. At present, be it observed, there is no want of sup- 

 ply ; but we may rest assured that, when pasture-food becomes 

 plentiful, there will be a considerable falling-off in the ar- 

 rivals, and that really prime stock will be very high in price. 

 Although the weather has been very unseasonable, lambs have 

 realized quotations in advance of last year, although it is ad- 

 mitted that the " fall" has been a full average one, and that 

 very few losses, in a comparative sense, have been expe- 

 rienced. 



The importers of, and dealers in, tallow — owing to the conti- 

 nued high value of that article, the result, in a great measure ; 

 of a combination ainongstRussian holders— have shown no little 

 anxiety to ascertain the probable amount of fat which they will 

 be able to purchase during the remainder of the year. The" sup- 

 ply, of course, must ever regulate the value of the commodity ; 

 but as far as our judgment carries us, there is no prospect of 

 such an increase in it as will have the effect of reducing the 

 quotations much beneath their present level. This is an im- 

 portant matter for consideration on the part of cur breeders 

 and feeders, because, as a matter of course, the quotation of 

 " rough" fat in the market enters into the value of live stock, 

 possibly to a greater extent than is generally supposed. At 

 present, that commodity is quoted at 28. Hid. per Slbs., or a 

 decline of 2|d. from the highest point. This quotation, how- 

 ever, which represents the value of some kinds of meat iu 

 periods of comparative abundance, is, however, calculated to 

 Check the demand, and compel the public to use substitutes of 



a less expensive nature, such as gas and oils, for household 

 purposes. We believe, therefore, that the tallow trade has 

 seen its best days, and, no doubt, prices will be lower when 

 the present monopoly is destroyed, audVhen the 20,000 casks 

 held during the winter at St. Petersburg are shipped to this 

 country, in addition to the usual supplies. 



The annexed return shows the importations of foreign stock 

 into London in the course of the month : 



HEAD. 



Beasts .. .. .. .. .. 835 



Sheep 8,733 



Lambs . . ,. .. .. .. 3 



Calves 800 



Pigs ., 118 



Total 



10,489 



Same time in 1859 8,888 



„ 1858 5,998 



„ 1857 4,814 



1856 1,924 



„ 1855 4,253 



1854 4,760 



1853 14,787 



1852 5,444 



From the above, it will be seen that the importations have 

 been on a full average scale ; but we may observe that the 

 sheep have chiefly consisted of very inferior stock produced in 

 Germany, and shipped via Hamburg ; hence the addition to 

 our supply of food has been trifling. 



The total supplies of home and foreign stock exhibited in 

 the Metropolitan Market have been as under : 



HEAD. 



Beasts.. 18,512 



Cows 489 



Sheep and lamba .. .. .. 114,450 



Calves 1,848 



Pigs 2,140 



Comparison of Supplies. 

 April. Beasts. Cows. Sheep&Lambs. Calves. Pigs. 



1859 16,850 390 110,114 420 1,990 



1858 17,950 400 104,380 1,332 2,097 



1857 18,601 460 92,810 1,240 2,025 



Last month's arrivals of beasts from Norfolk, Suffolk, 

 Essex, and Cambridgeshire amounted to 14,000 Scots, crosses, 

 and Shorthorns ; from other parts of England, 2,100 various 

 breeds ; from Scotland, 600 Scots and crosses ; and from Ire- 

 land, 72 oxen, &c. 



Beef has changed hands at from Ss. 4d. to 43. lOd., in some 

 instances at 5s. ; mutton in the wool 3s. 8d. to 58. lOd., out 

 of the wool 3s. to 5s. ; lamb, 5s. 6d. to 7s. 8d ; veal, 48. 8d. 

 to 63. ; pork, 3s. 6d. to 48. lOd. per 81b8. to sink the offal. 

 Comparison of Prices. 



April, 1857. April, 1858. 



s. d. B. d. s. d. s. d. 



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



Mutton 4 6 6 2.... 3 5 



Lamb 5 10 7 4 .... 6 7 



Veal 3 8 5 10 .... 4 5 4 



Pork 3 8 5 ..., 3 4 4 



April, 1859. 

 s. d. s. d. 



Beef,from 3 4 to 5 2 



Mutton 3 6 6 



Lamb 5 4 7 



Veal 3 10 5 8 



Pork 3 4 2 



The health of the stock in most of our breeding counties 

 has been tolerably good, notwithstanding the shortness of 

 keep. 



Newgate and Leadenhall have been fairly supplied with 

 town and country-killed meat, which has sold irregularly, at 

 the anuexed quotations : s. d. s. d. 



Beef, from 2 6 to 4 4 



Mutton 3 6 5 



Lamb 5 4 6 6 



Veal 4 4 5 4 



Pork 3 8 5 



Per 81bg. by the carcase. 



