80 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



which were from the farm of a frieud adjoining : the entire 

 stock did great credit to the owner. Our space barely allows 

 limit for more than simple allusion to our prospects. That the 

 forthcoming crop will be various, and very much of the wheat 

 thin and sifkly, is now placed without reasonable doubt. Oats 

 on light or loamy soils looked very promising for a full return, 

 until after the late deluge of rain : they uow seem fast at the 

 neck, are losing colour, and standing too much erect. Barley 

 has a more healthy appearance. Beaus geuerally good, where 

 sufficient power is at command to keep them clean. Peas very 

 middling. Whether by insect or slug, the peaand red clover are 

 equally and almost an entire failure. Hence our hay crops 

 will cut up unusually light : the weather has been extremely 

 seasonable for this crop. Italian and Ayrshire seeds have 

 pushed out to great length; but in the almost entire absence of 

 clover, the crop will fall thin. Meadow hay will be a great 

 crop ; old pastures and swards of all descriptions were never 

 better at any season : nor have we had a breath of cold with- 

 ering wind since May 12. The failure of clover and weak 

 spiry wheat crops to be seen renders a singular result. Our 

 provincial market returns still show unmistakable results of 

 our last harvest. Wheat selling at all prices from 9s. down to 

 3s. per imp. bushel ; a lesson for the agricultural studeut 

 about to start farming to make margin for incidentals. — 

 June 19. 



NORTH EIDING OF YORKSHIRE.— CLEVELAND. 



Since our last we have had weather of a brilliant description, 

 the only complaint made is b}' clay-land farmers, it being too 

 dry for the brairding of their turnips. However, from the 7th 

 to the 11th inst. we had a considerable fall of rain, and its 

 effects on lands sovrn at all in favourable condition has been 

 very favourable, brairding the seed where sufficient moisture did 

 not exist to accomplish that, and refreshing and stimulating 

 the sun-parched and fly-bitten plants already above ground. 

 Since then we have had it very dry and warm, and would uow 

 be all the better for a little more rain. It has been a month 

 of favourable weather for wheat, and consequently the plant 

 has made good progress. As we previously reported, that 

 sown on dry and well conditioned soils looks extremely well; 

 while that on wet and secondary sorts of land looks very thin 

 and meagre ; and as tillering time is now past, we fear that as 

 far as bulk is concerned, many of us will fall short of average 

 years. The plant, however, generally seems of a good colour 

 and healthy, and we can only hope that what we may want is 

 bulk may be met by a good yield and quality. We have ad- 

 Tersely to report of the appearance of the oat crop. There has 

 not been a worse prospect for oats here for some years. Some 

 fields have been resown, and others we see standing will not 

 be more than half a crop. Beaus generally are backward and 

 the accounts of them are by no means flattering. The late 

 rains have much improved pastures, which were very short and 

 wanted wet much. Our meadows cannot now turn up a heavy 

 swathe; the weather being too long dry for the full development 

 of the grasses. The appearance of the potato so far seems 

 satisfactory. Fat stock have been ruling at high figures; 

 prime beef making 93. per Hlbs. It is now, at this date, a 

 little easier to buy. Mutton has been worth S^d. per lb., out 

 of the wool; it also is a shade lower. We have not yet doue 

 much in the wool trade, but the top price for Leicester half- 

 hog and halfewe is 18d. per lb., and ruling as low as 16d. per 

 lb. Lean stock sells at uuprecedentedly high prices : we can- 

 not see how farmers can make it pay to purchase; but the 

 business is, those that have grass must have it eaten, and con- 

 eequently must buy, be the price what it may.— June 18. 



AGRICULTURAL INTELLIGENCE, 

 FAIRS, &c. 



ABINGDON FAIR kept up its character for the produc- 

 tion of splendid cart colts, and there were also many good 

 cart horses, the whole or greater proportion of which soon 

 changed hands at high figures, but the vast number of inferior 

 animals remained unsold at a late hour of the day. We have 

 seen more first-rate cow cattle offered, but never remember a 

 better trade, anything at all strong and useful being caught up 

 early, at most remunerative prices. Of sheep stock not less 

 than 3,500 of ewes and lambs, and many of them of first-rate 

 quality, the greater proportion half-bred lambs, were exhibited, 

 many lots of which sold quickly at from 28s. to 328. per head, 

 but from the paucity of dealers attending this fair, several pens 

 of the best lambs were driven home again unsold. There was 

 much inquiry for young and good ewes for breeding stock. 



ALDBOROUGH FAIR.— There was a good show of fat 

 beasts, and a few sheep, but very little business transacted in 

 consequence of the high prices asked. 



BALGAIR MARKET. — The numbers were fully more 

 than last year, but the stock was not in the same condition, 

 more particularly the heifers. There were few two-year-old 

 stots, and what was good of them were readily bought up. If 

 there had been double the quantity of this kind of stock they 

 they would have met a ready market, arising from a plentiful 

 supply of grass. The heifers, being the largest part of the stock, 

 did not meet the same encouragement as the stots ; but when 

 the stots were picked up the attention of buyers was directed 

 to the better class of heifers. At the close of the market a few 

 lots of inferior heifers remained unsold. Tbree-year-old West 

 Highland heifers ran from £6 to £8 Ss. ; two-year-olds, from 

 £5 lOs. to £6 15s. ; three-year-old stots, from the same coun- 

 try, from £8 to £11 lis.; and two-year-olds, from £6 to 

 £7 153. The heifers advanced about 153. a head above last 

 year's prices, and the stots about 20s. There was a plentiful 

 supply of milk cows, more particularly Ayrshires, which met a 

 fair market. So high as from £18 to £19 were got for seve- 

 ral, and many exchanged hands at from £13 to £15. It was 

 allowed that this kind of slock advanced about ten per cent, 

 above last year's prices. The show of tups was very large, en- 

 tirely composed of Highland stock. The demand was very 

 fair, but there were a good number left unsold. There were 

 few horses, the only dealer with a stud being Mr. Walker, of 

 Stirling, who sold a few draught and saddle horses at prices 

 fully higher than was got at GifFord on Tuesday last. Mr. 

 Youll, of Glasgow, was the principal buyer, and made a few 

 purchases among the draught horses at prices ranging from 

 £30 to £42. The bulk of the horses on sale by farmers were 

 all but picked up. 



BEDALE FORTNIGHT FAIR.— We had an unusually 

 large supply of all descriptions of stock, which had slow de- 

 mand. Holding stock and incalvers were easy to buy. Beef, 

 7s. 6d. to 8s. 3d. per stone ; mutton, G^d. to 7d. per lb. 



BOROUGHBRIDCE FAIR was very largely supplied 

 with lean and half-fed cattle, in which a considerable business 

 was done, but with a downward tendency. The show of horses 

 was indifferent, both in quantity and quality. The dealers 

 were not Very keen buyers, it being understood that their 

 needs were not urgent. Horses adapted for agricultural pur- 

 poses have the best demand, and animals of merit realize 

 remunerating prices. 



BRODICK FAIR.- There was a good supply of cattle, the 

 average quality of which showed a considerable improvement 

 upon former seasons. As is usual at this gathering, fabulous 

 prices were asked for all description of animals. Milk and 

 farrow cows sold at rates ranging from 5^ to 81. Young cattle 

 and yearlings were very dear — few being sold under 61. 10s. 

 and 71. each. Fed calves were eagerly sought after by butchers 

 from Glasgow and the towns on the west coast, and sold 

 quickly at from 123. to 13s. per stone. For horses exorbitant 

 prices were asked, one very diminutive animal being offered at 

 40/. From about 30/. to 40/. were the current rates. Sheep 

 and lambs sold slowly, the latter at from 2s. 6d. to 7s. each. 



CONSTANTINE FAIR.— There was an average supply of 

 cattle and sheep. Cows and calves realized 63b. per cwt.; fat 

 cows, 65s. per cwt. ; sheep, 7id. to 8d. per lb, ; lambs, 7d. 



DUNNING FAIR.— The show of cattle was not numeroua. 



