THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



81 



A fair amount of business was doue, and prices were very 

 high. 



HORNCASTLE FAIR.— There was only a very small fair. 

 The show of horsea was only moderate, and the cattle and sheep 

 were limited Prices ruled about the same for sheep, but 

 cattle suffered a reduction of from 1/. to 21. a head. 



KIDDERMINSTER FAIR.— There was scarcely an aver- 

 age supply of sheep. Cattle was very scarce, especially in fat 

 stock, of which there was a very poor show. Prices were high ; 

 7id. being asked for beef, and from 7d. to 7id. for mutton. 

 Buyers were few, and not inclined much to purchase. Hardly 

 any business was done, most of the cattle and sheep remaining 

 unsold. 



KIRBY HILL FAIR.— The supply was large, and business 

 exceedingly dull, many lots being turned out unsold and driven 

 to York fortnight fair on the following Thursday. 



LLANDILOES FAIR.— There was a moderate show of cat- 

 tle, which were all sold at extremely high prices. For instance, 

 two small bullocks were sold for 13/., which some few years 

 ago would not have fetched 4/. Horses also sold well. 



MAIDSTONE FAIR.— We had an average show of good 

 stock and of horses. There were very few pigs, and no sheep 

 were sent. For beasts and horses large prices were demanded, 

 and in consequence very little business was done. 



MONTGOMERY FAIR was thinly supplied with stock, 

 but the buyers were numerous. Good beef made fully 7d. per 

 lb. ; shearling mutton, 7d. to l^d. ; lamb, 8d. ; good couples 

 sold at high rates ; pigs had a downward tendency. Cows and 

 calves very dear ; store beasts of all descriptions realised high 

 prices. We noticed a pen of excellent yearling wether sheep, 

 from Mr. Gardner's, of Dudston, which were sold at 493. per 

 head. Mr. Gardner's stock is much appreciated at all times 

 in this market. 



MUIR OF ORD MONTHLY MARKET.— The number 

 of sheep was trifling. The show of cattle was a good one for 

 a June market. Good cattle, however, were scarce, and a 

 large proportion of those shown were inferior animals in small 

 lots. Sales of good lots went on briskly from the commence- 

 ment of the market at a slight advance on the prices of last 

 month, and almost every such lot changed hands in the course 

 of the day. The recent seasonable rains, by which the grass 

 crops have so greatly benefited, affected prices, both increas- 

 ing the demand for cattle and dirainishiag the supply. For 

 Highland cattle, however, and inferior lots, the demand was 

 slow, and prices accordingly fell. The large dealers from 

 Caithness complained that they would not " make their own 

 money" by the sales : and the decline of prices and of demand 

 at the recent Dumbarton market seems to have damped the 

 ardour of purchasers. Another cause of the slowness was the 

 absence of those south country dealers, who are usually large 

 purchasers of Highland cattle. A good many lots remained 

 unsold at the close. Very few agricultural horses were shown, 

 but there some good saddle and gig horses. Apparently a 

 good many had come to purchase horses, and prices went up 

 on account of the scarcenes.s. 



NEWARK FORTxMIGHTLY MARKET.— The supply of 

 beef and mutton plentiful, and the sale 80!;;ewhut heavy at re- 

 cent prices. Beef, 73. 6d. to 8a. 9d. per stoue ; 6i 1. to 7a^d. 

 per lb. There were 1,095 sheep, and 6G beasts peuuid in the 

 market. 



NEWTOWN FAIR.— The number of stock exhibited was 

 not large. Attendance of buyers tolerably good. In order to 

 effect sales in sheep and pigs lower prices were taken. In 

 cattle of all sorts a good busi^jess was doue at full prices. 

 Good horses and ponies sold well at high prices. 



NORTHAMPTON FAIR.— There was but a short supply 

 of fat or store sheep. Best fat mutton made from 4s. Gd. to 

 43. 9d. per 8 lbs. ; fat ewes from 4s. 4d to 4s. 6d. Trade dull. 

 Fat lambs rather scarce, with a slow trade, made about 63. per 

 81b. A limited supply of fat beast; best fat beef made from 

 4s. 6d. to 43. <!d. per Slbs., most were sold Store beast also 

 scarce. There were some very useful down-calving rows. In 

 new milch tows the supply was large, with a dull trade, at 

 from 1/. to 2Z. per head le.is money. Horse fair thinly sup- 

 plied. 



PENRITH FORTNIGHTLY MARKET. — An average 

 supply of cattle and sheep, which met with a brisk demand, at 



prices equal to last fortnight. A fair show of lambs, which 

 brought from 233. to "263. per head. 



PENZANCE FAIR.— The business part of the fair on 

 Thursday was a very slight matter — the show of bullocks and 

 horses the smallest we have seen for six or seven years. Mr. 

 Williams, of Perran, and Mr. Sealy, of Marazion, had some fine 

 bullocks for sale. We heard but one quotation — fat cattle, 

 7O3. per cwt. The horses were on the whole a poor lot ; prices 

 from £7 103. to £42. 



RETFORD FAIR.— This fair, so far as the show of stock 

 was concerned, was a very large one. Most of the store beasts 

 having got into hands of the dealers they were of course de- 

 sirous of keeping prices up ; but the weather being against 

 them when sales were effected, stock was fully 1/. per head 

 lower than they were a fortnight back. There were few 

 buyers and many remained unsold. lu-calvers may be quoted 

 at from 16Z.to ISl. each ; but some of the very best realized 

 as much as 22/. per head, with only very few in, still they 

 were fully 21. to 3/. per head lower. No three-year-old steers 

 were exhibited. Two-year-olds may be quoted from 8/. to 11/., 

 and yearlings 5/. to 71. per head. The quantity of fat stock 

 exhibited was not large, and for which there was a fair sale at 

 from 8s. to 8s. 6d. per stone. About 350 sheep were penned, 

 most of them fat ones, which sold at from 7d. to 74d. per lb. 

 Six splendid gimmers were shown belonging to the Rev. T. 

 Cheadle, of Dunham, and were purchased by Mr: Foottit, 

 butcher, of Rampton, at nearly 3/. each. There were several 

 young calves exhibited of various degrees of quality, varying 

 from 2O3. to 403. each, but the average prices may be fairly 

 stated at 30s., with a good sale. No wooUed sheep in, except 

 a few Cheviots. A few ponies and " screw" horses were exhi- 

 bited, which realized good prices. Much stock was ultimately 

 driven away unsld. 



ROTHERFIELD FAIR was well attended. Upwards of 

 700 Welsh runts, as well as a considerable number of home 

 stock, were present, and good prices were obtained for those 

 which changed hand ; but not a great amount of business 

 was transacted. 



RUTHERGLEN FAIR.— The show of horses was excel- 

 lent, but business was very dull. The prices had a decrded 

 tendency downwards, and the average prices of even the best 

 draught horses did not exceed £50, while good serviceable 

 animals were readily procured at £30 and arupwds ? 



SHREWSBURY FORTNIGHTLY MARKET. — The 

 best fat beef sold readily at 7d. per lb. ; fat calves, 6d. per lb. ; 

 fat sheep, 7d. per lb.; fat lambs, from 18s. to 25?. each; 

 good couples sold well ; useful store cattle in great request, 

 and good cows with calves at high prices; pigs considerably 

 lower in price. 



STAMFORD FAIR.— The show of all kinds was not large. 

 A few fat beasts were shown, but the prices asked (8s. 6d. to 

 83. 9d. per stone) were so high that buyers could not be found. 

 Store beast were cheaper. The prices for sheep were lower 

 by several shillings per head. Very useful lamb hogs were 

 sold at 433. Very few liorsas of any value were offered, a'jd 

 sales of any kind in this department were merely nominal. 



TADCASTER FORTNIGHTLY MARKET.— We had an 

 average supply of stock. Beef, "s. 9d. to 83. 6d. per stone; 

 mutton, 7d.to 7^d.; lamb, 9d.; veal, 7d. per lb. 



TAUNTON FAIR was well attended. Beef fetched from 

 lis. to lis. 6d. per score; steers from 20/. to 40/. per pair, 

 bulls, 9/. to 12/, each; cowsandcalves, 10/. to 18/.; barreners 

 sold readily at good prices. The n\imber of sheep penned 

 were much larger than those last year, and prices betttcr. Not 

 a large number of horses, but the supply of those for draught 

 was good, for which high prices were obtained, 30/. to 40/. 

 each. Nags were offering at prices varying from 2iil. to 40/.. 

 and good ones were readily purchaae:!. Altogether, the fair 

 was a very satisfactory one. 



WADE BRIDGE FAIR was not so fully supplied with 

 cattle as usual, yet a considerable number of those exhibited 

 remained unsold. It was evident throughout the day that the 

 extraordinary prices realized at some of our recent country 

 fairs could not be supported, and this deterred many persons 

 from purchasing. The demand for sheep was dull, those sold 

 fetched 6,\d.per lb. 



YORk' FORTNIGHT MARKET. — Calving and dairy 

 cows were in fair supply and demaud, at about former rates. 

 All descriptions of grazing beast were in supply greatly above 



