THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



147 



doubt of great importance formerly to the district. Times, 

 however, now were strangely altered. When collectors were 

 inclioed to come forward and buy like men, he particularly 

 advised the farmers to sell the article they had to dispose of, 

 because the collectors must have their profits and must have 

 their wants supplied. If they all became speculators in wool 

 a great many of them would very likely get a rap on the 

 knuckles. As for his own wool he would offer it to Mr. 

 Sherriogham at 483. per tod lU round ; it had not been 

 weighed, but it consisted of 940 fleece of half-bred hogg, 441 

 of Down hogg, and 841 of Down ewe. Addressing Mr. 

 Sherringham, Mr. Hamond observed, amid considerable 

 laughter, " Sir, I pause for a reply." 



Mr. Sherringham said he would give one. He could 

 not compla-.n of the quality of the wool, but, with regard to its 

 condition, he thought there was a difference, comparing it with 

 Lord Leicester's, of fuliy 2s. per tod. He must, therefore, 

 decline the offer which the chairman had made. 



The Chairman, remarking that he meant to sell at 489. 

 per tod, proposed the health of Mr. Bljth (cheers). 



Mr. Blyth responded, and offered his wool — 95 tods of 

 ewe, and 72 or 73 tods of hog— to Mr. Sherringham at 46s. 

 per tod. 



Mr. Sherringham offered 453. 



Accepted (cheers). 



The Chairman proposed Mr. Sherringham'a health. 



Mr. Sherringham shortly responded, and, adverting to 

 his long connexion with the Fair, stated that, although he 

 entered during the month his 77th year, he continued to 

 enjoy good health and spirits. 



Mr. H. Gayford offered his wool — 70 score fleeces of ewe, 

 and 5 score of hog — to Mr. Higgs, at 403. per tod. Mr. 

 Gayford added that, while Mr. Higgs was considering his 

 figures, he would propose the health of Mr. Bagge, who had 

 served West Norfolk faithfully and honestly in Parliament for 

 many years (three times three). 



Mr. Bagge having shortly responded, 



Mr. Higgs declined Mr. Gayford's offers. Eventually, 

 however, he agreed to divide the difference of Is. per tod 

 which existed between Mr. Gayford's price and his offer, and 

 to take the wool. 



Capt. Caldwell offered Mr. Baring's wool— 3,400 fleeces 

 of ewe, and 100 of hogget, all down, to Mr. Moyse— at 443. 

 per tod. 



Mr. MoYSB declined the offer. 



Mr. Woods, in offering Lord Walsinghara'a wool, said, 

 two years since, Mr. Sherringham had bid a price for it consi- 

 derably below that at which Lord Leicester's had sold. Mr. 

 Sherringham afterwards came to look at it, and said, if Lord 

 Walsingham expected his wool to realize ita full value, it must 

 be washed better. Since then, he (Mr. Woods) had used 31b. 

 of soft soap, boiled in two gallons of water, to every score of 

 sheep. The sheep were washed in a tub with a false bottom — 

 in other words, there was one bottom above another. After 

 washing three-score sheep, the false bottom was removed, and 

 the water thrown out ; and the space between the two bottoms 

 was always found to be filled with sand. He was now able to 

 offer Lord Walsingham's wool at as high a price as Lord 

 Leicester's ; indeed, he should be inclined to ask more, if he 

 did not feel delicacy in infringing what appeared to be Lord 

 Leicester's privilege of commanding the beat price (a laugh). 

 It was important to know that the weight of the wool was not 

 reduced by the washing. Mr. Sherringham, who saw the 



wool on Monday, was very much surprised at the size of some 

 of the ewe-hog fleeces ; and they were found to weigh, on an 

 average, 6;j!b. The ewe fleeces had since been found to weigh, 

 on an average, a little above 51b. He begged to offer the 

 wool— 24 score fleeces of ewe, and 12 score fleeces of hog— to 

 Mr. Sherringham, at 463. per tod. 



Mr. Sherringham said, when he first saw Lord Walsing- 

 ham's wool, it was as filthy as anybody's. It had since 

 greatly improved ; and in order to encourage Mr. Woods, he 

 would accept his offer (cheers). 



" Agriculture, manufactures, and commerce." 



Mr. Robertshaw said, at previous meetings he had some- 

 times, for speaking " right straight out," got the wrong side 

 of the hedge. He meant, however, to follow the same course 

 now. Nothing at all had been heard about Yorkshire, and the 

 difficulties and troubles of her inhabitants. He was himself 

 on the look-out for cheap wool wherever he could find it, but 

 the proceedings of the market that day had taken the wool- 

 buyers by surprise. The stock of wool of certain classes had 

 been conparatively worked up, and there was therefore an in- 

 ducement to buyers to seek after these classes; but when they 

 had once got what they considered a working supply they 

 would not be so troublesome. Mr. Robertshaw expressed, 

 en passant, his hope that the day was not far when the farmers 

 would send their wool to market in better condition. The 

 wool-buyers would then be able to do what they were doing 

 that day, viz., to give a first-rate price for it. 



The Chairman expressed thanks to Mr. Robertshaw for 

 his observations, and proposed the health of that gentleman 

 and other buyers from the north of England who attended 

 the fair. 



Mr. Gurney responded, and adverting to the use of soft 

 soap in cleansing wool, said, soft soap entered so largely into 

 the transactions between buyer and seller that he intended to 

 lay in a sufficient stock to last till next year (loud laughter). 



Mr. Miles Hamond offered 380 tods of hogget and 

 25 tods of ewe wool to Mr. Sherringham at 46s. per tod. 



Mr. Sherringham offered 45s. 



Mr. Hamond suggested that Mr. Sherringham should see 

 the wool. 



Mr. S. Abbott offered 1,020 fleeces of half-bred hog and 

 220 fleeces of ewe to Mr. Sherringham at 483. all round. 



Mr. Sherringham declined. 



Mr. Abbott made the same offer to Mr. Moyse. 



Mr. Moyse declined. 



Mr. Gayford offered 100 tods of ewe and 30 tods of 

 Down hog to Mr. Higgs at 623. 



Mr. Higgs declined. 



Mr. NuNN offered 23 tods of half Leicester, 17 tods of 

 Down hog, 34 tods of half Leicester fat sheep, and 78 tods of 

 Down ewe, to Mr. Everard at 44s. per tod all round. 



Mr. Everard offered 42s. 



Mr. NuNN declined and offered the parcel to Mr. 

 Hitchcock. 



Mr. Hitchcock declined the offer, and remarked upon the 

 hi^h price which the wool offered by noblemen had 

 commanded. 



Mr. NuNN said he lived very near a nobleman; perhapii 

 that might have something to do with it (laughter). 



Mr. Blythe said he was commissioned by Mr. R. 

 Overman of Egmere, to offer his wool, 1300 fleeces of half-bred 

 hog, 200 of Down hog, and 400 of Down ewe, to Mr, Sher- 

 ringham at 478, per tod. 



