THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



369 



annual weed. Potatoes quite withered down, and great com- 

 plaints of disease, being apparently q\iite ready for lifting. 

 Garden varieties about half-f^one by the old trouble. Turnips- 

 the swedes arc generally good, although instances of mildew 

 are visible ; other varieties, various. Where early sown with 

 a sufficiency of stimulating manures, some very splendid crops ; 

 where late, they have been battered by the heavy thunder- 

 showers, and will make a very poor return. Pasturage has 

 been abuudant during the summer months; still the sheep 

 flocks have fattened little, the fly having teased them perpetu- 

 ally : consequently hundreds of the fleecy tribe that usually 

 leave pasture for the shambles will go to the market as winter 

 stores, to graze on turnips until fat. Cattle have done better 

 on grass. We hope, therefore, at last to maintain our posi- 

 tion, by upholding the credit of the Border counties at the 



Christmas show of fat beeves. Our meat market continues 

 very firm for all grades of vendable fat stock •, and while the 

 great consumers continue to be fully employed, remunerative 

 returns are likely to be the result. Wool has also gone off 

 at a high figure : a real boon to the farmer carrying on a mixed 

 husbandry, the returns from last year's corn crop having made 

 a poor figure in the ledger. On bare unsound land, where 

 little or no grazing stock are kept, we cannot foresee where 

 rent can be realized. Harvest wages have ruled from Ss. to 

 3s. 6d. per day, with fnll rations on working days ; and on 

 most furms the labourer has made twenty to twenty-four days 

 at such rates. Females averaging Ss., without board, for the 

 full harvest. This morning threatening for more raiu. 

 Southerly wind, hazy atmosphere, and barometer falling.— 

 Sept. 26. 



AGRICULTURAL INTELLIGENCE, FAIRS, &c, 



AYLESBURY NEW MICHAELMAS FAIR (Friday 

 last). — The fair was rather thinly supplied with stock, but the 

 trade was active in all kinds. There was a good demand for 

 first-rate horses, and a good many changed hands at high 

 prices, the beat cart-horses realizing from £26 to .£50 each, 

 and nags sold at equally high rates. Cow stock also met with 

 good inquiry, and very little remained on hand ; prices ave- 

 raging for milch cows £14 to £21, barreners £9 to £16, stirks 

 £5 to :£S each. The trade in sheep was active, and almost all 

 were cleared off, at the following prices : Store ewes 343. to 

 45s., store wethers 323. to 42s., tegs 20s. to SOs. each. Pigs 

 were dull, at higher rates. 



ABINGDON FAIR has long been celebrated for its sup- 

 ply of good working horses. This year there was a falling off 

 in numbers, but this was amply made up for by quality, and 

 many were sold at fair prices. There was a good sprinklmg of 

 London horses, which commanded high figures. A few cows 

 of quality were offered for sale, and soon found customers, 

 while indifferent sorts and a great num' er of Irish yearlings 

 were driven away unsold. More sheep and lambs were offered 

 than is usually the case at this fair, and nearly every pen 

 changed hands at most exorbitant prices. 



BARNSTABLE FAIR. — As early as four o'clock a.m., 

 droves cf sheep were passing through to the pens, giving pro- 

 mise of a good supply, and an expected briskness in the de- 

 mand. This was fully realized, for between nine and ten 

 nearly every head was sold (and these numbered nearly 2,500), 

 at an average advance on the " West Down," prices of from 

 23. to 3s. per' head; fat sheep brought nearly 7d. per lb.; 

 breeding ewes, in good demand, at 423. downward ; Nott 

 wethers, 333. to 45s. (very choice) ; Nott ewes, 26s. to 3Ss. ; 

 horn wethers, 24s. to 30.^. ; horn ewes, 18a. to 243. The bul- 

 lock fair gave promise of a scanty supply until after nine 

 o'clock, when several herds filled up the vacant spaces, and 

 the market presented a tolerably animated appearance. Some 

 of the choice lots were waited for at the entrance, and sold 

 early at good prices. The range, however, may be quoted at 

 about the same as realized last week, at West Down ; oxen 

 from 30Z. to 38L a pair, three year old steers, 12Z. to 1 6/., under 

 that age, 6/. to 10/. The demand for fat cattle had somewhat de- 

 clined, though there could be no fault found with the price made. 

 The horse fair was not largely attended on the first day, 

 though there was an appearance of activity, and prices for in- 

 ferior articles ran high. The prices named for anything like a 

 horse being from 30Z. to 35/. 



BARNARDCASTLE FAIR.— Cattle were numerous and 

 of excellent quality, but horses were very moderate. 



BASINGSTOKE FAIR.— The number of sheep penned 

 was unusually small, and the business done consequently 

 limited. 



BELLINGHAM ST. CUTHBERT'S FAIR.— The gene- 

 ral character of the fair was a dear selling market, many sales 

 being effected at advanced prices. Larabs sold about 23. a 

 head above previous markets. The cattle shown were chiefly 

 small, and commanded high prices. The number of foals was 

 comparatively large, and the stock well gr.twn — chiefly fitted 

 for draught. The prices ranged high ; some as far as £14 

 and £15. 



BOGBAIN MONTHLY MARKET.— There was a large 

 show of sheep, and a fair show of cattle and horses. Holders 

 of all kiude of stock were disposed to claim an advance on 

 last market's prices, and there was a consequent stiffness. 

 Eventually the prices of the Muir of Ord came to rule the 

 market, and numerous transactions were made. Wedders 

 were in demand, and good lots readily commanded high prices. 

 There was not much demand for milch cows. Good Highland 

 cattle sold well. One of the best lots in the market, six-quarter- 

 old Highlanders, belonging to Mr. A. Eraser, Faillie, were 

 purchased for Mr. Baillie of Leys, at 11. a-head with a luck- 

 penny. 



BRAMPTON FAIR.— The show of lambs, estimated at 

 about 7,090, was not so numerous as that of former years, 

 neither was the general size and quality of the stock up to the 

 usual standard. It is evident good lambs are now very scarce, 

 and that the majority of lots in the hands of dealers are either 

 "mids" or "shots," or a mixture of these two classes. The 

 supply consisted chiefly of Cheviots and crosses, together with 

 a good sprinkling of blackfaces, but there were very few half- 

 breds. Mr. Brown, of Witershields, sold the Fingland Che- 

 viot lambs, the best of their kind ou the Sands for 17s. ; and 

 Mr. Halliburton Little, of Malsgate, disposed cf a lot of 

 crosses at ISs. Although sales were slowly effected in the 

 early part of the day, probably in consequence cf the bad ap- 

 pearance which the previous day's rain had given to the lambs, 

 yet the prices current at other markets were maintained, and 

 before the close of the fair nearly two-thirds of the stock 

 changed owners. Upwards of 80 year-old and Leicester rams 

 and tup-lambs of the same breed were exposed for sale, and 

 the greater portion found purchasers, the former at sums from 

 £3 10s. to £5, the latter from £2 2s. to £2 lOs. 



BRIDGNORTH FAIR was not well attended, and the 

 supply of stock correspondingly deficient. Good ewes went 

 off at 6d. to Q\A., and wether sheep 7d. to l\i\. per lb. Pigs 

 lower than last fair. The horse fair was pretty well stocked, 

 and useful farm horses obtained good prices, varying between 

 20 and 30 gs. 



CAWDOR TRYST.— There was a very small attendance 

 of cattle, among which, however, a few good lots were shown. 

 In the early part of the day little was doing, hut towards even- 

 ing business briskeued, and a good mary lots, particularly of 

 the better quality, were disposed of at a considerable advance 

 in price. We noted the following sales : — Mr. Macbean, 

 Nairnside, sold a lot of two-year-old crcss-stots, at £21, and 

 refused the same money for a pure polled Aberdeenshire cow ; 

 Mr. Andrews, Househill, a lot of crosses, at £15 ; Mr. Robert- 

 son, Park, a lot of 20 mixed twc-year-olds, at £13 53.; Mr. 

 Winton, Viewhill, sold a lot of twc-year-old polled slots, at 

 £13 ; Captain Sharp, Newton, sold two-yearold cross stots 

 as £9 2s. 6d. ; Mr. S. Eraser, Drumornie, sold a lot of High- 

 land stirks at £2. A few small lots of sheep were also pre- 

 sent. Mr. J. Mackintosh, Kinray, sold his Cheviot lambs at 

 Ss. 9d. — Nairn Teleyrnph. 



CARLISLE FAIR. — The attendance was large. The 

 Sands were filled with cattle of all kinds, and the condition of 

 the greater part was good. The holders looked high, and the 

 prices they asked damped business greatly, though a consi- 



