THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



459 



horses at £140, aud Mr. Jackson, of Moiiaghan, sold two at 

 £130. Mr. Murray bought an excellent horse at £100. Mr- 

 M'Grane bought four horses averaging £100 each. 



The horse fair took place on Wednesday, and, owing to the 

 inclement state of the weather and other causes, it was alto- 

 gether a failure. Buyers there were in plenty, but the supply 

 was extremely short, and of first-class ariiniils there was nearly 

 a dearth. Nevertheless, some hunters fetched a high figure, 

 and a feiv of the best were caught up by English purchasers. 

 Mr. Murray, from Manchester, purchased a horse from Mr. 

 Freeman, of Cork, for something over £300. He also bought 

 a horse for His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of the French 

 for £200 from Sir Robert Gore Booth. Captain Ford, of the 

 46th Regiment, bought a bay horse for £105. Mr. P. Persse 

 gave £150 for a brown colt. Mr. Magrane got four horses, 

 averaging about £100 each. Mr. Shegog, of Monaghan, sold 

 two horses for £140 ; and Mr. Jackson, of the same place, a 

 hunter for £130. Mr. George Lowe sold a bay mare for £120. 

 Mr. L. Reynolds, of Dublin, purchased a horse from Lord De 

 Freyne for £140, and one from Mr. llackett, of Birr, for 

 £130 ; he also gave for two carriage horses, intended for the 

 Lord Mayor for the ensuing year, £100 and £80 respectively. 

 Animals of an inferior description were nearly altogether un- 

 saleable. No demand for fillies. 



The black cattle fair was held on Thursday, and, contrary 

 to expectation, turned out better for the graziers than was 

 anticipated in the earlier part of the week. There was about 

 an average supply of black cattle. Business went on slowly 

 up to 9 o'clock, but in stveral of the trasjsactions that took 

 place a slight improvemeiit on last year's prices occurred. 

 Some top lots of heifers fetched from lOs. to 209. more than 

 they did in 1856. Lord Clonmel purchased a magnificent lot 

 of 40 heifers from Mr. Robert D'Arcy for £21 15s. Among 

 thetn was a beautiful animal, for which Mr. D'Arcy refused 

 £28 some time since Holders of stock, generally speaking, 

 took fair prices when offered, as last year they were obliged 



to sell at a fall on the prircs offered in the morning. The 

 weather is fine, aiid promises to contin\ie so. 



A letter from Ballinasloe, dated Thursday evening, is as 

 follows : 



" After I forwarded my despatch this morning, business 

 went on briskly, and the prime lots of the fair soon changed 

 owners. There was a decrease in the number of cattle of 

 about 3,000 or 4,000, which, it is more than probable, infli - 

 euced prices. The rates of last year would be an unsafe cri- 

 terion to judi;e by, as the sums paid for stock were consider- 

 ably under whai holders had a right to expect, and, therefore, 

 though an advance took place to-day, it was not of a character 

 to demand much observation. Whether it was that they had 

 experience of last year's prices or not, at all events sellers 

 were apparently well satisfied with what they obtained. It is 

 thought to have been under what cattle brought at the neigh- 

 bouring fairs. On prime lots there was an advance established 

 of about £1, and, on the whole, prices ruled from lOs. to £1 

 higher than last year. 



" I append a return of the number of cattle at Ballinasloe 

 for the last six years : 



Sold. Unsold. Total. 



1852 .. 12,090 ,, 645 .. 12,735 



1853 .. 12,219 .. 2,538 .. 14,787 



1854 .. 15,570 .. 2,839 .. 18,409 



1855 ., 16,237 .. 3,803 .. 20,010 



1856 .. 16,540 .. 5,982 .. 22,522 



" Most of the cattle on the fair green were disposed of. The 

 day was extremely fine, which was of great advantage. A 

 number of sales of horses were effected, principally of colts for 

 agricultural purposes. 



Sold 16,441 



Unsold 949 



Total 

 Decrease on last year. . 



17,390 

 5,000" 



AGRICULTURAL REPORTS. 



GENERAL AGRICULTURAL REPORT FOR 

 OCTOBER. 



One of the leading features in connexion with the agri- 

 culture of the country, and which has formed the subject 

 of much general discussion, is the now ascertained fact that 

 a portion of the potato crop in this country is found to be 

 seriously diseased. On nio.st of the late kinds being raised, 

 it is discovered that nearly, or quite, one-third of the tubers 

 are either greatly deficient in size or mucli diseased. Un- 

 fortunately, this state of things is not confined to one loca- 

 lity or county, and we have had most unfavourable weather 

 for pitting the crop. Still, we must bear in mind that the 

 quantity of potatoes grown to the acre is very ianje ; that 

 we are now receiving extensive supplies from the Continent 

 in excellent condition ; and that the actual supply for con- 

 sumption is by no means so limited as we had been led to 

 expect. It cannot be denied but that the failure of the 

 crop must be regarded almost in the lit;ht of a national ca- 

 lamitj' ; still it becomes necessary that the growers, who 

 are now obtaining from £4 to £7 per ton for good and use- 

 ful fjualities, should (airly understand their position. It is 

 not by keeping back supplies that will eventually be an ad- 

 vantage to them, because consumption will be directed to 

 other and better kinds of food. The producers of wheat, 

 too, who had been looking forward to great firmness in the 

 quotations, owing to the deficient supplj'' of sound potatoes, 

 would act wisely in considering whether present prices are 

 safe. At this moment appearances favour a further decline 

 in them, owing to the prospect of an immense outflow of 

 wheat and flour from the United States, and the stat'-d in- 

 tention on the part of the French Government to remove 

 the restrictions on the export of native produce Irom France. 

 The policy of such a step, in a political sense, may be well 

 doubted. It would, no doubt, lead to exports far beyond 

 the producing power of France, and depress prices here be- 



low their present level ; but the prohibition would check 

 an advance in France, and it would wholly fail in its in- 

 tended effect, viz., to produce an extensive influx of silver 

 into the country. However, the corn trade here has felt 

 the effects, not of over-abundance be it observed, or the 

 want of a fair amount of consumption ; but from apprehen- 

 sions on the part of the millers of some important changes 

 in the trade, which may render it dangerous to hold more 

 than average supplies of wheat. The barley trade has like- 

 wise been in a depressedstate, owing to the small number of 

 foreign orders now on hand for malt spirit and the continued 

 heaviness in the malt trade. Inferior barley is no* selling 

 at lower prices than at any period during the last three 

 years. 



Such has been the extent of the fall in the value of flour 

 at New York, that ordinary shipping brands may now be 

 purchased there at 1 8s. 6d. per barrel, consequently may be 

 laid down in England at 21s. Gd. Up to this time, howevar, 

 as the banks have refused to make advances upon produce, the 

 shipments have been trilling. In Canada the same state of 

 things prevails, and we question much whether shipments 

 will be very large until after the present monetary crisis 

 has passed away. 



The new wheats continue to thrash out well ; but tlie 

 prevailing damp weather has greatly interfered with qua- 

 lity. Up to this time the sowing of winter wheat has pro- 

 gressed slowly, in consequence of the saturated condition of 

 the soil and the numerous floods in various parts of the 

 country. 



The root crops are turning out tolerably well, yet we 

 find that the crop of turnips is not so heavy as is frequently 

 observed at this time of the year. Apparently, however, 

 there will be an abundant supply of food for cattle during 

 the winter montlis, especially as the quantity of grass in the 

 pastures is now large, and as the first crop of hay was good 



