THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



181 



quently the supply of cattle food has been considerably in 

 favour of the Norfolk producers of live stock. We havo 

 seen scarcely any home-breds from that county for some 

 time past, and ive think that we may safely state that that 

 once numerous and useful breed is now almost wholly ex- 

 tinct. It appears to have given way to the short-horns, of 

 which an unusually large number continues to arrive in 

 London. The extension of the short-horned breed through- 

 out England, as well as in Ireland and Scotland, is, per- 

 haps, the most remarkable event of modern times in stock 

 feeding. So numerous has that breed become, that many 

 of our once-favourite breeds have been considerably reduced 

 in number, and even our best Scots are now extensively 

 crossed with short-horns. No doubt the system is paying 

 well, or it would not be continued at its present extent; 

 but we freely admit that we should regret to see our noble 

 Devons, Herefords, runts, &c., wholly driven out of the 

 field, to make way for animals which may eventually become 

 less valuable by extensive crossing. However, the increase 

 in the short-horns maybe taken as evidence of the important 

 secret how the enormous consumption of butchers' meat in 

 this country is now met. 



The quality of the foreign beasts and sheep at hand 

 during the past month has shown signs of improvement, 

 arising from most of the inferior stock having been shipped 

 to this countrj' in the last four months of 1U58, in conse- 

 quence of a scarcity of cattle food in the north of Europe. 

 Our impression is that the arrivals of stock from the conti- 

 nent this year will fall considerably short of 1858; hence 

 we may assume that prices here will continue to rule some- 

 what high. The annexed figures show the importations 

 into the metropolis last month : — 



The total Bupplies of all kinds of stock exhibited in the 

 Great Metropolitan Market are as follows : — 



Beasts 19,805 head. 



Cows 364 „ 



Sheep 90,620 „ 



Calves 921 „ 



Pigs 2,400 „ 



Comparison op Supplies. 

 Jan. Beasts. Cows. Sheep. Calves. Pigs. 



1858 20,312 .572 80,742 1,108 1,7.59 



1857 19,949 355 81,200 1,071 2,.'?55 



1856 17,532 435 101,600 757 2,930 



1855 19.717 ,^)00 120,470 962 2,625 



1854 19,687 510 95,080 887 2.279 



1853 20,717 480 96,800 2,148 2,360 



Beef has sold at from Ss. to 5s. ; mutton, 3s. 2d. to 5s. 

 2d. ; veal, Ss. 4d. to Ss. 2d. ; and pork, 3s. 2d. to 4s. 2d. per 

 81bs., to sink the offiil. 



Comparison of Prices. 



Jan., 1855. .Ian , 1856. 



s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. 



Beef, .... from 3 2 to 5 2 10 to 4 10 



Mutton 3 4-50 2 10 — 50 



Veal 4 2 — 6 4 2 — 6 



Pork 3 — 4 4 3 8 — 5 



Jan., 1857. Jan., 1858. 



s. d. 8. d. s. d. 8. d. 



Beef, .... from 34 to 52 32 to 46 



Mutton ,8 8 — 5 6 3 4 — 54 



Veal 3 8 — 5 4 — 5 4 



Pork 3 8 — 52 36 — 4 10 



Thus it will be seen that pork still continues to sell at 

 comparatively low prices. The depression in value must bv"> 

 attributed solely to the enormous quantities which continue 

 to be forced for sale in the dead markets. 



The arrivals of beasts from Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and 

 Cambridgeshire, have amounted to 9,750 Scots and short- 

 horns ; from the northern and midland counties, 4,000 short- 

 horns, &c.; from other parts of England, 4,900 of various 

 breeds; from Scotland, 1,830 Scots, &c.; and from Ireland, 

 580 oxen, &c. 



In Newgate and Leadenhall large supplies of meat have 

 been on show, and the demand has been far from activa. 

 Prices, however, have ruled firm. 



AGRICULTURAL INTELLIGENCE, FAIRS, &c. 



AYLESBURY JANUARY FAIR, (Saturday Ia3t.)-The 

 fair was well supplied with horses and cattle, but in sheep the 

 supply was very moderate. The trade in horaea was active, 

 especially for the best descriptions ; the latter realized high 

 prices, inferior sorts being rather lower. For milch Cows there 

 was a good demand, and though the supply was large very few 

 remained on hand, prices averaging from £13 to £20 each. 

 For good barren Cows trade was very brisk ; scarcely any re- 

 maining unsold out of the very large supply at the fair, but 

 inferior ones did not meet with such ready sale ; the best de- 

 scriptions making £12 to £15, inferior £8 to £11 each. In 

 stirks the trade was rather heavy, prices £4 to £8 each. Trade 

 in sheep was shiggish, and though the supply was small a few 

 remained on hand; store wethers making 283. to 403 , store 

 tegs 17s. to 283. each. 



BANBURY FAIR.— There was a fair supply both of beef 

 and mutton, which found a tolerably brisk sale at from 2s. 9d. 

 to 58. per Bibs, for beef, and 48. to 5s. for mutton, on an 

 gverage. Messrs, Danby and Caless had their monthly sale 



as usual, which included several fine bulls, besides cows, sheep, 

 and a few pigs : the whole sold well. 



BANWELL FAIR presented one of the best selling marts 

 that has been held in this part of the country for a consider- 

 able time past. The supply of fat stock was far from bein< 

 in proportion to the demand, and everything fit for the 

 shambles was readily bought up at advancing prices. Gocd 

 beef fetched from 6O3. to 67s. per cwt., and one or two prime 

 lots brought as much as T'Os., the principal purchases being 

 made by dealers. Cows with calves by their sides were in 

 request, and averaged from £15 to £17 each. Useful giazing 

 barreners were worth from £12 to £14 each. There was als^i 

 a marked improvement in the pig trade. It was altogether a 

 good business fair. 



BEDALE FORTNIGHT FAIR.— We had a moderate 

 supply of all descriptions of bersts and sheep, with a very 

 sharp market for fat stock, at better prices than have been 

 obtained for some time. Fat beasts 78. to 7s. 9d. per st., 

 mutton sheep 6d. to 7^d. per !b. 



