THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



457 



stalment of hop duty payable iu May next ; also to gel a 

 repeal of a portion of that tax by reducing the same to one 

 penny per pound. " This no iloubt will be acceded to, 

 should the present government be supported, and would 

 be hailed as a very great boon by all concerned in their 



cultivation. The farmer.'i and hop growers ot West Kent 

 have now a chance at the coming election ; and by returning 

 Lord Honiesdale and Sir Edinund Filmer, " who have 

 pledged themselves supporters of such a measure," they 

 will be fairly represented in the new parliament.— April 20. 



AGRICULTURAL INTELLIGENCE, FAIRS, &c. 



BALCOMBE FAIR.— Tliere were some very good speci- 

 mens of Sussex stock, especially two steers, two years old, by 

 Mr. John Beeching, that realized £30. He had also a fat cow, 

 sold to Mr. Babe for £20, that was much admired, and sur- 

 passed by none in the fair. Mr. W. Tester had seven Sussex 

 steers, two years, very complete, that fetched £100 in one 

 lot. The show of sheep was by no means large, but tegs sold 

 well and freely at from 28j. to SOs. per bead. Nothiug very 

 first-rate were, however, offered. Pigs were not in any great 

 numbers, but sold at somewhat extravagant prices, home-bred 

 quarter-olds fetching from 203. to 22s. per head. A fine pen 

 of good Berkshire pigs, quarter-old, realized 18s each, which 

 as they are not cousidered so prime as home-breds was cer- 

 tainly a long price. There was a very decent show of horses, 

 but business was not so brisk as ia other kinds of stock, and 

 the exchanges were few. 



BANBURY FAIR.— There was a moderate supply of both 

 beasts and sheep, but not much either beef or mutton of first- 

 class quality. Beef fetched from about 4s. to 4s. lOd. per 

 Bibs., and mutton from 5s. to 5s. 6d. upon the average. 

 There were several fine bulls, which sold at fair prices. 



BISHOPSTOKE FAIR.— There was an average quantity 

 pitched ; and, the attendance of buyers being large, the prin- 

 cipal portion changed hands, at about the following rates : 

 half cowards, 548. to 58s.; doubles, 58s. to 62s. ; Somersets, 

 643. to 70s.; Cheddar, 72s. to 763. 



BODMIN FAIR. — The following were successful iu obtain- 

 ing the premiums : Mr. W. Rouae, of Laucarffe, Bodmin, ob- 

 tained tliC prize for the best fat ox. The second-best was won 

 by Mr. J. Runnalls, of Trengoffe, Warleggan, and the third 

 was awarded to Mr. T. Baron, of Lidcut, Bodmin. The prizes 

 for the best cows were given as follows : The best prize to Mr. 

 Billing, of Penrose, St. Tudy ; the second-best Mr. W. Rouse, 

 Lancarffe, and the third best to Mr. J. Runnalls, of Trengoffe. 

 The fair was not a particularly large one, and the umpires ap- 

 peared to have no great difficulty iu awarding the prizes, ex- 

 cept between the second and third-best ox, and the second 

 and third prize cow. Fat cattle sold during the day at about 

 three guineas per cwt. ; store cattle met a ready sale at ad- 

 vanced prices. 



CAISrOR FAIR. — There was a very excellent show of 

 sheep, and plenty of buyers. Mr. Carr, of Nettleton, obtained 

 663. per head for a lot of prime hoggs. 



CHESTER FAIR— The supply of cattle was large, par- 

 ticularly of milking stock, the prices of which were rather 

 higher at the opening of the fair, but declined again as time 

 went on. Sheep and pigs were an average supply, mutton 

 making 8d. per lb. to 9d., and pork 5d. In the horse 

 fair the show of animals was very inferior. Good harness 

 horses and hacks were in demand ; but first-class buyers, like 

 that description of horses, were very few and far between. 



CLENT FAIR was well attended; there was a good show 

 of all kinds of stock, most of which was sold. 



CROWLE FORTNIGHTLY MARKET.— There were 

 few strangers present, and little business appeared to be trans- 

 acted in the sale and purchase of cattle. Pigs continue to 

 maintain high prices. 



DEFYNNOC FAIR.— The quantity of stock was very 

 large, and there was generally a ready sale, the attendance of 

 dealers being very large, with a remarkably brisk demand for 

 barrens and steers. Cows and calves were not much inquired 

 for ; and the horse fair was rather dull. The prices realized 

 were fully equal to recent rates. 



DEVIZES FAIR. — There was above an average supply of 

 sheep, of which but few were sold, owing to the high prices 

 asked, and the cold unpromising weather. 48b. were asked 

 for couples, but 4Ss. was the highest price we beard that was 



given ; tegs sold at from 30s. to 45s. each. Cattle were rather 

 below an average supply ; they sold well at full prices, and 

 quite equal to late fairs. Cows and calves at from 10/. to 17/. 

 Oxen and steers at 18/. to 201. each. There were some good 

 cart-horses, and they sold well, the best as high as 45/. each. 



ELGIN CATTLE MARKET.— There was a very full 

 market of cattle, the largest that has been seen for some years, 

 and there were a great number of buyers from the south. Bu- 

 siness was rather dull the first part of the day, owing to the 

 high prices asked. Towards the afternojn, however, sellers 

 gave way a little, and a great many transactions took place . 

 Mr. Cruickshank, Cloves, sold a lot of three-year-old stots, 28/. 

 per head ; Mr. Clunas, New Elgin, a lot of do., 19/. ; Mr. 

 Macbean, Nairnside, a lot of do., 18/. 10s. ; Mr. Forteath, 

 Newton, a lot of do., 18/. 12s. 6d. ; Mr. Adams, Sweeihillock, 

 a lot of do., 14/. 7s. 6d. ; Mr. Millar, Fosterseat, a lot mixed, 

 14/. 10s.; Mr. John Grant, Pitgavenny, a lot of two-year-old, 

 14/. 14s. ; Mr. Cruickshank, Plewlands, a lot of two-year-old 

 crosses, reared by Mr. Grant, Pitgavenny, 18/. ; Mr. Gordon, 

 New Market, one lot of two year-old?, 11/. ; a lot of queys 

 three-year-olds, 13/. 15s. There was a poor horse market, and 

 no demand. 



GLOUCESTER MONTHLY MARKET was the smallest 

 we have witnessed this year. The number of fat sheep was 

 exceedingly limited, and an advance in price was readily ob- 

 tained. There were vcy few beasts, and those of an inferior 

 quality, but the trade was brisk at the following prices : Beef 

 7d., mutton 8d. to9d. per lb. 



GRANTHAM FAIR.— There was a gcod supply of stock, 

 particularly of sheep, which sold exceedingly well. Hoggs 

 averaged about £2. One lot of a hundred fetched 57s. 6d. 

 We beard of another lot, bought after Michaelmas at 2O3. 6d., 

 selling at 45s. Fat sheep fetched Sd. per lb. in the wool. 

 Store beasts sold well. 



HAY FAIR.— The supply of stock small and buyers few, 

 which may be accounted for by the fact of Talgarth and other 

 fairs in the neighbourhood falling on the same day. Fat sheep 

 remained on hand, purchasers (principally butchers) declining 

 to offer. Barrens realized fair prices, from £10 to £!4 ; good 

 cart horses fetched from £30 to £40 each. 



KIDDERMINSTER FAIR.— There was a good supply of 

 fat stock, and business brisk. Cows sold at from 7d. to 7id. 

 per lb. ; sheep (shorn) 7d. to 7id., in the wool, 7id. to Sjd. 

 Cows and calves maintained then- former price, and pigs about 

 88. a score. 



LISKEARD FAIR was well supplied with cattle, which 

 sold remarkably well, and almost a complete clearance was 

 effected. Fat bullocks from 56s. to 6O3., cows and calves 50s. 

 to 55s., and store cr.ttle 45s. per cwt. ; sheep 7d. per lb. 



LUDLOW FAIR. — A moderate supply of live stock was 

 exhibited, most of which were sold at extreme prices. 



LOCKERBY FAIR. — The number of sheep was about 

 2,000 head, of which about 1,000 were half-bred hoggs, 850 

 Cfieviot hoggs, and 160 crosses. Nearly two-thirds of the 

 Cheviots were ewe hoggs. There was a considerable attend- 

 ance of buyers, and grass being abundant there was a good 

 demand for sheep; but very high prices being asked the 

 market during the forenoon was slow, though by two o'clock 

 most of the lots had been disposed of; still a few lots for which 

 the owners would not accept the prices cffered were returned 

 to their pastures. A lot of half-breds from Annanbank were 

 purchased for Shillahill at 42s. with a luckpenny ; a lot of 200 

 brought about 363. ; the best lots ranged from that figure to 

 493., but most of the lota ranged from 30s. to 36s. ; for a lot 

 of Cheviot wedder hoggs belonging to Mr. Little, Applegarth, 

 40a. was asked, but they were not sold at that figure ; they 

 were a very superior lot ; a lot of 60, made 32s., and another 



