THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



89 



in prime order; but, with some few exceptions, it has come to 

 hand in more saleable condition than in some previous seasons ; 

 in other words, more consumable meat has been offered and 

 disposed of. This, we conceive, is a step in the right direc- 

 tion, because all must be aware that animals produced beyond 

 a certain weight too frequently lead to heavy losses on the part 

 of the graziers. Good and fine beef has been currently dis- 

 posed of at 5s. 4d. per Slbs., and some of the best Down 

 sheep have realized Gs. per Slbs. Considering the large sup- 

 plies on offer, these are high currencies ; but they tend to 

 show that the country, almost generally, is in a prosperous 

 state. Certainly, the consumption of meat does not fall ofif ; 

 hence, it seems to follow that quotations will continue to rule 

 quite equal to those now current. The Lincolnshire season 

 lor beasts is rapidly drawing to a close. Had the weather 

 been more favourable, it would, no doubt, have proved a most 

 profitable one; but, owing to superabundant moisture, the 

 produ'ition of fat stock has been attended with many difficul- 

 ties, besides grestly interfering with the value of the food 

 produced. There appears to be nearly, or quite an average 

 number of beasts in Norfolk, &c., preparing for the London 

 market; whilst, in Scotland, the supply is fully equal to the 

 previous season. We regret to find that foot-rot has increased 

 amongst the sheep in some midland counties. Should the 

 disease spread, muttou must become a very dear commodity. 



The total supplies of stock exhibited in the Metropolitan 

 Cattle Market have been as follows : 



HEAD. 



Beasts 24,540 



Cows 510 



Sheep 82,340 



Calves 1,577 



Pigs 2,415 



Comparison or Supplies. 

 Dec. Beasts. Cows. Sheep. Calves. P'gs. 



1859 24,484 470 78,980 1,171 2,187 



1858 20,523 490 74,274 1,412 2,450 



1857 19,830 375 69,132 1,209 1,915 



18.56 23,995 475 73,200 1,526 2,380 



1855 22,412 590 94,030 1,376 3,184 



1854 20,293 120 88,880 1,573 2,746 



Beef has sold at from 39. to 5s. 6d., mutton 3s. 4d. to 6s., 

 veal 3s. lOd. to 5s., and pork 48. to 5s. 4d. per 81bs. to sink 

 the offal. 



Comparison of Prices. 



Dec, 1856. Dec, 1857. 



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



Beef, from 3 10 to 5 3 to 5 



Mutton , 4 Oto5 6 3 2 to 5 n 



Veal 3 8 to 5 6 .... 3 10 to 5 6 



Pork 3 8 to 5 4 .... 3 6 to 5 4 



Dec, 1858. Dec, 1859. 



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



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



Mutton 3 2 to 5 4 3 4 to 5 4 



Veal 3 4 to 5 .... 3 8 to 4 10 



Pork ...3 2 to 4 2 .... 3 6 to 5 



The arrivals of beasts last month from Norfolk, Suffolk, 

 Essex, and Cambridgeshire amounted to about 3,000 Scots, 

 &c. ; from Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, and Northamptonshire, 

 11,000 shorthorns, &c. ; from Devonshire, 800 Devons; from 

 other parts of England, 2,650 various breeds ; from Scotland, 

 1,004 Scots and crosses; and from Ireland, 1,450 oxen, &c. 



The imports from abroad, into London, were as under : — 



HEAD. 



Beasts 2,513 



Sheep .. .. 16,452 



Calves 1,556 



Pigs 274 



Total 20,795 



In the corresponding month in 1859, the importations 

 amounted to 17,430; in 1858, 19,099; inl857, 6,608 ; in 1856, 

 11,079 ; in 1855, 19,515 ; in 1854, 18,349 ; in 1853, 21,918, 

 and in 1852, 11,870 head. 



Unusually large supplies of all kinds of meat have been on 

 offer in the dead meat markets, both from Scotland and dif- 

 ferent parts of England; nevertheless, the trade has continued 

 steady, and prices generally have been well supported. 



CORNWALL. 



With the exception of ten or twelve days in November, we 

 have had almost daily, for several weeks together, a succession 

 of pouring rains, which have retarded all kiuda of fi-ld-work, 

 and never was the land in a worse state for receiving the seed. 

 The wheats which were sown early are making little progress, 

 but the quantity remaining to be sown at this season is 

 beyond all precedent, and a large portion must now stand over 

 until the spring. And this is not all that is left undone, for 

 there are thousands of acres of stubbles yet to be ploughed, 

 and those which are ploughed cannot be cleaned, and whatever 

 filth there may be in the land there it must remain and grow 

 till the weather gets fine. The farmers who availed them- 

 selves of the dry weather in November, and stored their 

 mangolds, did well, although those still in the land have in- 

 creased in weight; and so have turnips, generally. The for- 

 mer are a light crop, mostly small, with a great number of 

 roots taking a firm hold in the ground. The late-sown swedes 

 are very small, but the early-sown are better, and not injured 

 by mildew as in former seasons. The pastures have a beauti- 

 ful verdure, and afford a quantity of keep for sheep. Hay is 

 found to cut out badly, being in many places both mouldy and 

 overheated. Straw also is generally bad. Wheat is found 

 to yield badly, and when it becomes thoroughly dry the yield 

 will be less ; but, notwithstanding this, nearly all is sound. 

 Barley is by far the best yielding crop. Oats are of bad 

 quality. There is a good demand for best samples of wheat 

 at 7s , inferior down to 5s. 6d. per bushel ; barley from 43. 

 6d. to 3s. 6d ; oats, 33. 2d. to 2s. lid. Good beef is scarce, 

 and worth from 63s. to 658. percwt. ; piime, for Christmas 

 market, 70s., and above. Sheep of late have been rather 

 dru^gish, but there is now a better demand at 7d. per lb. 

 At the late fairs store cattle lay very much on hand ; a turn, 

 however, seems to have taken place in favour of the seller, and 

 higher prices have been demanded. From the considerable 

 quantity of rain which has fallen during the last twelve 

 months, or more, it is feared that a great loss will be sus< 

 tained in many flocks frcm the rot, more particularly on the 

 retentive undrained clays. We have heard of many being 

 sold for about the value of the skins. This must be felt be- 

 fore the end of another year. Owing to the very high price 

 of metals, great exertions have been made to work many of 

 the old mines, as well as some new discoveries, which have 

 given employment to a number of men. In addition to this 

 for some years pait, a very large portion, particularly from 

 the western part of the county, have emigrated to Ameiica 

 and Australia, thus causing full employment for those that 

 are left ; and persons who are acquainted with emigration 

 know full well that we have not the best men left at home 

 — at good wages, indeed, they are demanding an advance. The 

 great failure of the potato crop in this county compels us to 

 import extensively from Scotland and other places. Apples 

 were a partial crop : in some orchards the crops were immense, 

 whilst in others equally well situated they were bad ; but, in 

 all cases, the fruit was small_End shrivelled, and the trees lost 

 their foliage in many places while the apples remained — 

 Dec. 13. 



DERBYSHIRE. 

 It would seem strange to say that on the 17th of D«cember 

 the harvest was not gathered — and still it is so : within a few 

 miles of us (with snow falling) both beans and wheat are still 

 in the fields, and the prospect of such being secured we leave 

 the reader to judge of. Still the great bulk has been carried 

 for some time, and in a sounder state than could have been 

 expected. It has been put together in a very damp condition, 

 and it would be difficult to say when it will be fit for human 

 food. Where the thrashing machine has been at work the 

 yield is wofully complained of; in many instances, where 

 gathered from cold clay lands, one half the ordinary quantity 

 is wanting ; very dry loams and sands in early localities in 

 this county and the adjoining (Notts.) are the exception, and 

 the occupiers of such express themselves as being satisfied. 

 Our grass lands retain their verdure, and have kept the stock 

 much better than could have been expected. The sad neces- 

 sity of testing the quality of the hay stack is now taking 

 place ; and a poor concern it is — just as bad as you could ex- 

 pect, and a little worse. The question put on all sides now is, 

 how is it to be consuratd ? Steam it, we say, and use it up 



