320 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



Dress all the beds with hoe and rake; earth up 

 and stick peas, and attend to neat order. 

 Fkuit Garden. 

 Place mulch about and over the roots of trees, 

 and supply water largely in dry weather to straw- 

 berry beds, or rows newly planted. 

 Flower Garden. 

 Attend to annuals in pots, and thin out the seed- 

 lings ; plant herbaceous varieties ; hoe and neatly 



rake the quarters ; sweep and roll lawns ; renew 

 box edgings, or ])lant afresh ; clean and roll the 

 walks of gravel. Geraniums, and all succulent 

 plants, requife shiftings ; and heaths, and all 

 wooded plants, in dry, airy pits facing the north and 

 east. 



Guano in fine powder, one ounce to the gallon 

 of soft water, is a most useful stimulant to succu- 

 lent plants of many kinds. 



AGRICULTURAL REPORTS. 



GENERAL AGRICULTURAL REPORT FOR 

 MARCH. 



Notwithstanding tliat the weather during the greater 

 portion of the month has been changeable, out-door farm 

 labours have made considerable progress ; nevertheless, they 

 are by no means forward — the time of year considered. The 

 general appearance of the young wheat plant is, on the 

 whole, somewhat favourable ; but it is a matter for regret 

 that the quantity of wheat sown during the autumn months, 

 arising from the backward state of the harvest, and the 

 saturated condition of the soil, was very small, when com- 

 pared with most previous seasons. This circumstance may 

 possibly, reduce the value of the forthcoming crop considera- 

 h\y because, in a general way, the winter wheats are more 

 prolific and valuable than those sown in the spring. 



The somewhat rapid upward movement in the value of 

 wheat — the rise in prices during the month having been 

 from Ss. to 6s. per qr. — has induced the impression in some 

 quarters that we shall continue to have excited markets, 

 and that the finest qualities of home-grown wheat will reach 

 flOs. per qr. prior to the commencement of harvest work. 

 The activity in the trade appears to have arisen chiefly from 

 the increased demand on the part of the country millers at 

 London and Liverpool, and the moderate nature of the im- 

 portations from abroad. It is possible, too, that the supplies 

 of foreign wheat and flour have become much reduced ; to 

 that, until after the Baltic navigation is open, our markets 

 may continue to be very moderately supplied with wheat, 

 and, as a consequence, the quotations may gradually creep up. 

 We must bear in mind, however, that America still appears 

 to have an enormous surplus quantity of food on hand, and 

 that present prices here are sufficiently high to give the 

 shippers a fair amount of profit on coDBigoments. From 

 that quarter, therefore, we may look forward to liberal sup- 

 plies, and we see no reason whatever to anticipate, any 

 falling off in our importations from the continent during the 

 remainder of the year. As far, therefore, as supply is con- 

 cerned, there is no reason to apprehend any scarcity ; but, 

 at the same time, we believe that e^en a heavy importation 

 would not have the effect of reducing present quotations, 

 more especially as money is becoming cheaper in the dis- 

 count market, and as our millers hold very light stocks of 

 wheat. Our reasons for this opinion are chiefly grounded 

 on the fact that the last crop of English wheat is still proving 

 very deficient, and that a large portion of it cannot be con- 

 verted into flour without a heavy admixture of foreign grain. 



The last crop of barley in this country appears to have 

 turned out much larger than was at one "time anticipated ; 

 the barley trade has, therefore, continued in a most inactive 

 state, and prices have had a drooping tendenc}^ The 

 Scotch barleys received up to Mark-lane have turned out re- 

 markably fine, and sold at corresponding quotations. We 

 have nothing special to remark in reference to other kinds 

 of produce, save that flour has produced a rise of from Is. to 

 23. per sack. 



The wool trade has been in a most unsatisfactory state. 

 The public sales of colonial wool held in the metropolis 

 have gone of heavily. Fine qualities have changed hands 

 at a decline in the quotations of Id,, and other descriptions 

 have given way fully 2d. per lb. English wools have suffered 

 in an equal proportion, the fall in their value having been 



Id. tol^d. per lb., at which very little business has been 

 transacted. The demand for export has been trifling in the 

 extreme, and very few parcels of the new clip have, as yet, 

 been disposed of. 



The metropolitan markets still continue to be heavily 

 supplied with potatoes, chiefly from Scotland and the North 

 of England, in good condition. The demand has not im- 

 proved, and the quotations have ruled in favour of buyers. 

 Great disappointment has been expressed by the growers in 

 the midland counties, where the crop turned out tolerably 

 well, at the low prices at which their produce is now dis- 

 posed of; but the fact is now patent that more really sound 

 potatoes were grown last year, both in England and Scot- 

 land, than was at one time anticipated. Apparently, very 

 large quantities have yet to come forward. 



Both meadow and clover hay have sold slowly on easier 

 terms ; but the value of straw has advanced from £1 10s. to 

 £\ 18s. to £] 18s. to £2 per lb. Meadow hay has realized 

 £2 to £5 58., and clover £3 to £5 ISs. per load. Much of 

 the former stiil appears on sale in very bad condition. 



There has been about an average business doing in the 

 fat stock markets, yet piices'have not been supported. The 

 beasts arriving from Norfolk for consumption in London 

 are of remarkably good quality. 



In Scotland wheat has produced rather more money, 

 with a fair consumptive demanf. The large quantities of 

 American flour held at some of the ports have, however, 

 prevented anything like activity in the trade. Barley and 

 most other articles have sold off slowly, although the in- 

 quiry for the south has not fallen off to any extent. 



The Irish markets have been firm for wheat, at a sligh 

 improvement in value. Fine barley and oats have changed 

 hands steadily, at full prices ; otherwise, the trade is heavy. 

 Potatoes continue oa offer in fair abundance. 



REVIEW OF THE CATTLE TRADE DURING THE 

 PAST MONTH. 



During nearly the who'e of the month, the Metropolitan 

 Cattle Market has been well supplied with beasts from Nor- 

 folk, in, for the most part, prime condition ; indeed, we may 

 assert that the quality of the stock received from that coun- 

 try has been seldom equalled, much less excelled at any 

 former period. The additional xoeight of meat thus on offer 

 has had some influence upou the demand, and prices have 

 shown a tendency to give waj'. However, very prime Scots 

 and crosses have sold as high as 5s. ; but the more general 

 top figures for those particular breeds have not exceeded 43, 

 8d. and 43. lOd. per 81bs. The sheep have, wo regret to 

 state, come to hand in poor condition ; hence prime Downs, 

 in the wool! have realized Gs. ; out of the wool fully 

 5s. perSlbs. The rot has, unfortunately, continued to show 

 itself amongst many of the long-woolled sheep, which, 

 of course, have been disposed of at miserably low prices. 

 The lamb trade has opened steadily, at from Ts. to Ss. per 

 8 lbs.; but the number of lambs hitherto disposed of this 

 season is unusually small, still we hear no serious complaints 

 of the past having been a poor fall. la the provincial markets 

 prices generally continue high — higher, in some instances, 

 than in Loudon. As the supplies exhibited in them have not 

 fallen off, it would appear that the consumption of meat has 

 not decreased. 



