THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



415 



The total supplies of home and foreign stock exhibited and 

 disposed of in the great Metropolitaa Market have been as 

 follows : — 



HEAD. 



Beasts 17,140 



Cows 510 



Sheep and lambs 102,630 



Calves 497 



Pigs 2,662 



Comparison of Supplies. 



April. Beasts. Cows. Sheep Calves. Pig3. 

 and Lambs. 



1860 18,512 489 114,450 1.848 2,140 



1859 16,{(50 390 110,114 420 1,990 



1853 17,950 400 104.3S0 1,332 2,097 



1857 18,601 460 92.810 1,240 2,025 



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

 Cambridgeshire last moutli amounteJ to 10,800 Scota, crosses, 

 and shorthorns ; from oilier parts of Plugland, 3,000 various 

 breeds; and, from Scotland, 1,325 Scots and crosses. In the 

 corresponding month last year the arrivals of Scotch beasts 

 were confined to 600 hpad. Since we last wrote no beasts 

 have made their appearance from Ireland. 



Beef has sold at from 3j. 4d. to, in sone instances, 5s., 

 nmttou ?>3. 6d. to Ss, lOd , lamb 6s. 4d. to 7a. 8d., veal 4s. 

 8J. to 53. 8d., and pork Ss, lOd. to Ss. per SIba. to sink the 

 offal. 



Co.MP.MiisoN OP Prices. 



April, 1857. April, 1853. 



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



Beef from 3 4 to 5 2 10 to 4 2 



Mutton 4 6 to 6 2 3 to 5 



Lamb 5 10 to 7 4 G to 7 



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



Pork 3 8 to 5 3 to 4 4 



April, 1859. April, 1860. 



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



Beef from 3 4 to 5 2 3 4 to 5 



Mutton 3 6 to 6 3 8 to 5 10 



Lamb 5 4 to 7 5 6 to 7 8 



Veal 3 10 to 5 8 .... 4 8 to 6 



Pork 3 to 4 2 .... 3 6 to 4 10 



The arrivals of meat up to Newgate and Leadenhall markets 

 have been on an extensive scale, especially from Scotland and 

 the North of England. Prime beef has realized 49. to 4s. 

 4d.; prime mutton, 43. 81. to 53.; and very prime pork as 

 much as 5j. 4d. per 8 lbs. by the carcaae. 



SOUTH LINCOLNSHIRE. 



The u.sual anxieties incident to the transition from Win- 

 ter keeping to Summer grazing have been somewhat in- 

 creased b}' the prevailing cold winds and recent sharp frosts. 

 All vegetation is backward, and the stock of mangolds is all 

 but exhausted ; hence great difliculties arise, and much 

 privation will result in the management of stock for the 

 ijcxt few weeks. We have a good proportion of straw left, 

 but very little hay ; consequently, the fold-yard stock will 

 require an increased ration of cake, as they must be kept 

 up to the mark in condition immediately before and up to 

 the time of turning to grass, or danger will follow from 

 weakened digestive powers on fruitful herbage. The chief 

 business of the farmer just now is the planting of his potato 

 crop ; and no little difficulty is experienced in preparing 

 the land for its proper reception. The land was so satu- 

 rated with rain during the past wet and cold Summer as to 

 cause it to work tough and unkindly. It is almost impossi- 

 ble to reduce it to a line mould ; heoce many growers are 

 planting upon a " checquery" soil — a dangerous experiment ; 

 but should the season prove suitable, a good crop may be ex- 

 pected. The favourite mode of planting this year appears to be 

 ou the ridge system. The ridges are thirty inches apart, 

 slightly manured with fold-yard dung, and further aided by 

 sowing along the opened ridge in which the potatoes are 

 to be planted about .jV cwt. of Peruvian guano per acre. 

 The sets are placed along this bottom at from 12 to 14 

 inch intervals, the ploughman opening one ridge and 

 closing up another in his bout. Many fears are expressed 



relative to the safety of the Spring-sown crops ; more par- 

 ticularly of the bean and peas crop. At present they show 

 no sign of a good plant, and upon examination it is found to 

 arise chiefly from decayed seeds or grains. The seed has 

 vegetated, and put forth both a root and a shoot ; but gene- 

 rally it is seen that the shoot has become decayed, and the 

 root appears ready to follow it, which, in fact, it will soon 

 do. There appears at present no prospect of being able to 

 improve these crops, as the surface is so hard on most soils 

 that destruction mi^st ensue from rolling, and it is so close 

 and set at top that no tender plant can force its way through. 

 Wheat hoeing isbegim in some places. The crops with but 

 few exceptions are very thin in plant, and very backward. 

 Fallows were never backwarde r in any season ; and farm 

 work generally is " far behind hand." Every department 

 of Sjiring work has requiied much extra labour, which has 

 had tiie above eitect; and should these dry, searching 

 winds continue, wc shall still l»g behind. Our Spring 

 markets and lairs are well attended, and all kinds of stock 

 rule higii in price. Good hoggets fetch 45s. to 70s. per 

 liead. Wool continues to uphold a high figure, and bug 

 wools will be scarce. The meat markets continue high in 

 price, and without much hope of reduction. We never 

 Isnew such a paucity of fat stock. It is with some diffi- 

 culty that the requirements of this thinly populated district 

 are supplied, although essentially a fattening one. We 

 never knew a larger number of stock sales taking place than 

 in this season. This does not speak well for the prosperity 

 of this division of the county. Unquestionably the losses 

 have been severe, owing to the three previous harvests being 

 so defective — the two last wofuUy so ; and to this add the 

 loss of the potato crop of last year. If it had net been for 

 the retrieving circumstance of its being a favoured grazing 

 district, the consequences to the occupier would have been 

 ruinous. We are hopeful for the future, but tiie prospects 

 are by no means encouraging. Wages are good, and ex- 

 pences increase, so that the farmer has much to meet. We 

 trust that a more propitious Summer will providentially be 

 given to us, and thus lead us to know and feel more from 

 whence our blessings come. 



ISLE OF ELY. 



The cold weather still lingers, and the periodi';aI N E. 

 winds of April produce all their wonted influences both 

 upon our persons an4 our fields. We never heard aiy one 

 say they enjoyed these chilling, piercing blasts, and they 

 have never been famed for making grass plentiful, or corn 

 fields luxuriant ; but they are annual visitants, and we 

 have to make the best of them while they sta}', and ever 

 and anon we bid them a sincere and hearty farewell when 

 the}' leave. We are the best friends when furthest removed 

 from each other. Last week we had three severe frosts and 

 three warm sunny days. The.^e combined exerted an un- 

 favourable influence upon vegetation, and very much re- 

 tarded its progress. Our report of the growing wheats must 

 still be unfavourable. In a few instances, upon the warm 

 gravelly fen soils, the plant is promising, and presents a 

 beautiful and healthy verdure ; but upon the generality of 

 land it is far otherwise. The plant is thin and looks sickly, 

 and the frosts of last week have given it a very unhealtliy 

 and unpromising aspect. Unless we get a speedy change of 

 weather, with more genial and Springlike temperature, our 

 worst fears as it regards the wheat crop, must inevitably be 

 realized. Oats have come up well, and look strong and 

 healthy ; and if they escape the ravages of their old foe 

 the wireworm during the next few weeks, there is every 

 prospect of their making a crop. Beans are not generally 

 so good. We have heard to-day of some having been 

 ploughed up. The seed sown, in many instances, was imma- 

 ture and iu bad condition, and has rotted in the ground. 

 Where good seed was used the plant is looking very well. 

 In another week we shall begin to sow mangolds, and it will 

 behove our farmers to be very cautious in the purchase of 

 seed. Some are very good, and others are comparatively 

 worthless. We sowed 20 seeds we had from one party, 

 and have 42 plants growing from them ; and we sowed 36 

 seeds of another lot. and have only 2 plants. Such is the 

 difference this year. Grass was plentiful when April came 

 in ; but the frosts and cold weather have checked its growth. 

 The corn trade is vorv bad again. For two or three weeks 



