228 Agricjdiural Intelligence — England. Aoril 



Winter, by which means they will lofe the benefit of the pre- 

 fent frolt, for making their land harrow freely. Very little 

 of any thing is yet fown ; for the froft is fo fevere as to ftop 

 ploughing, and it is juft now beginning to fnow. Fat cattle 

 are high ; and, as the turnip crop is nearly' confun:ied, I fear a 

 fufficient quantity will not be kept on to furnifb a regular fup- 

 ply till the grafs cattle come to market. Beef -i\^. and 8^d. 

 per lb. ; mutton 7d. and 8d ; wheat us. to 15s. per biifhel ; 

 barley js. 6d. to 83. ; fine ditto for feed los. ; oats 5s. 6d. to 

 7s. 6d. ; new beans los. to 133.; old ditto for feed 14s. 6d. ; 

 very few beans of crop 1799 are fit for feed. 



Slofford^ March 18. Every article of grain has been 



very high in our markets : 1 have lately fold wheat from 15s. 

 to 19s. per bufhel ; barley at los. 6d; damaged ditto 5s. or 

 6s. ; oats at 8s. ; beans 13s. or 148. ; peas that are good feed 

 i8s. or 20s. ; all. per bufhel of 9^ gallons, which is our cuf- 

 tomary uieafure. Hay fells from feven to eight guineas per 

 ton. Vetches that are found cannot be procured. I had it 

 in contemplation to fow thirteen acres ; and, after great diffi- 

 culty, could only procure ten bufhel?, at the extravagant price 

 of 178. per bufhel, and thofe very bad ; for, having tried them 

 in a green-houfe, 1 found that net above one fourth of them 

 have come up. I then fent to London, but the price of them 

 ia that market was from 21s, to 24s. per bufhel; even thefe 

 could not be warranted ; fo 1 will only fow a fmall quantity. 

 My lambs are dropping faft every day ; as yet I have loft on- 

 ly one. At our lad fair, lean flock fold low, as the major 

 part of farmers have not provender to fparc. Fat cattle 6d, 

 and 7d. per lb. Checfe 3I. los. per cvvt. ; butter ij^d. per 

 lb. I have fed feveral beails this Winter with bi)Iled barley, 

 which brings them on fafl ; they got a peck each per day. 

 Sjtraw is fcarce and dear. Hope next harveft will be better 

 than laft, otherwife this country will be in a dreadful flate. 



Lincoln, March iS. The circumflances of the times 



have occafioned every prudcpit family to adopt a variety of ex- 

 pedients to IcfTen the confumption of wheat and potatoes ; 

 and inferior grains are generally ufed as fubditutes for what 

 has hitherto been confidered as the llafFof life. The badnefs 

 of barley has induced the maltfteTs to decline carrying on their 

 bufinefs, which makes a greater portion of grain on hand than 

 otherwife would have happened ; indeed, as the quality of 

 wheat is fo bad, the tranfition from the one grain to' the other 

 is thereby rendered lefs difficult. 



The 



