442 Monthly Agricultural Report. [ArRiL, 
so mild to the very end, and the soil so grassy, the cattle have made very moderate 
demands on the straw-yard; the consequence is the largest stock of hay, straw, and roots, 
that has ever before been accumulated in this country: a sudden and mighty contrast to 
the spring of last year. The fate of the Mangold, or cattle-beet, is amusing; it took us 
full twenty long years to write and preach it into fashionable use, and behold within these 
few years—“ the stone which the builders rejected, is become the head stone of the 
corner!’ From being deemed unworthy of notice, and useless, Mangold Wurtzel has 
been suddenly elevated into a crack article of general utility—wine is made from it ; it 
fattens fowls and even bacon hogs; but it must assuredly be for those who have not much 
skill in the quality of pork or bacon. The chief merit of the beet resides in its vast 
quantity of produce, not in its quality, in which it is inferior to all the roots applicable to 
farming purposes, the common turnip, perhaps, excepted. 
The lambing season has been generally fortunate, extending from the middle of last 
month to the conclusion ofthe present. Had the weather been of a wet or moist 
character and equally’cold, half the fall of lambs would have been destroyed. The cold 
and drought have had another beneficial effect, that of checking, or happily putting an 
end to the progress of the rot. Some flock-masters whom we know, have lest a conside- 
rable number of their lambs by a flux, known by the name of the scows ; a never-failing 
friend to the venders of quack medicines. Now this scour is generally caused by improper 
and inordinate exposure to cold, and is the probable result of suppressed perspiration, and 
may be prevented, but can seldom be cured. In well managed flocks and good situations, 
there are many yery forward lambs, which will soon be at market. From the immense 
quantity of food, which will require no trespass on the early grass, store stock, of all kinds, 
is still in great request at high prices. The meat markets, of late, have given way, it 
being supposed that farmers are more inclined to raise money from the sale of cattle than 
of corn. Pigs are grammatically dear, by custom. Good horses, of any kind, still fetch 
any price that can be demanded for them. Little is said about hops, the demonstration 
of a sufficient stock ; still less about wool, which yet continues an heir-loom in too many 
quarters. 
Wheat seemed, some weeks since, to have reached its lowest point, the usual signal for 
a rise. This, from the tenor of the corn bill, necessarily produced a sudden and con- 
siderable rise on the duty. It remains to be seen whether there be any considerable 
Stock of bread corn in the country, to take advantage of this favourable change. The 
quantity imported has been very great, producing, it is said, very considerable profits to 
the importers, and much yet remains in various exporting countries, ready for shipment. 
The usual declamations against the corn bill continue in full force, but what a crisis might 
have been induced with our superabundant population, had not every method of supply 
and of keeping down prices been adopted? ‘The fallacy of our attempts at dependence 
upon the home supply, not only of bread corn, but of various other articles of necessity, 
has become fully conspicuous. The potatoe crop has proved most abundant, and of a 
quality far surpassing expectation: the immense benefit resulting from it, as an econo- 
mizer of our stock of bread corn, exceeds all powers of description. The old cry from 
the country, that there is “‘ no money”—and what is to be done when the one pound 
notes shall become extinct ?—is as loudly cuckooed as ever: but country produce must be 
had, with the indispensable addendum—it must be paid for; hence produce will ever be — 
synonymous with money. Farmers ought to have no need to be told that their forefathers — 
were well contented to accept gold for their produce, and that there is a far greater stock 
of bullion in proportion in the country at present than in former days, and a greater facility 
of coinage. We are well aware of the great accommodation of country bank paper, and 
how it has been applied to the purpose of supporting prices, in order to enable the farmer 
to exist under the present enormous load of taxation ; but instead of perpetually calling 
out for paper, he had better spend his breath and use whatever influence he may possess, 
in favour of a more honest system. 
Smithfield.—Beef, 3s. 2d. to 4s. 4d.—Mutton, 3s. 8d. to 4s. 10d.—Veal, 5s. 6d. to 6s. 2d. 
—Pork, 5s. Od. to 6s, 6d.—Grass Lamb (scarce) 6s. to 6s. 6d.—Raw fat, 2s. 3d. 
Corn Exchange.—Wheat, 42s. to 80s.—Best Foreign White, 60s. to 85s.—Barley, | 
24s. to 40s.—Oats, 16s. to 32s.—Bread, the London 4lb. loaf, 1ld.—Hay, 36s. to 86s.— 
Clover, ditto, 50s. to 105s.—Straw, 30s. to 42s. . 
Coals in the Pool, 26s. to 34s, Gd. per chaldron. 
Middlesex, March 23d. 
