APRIL.] SMITHFIELD. 



in the year. At that period, the supply can come 

 only from corn or cake-fed beasts, for not one 

 fanner in a thousand has then any winter green 

 food remaining. Any beasts really fat, are then 

 sure to sell well at Smithfield. With sheep, the 

 case is rather different ; for spring food is now 

 come to him who is well provided, but not in such 

 plenty, on account of the number of bad managers, 

 as to lower the markets. 



SMITHFIELD. 



It is proper for a young farmer to consider well 

 the various ways by which he turns his fat stock 

 into money. The first and chief of these is Smith- 

 field market. If he lives in a district divided into 

 small or middling sized farms, and where the 

 graziers are all or mostly in a regular system of 

 employing one or more district drovers, in whom 

 great confidence is placed, he is as safe as his 

 neighbours, and may not have reason for any parti- 

 cular caution. This is very much the case in East 

 Norfolk. If he occupies a very large farm, of 

 whatever kind, whether an arable-grazing one, as 

 in West Norfolk, or a grass-grazing one, as in 

 Lincolnshire, on a scale that enables him to send 

 many droves pretty regularly to his salesman, he 

 may safely trust to him. The common confidence 

 and integrity of trade then take place. But I am 

 sorry to observe, that I scarcely ever knew a man 

 send accidentally a lot of beasts or sheep to Smith- 

 field, that got as fair a price for them as his great 

 neighbour, who was in constant dealing, got the 



p same 



