50 



knocked about in Smilhfield, could not be turned out of an 

 overstocked market to come into the next, have frequently 

 bought them at their own prices. It may not be thus when 

 the Islington market is firmly established. 'I he amount of 

 the grazier's or stall- feeder's profit, much depends on the 

 salesmen they employ. 'I heirs is an office of great trust 

 and confidence. In justice to those employed in this part 

 of the country, or in fact in any other part that I am 

 acquainted with, it is fair to say that I never heard of an 

 instance of any untrue return made of the prices that beasts 

 or sheep have sold for. Salesmen, from being regularly in 

 the market, must, if they are not poor creatures, be good 

 judges of the weight and the quality of the meat of the 

 beasts or sheep they have to sell for their employers. But 

 besides having good judgment, a Smithfield salesman ought 

 to be a man of good temper, to bear the great under-value 

 biddings of some of the butchers, in an overstocked market. 

 He ought to have capacity to form a quick and correct 

 judgment, when, from the state of the market, to give way, 

 in the prices he has asked, and when to be firm ; and he 

 ought, at all times, to spare neither pains nor trouble, to do 

 the best in his power for those who employ him. To gain 

 knowledge as to weight and quality, I for some years sold 

 my own stall-fed beasts in Smithfield. I therefore know 

 how the business is there conducted, and I am quite satis- 

 fied that a clever, pains-taking salesman, who regularly 

 attends the market, can, on the whole, make more of 

 grazier's or stall-feeder's beasts, than they themselves can, 

 provided be has not too large droves. Objections are 

 reasonably and fairly made, to salesmen who are in the 

 habit of jobbing. 



I have given rather lengthened details of stall-feeding, 

 from its having been for some years my hobby ; but I 

 confess rather an expensive one. No fox-hunter, however, 

 can look with greater pleasure on his stable of fine hunters, 

 than I have at my stalls of fine beasts. One inducement 

 for nay stall-feeding on a large scale, has been my wish to 

 find employment for my regular number of labourers 

 throughout the winter. I have tied up, for several years, in 

 the course of the winter, one hundred and fifty beasts ; las' 

 year, only forty, chiefly well- bred Durhums, grazed in thi 



