576 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Dec. 



PSINTIUG PAPER AI>rD THE MONTHLY 

 PAKMER. 



The disturbance in business relations is general. 

 It not only paralyzes commerce and manufactures, 

 but descends to the minutest ramifications of social 

 life. All arts and trades feel it, and perhaps none 

 more than newspaper publishers. The great ad- 

 vance iu paper — about one hundred per cent. — is 

 not the only difficulty in the way. A more grave 

 question is behind, — Whether it can be obtained 

 at any price ? When the materials must be im- 

 ported, and the gold to pay for them is at a pre- 

 mium oitliirty percent., the question certainly be- 

 comes a grave one. Our prices for the Farmer 

 are established, and we are unwilling to disturb 

 them, and our patrons, we feel sure, will not allow 

 us to publish at a loss. In times like these, pub- 

 lishers and patrons must have a generous confi- 

 dence in each other, and mutually share the bur- 

 den which they bring, as alone, they would break 

 either party down. We shall not change the price 

 of the Monthly Farmer, as many of our contem- 

 poraries have done with their papers, but reduce 

 the number of its pages, until the paper can be 

 obtained at a price that will not be ruinous. In 

 the meantime we shall condense as much as possi- 

 ble, so that the reader will find a full remunera- 

 tion for the low sum which he pays, and as the 

 price of paper decreases, we shall add pages until 

 our usual number is reached again. 



TiiUNDEK IN Winter.— If it is asked why we 

 have no thunder in winter, though the tops of the 

 storm clouds rise even in this season to a region 

 where the air is at least considerably charged with 

 electricity, perhaps the answer may be found in 

 this — tliat the storm clouds in the winter are of 

 great extent, and of course the tension of the elec- 

 tricity, being extended over a very large surface, 

 is very feeble ; and the substance of the cloud be- 

 ing itself framed out of vapor much less dense 

 than that of summer clouds, this tension may not 

 be able to strike from one particle of the cloud to 

 the next adjacent one ; no general discharge can 

 take ])lace. Besides, even in the M'inter, during a 

 very warm spell of weatlier, with a high dew point 

 for the season, we sometimes have a violent thun- 

 der storm from a cloud of very limited horizontal 

 extent, as the thunder clouds always are in the 

 summer. Such a cloud is in reality an insulated 

 pillar of hot air mingled with condensed vapor, 

 having just given out into the air itself its latent 

 caloric, causing the air at the toj) of this cloud, in 

 many cases, to be sixty degrees warmer at its top 

 than the air on the outside at the same level. — 

 Frof. Espy. 



CATTLE MARKETS FOR DECEMBER. 



The folldwiag is a sammai-y of the reports for the four weeks 

 ending November 20, 1S62 : 



NUMBER AT MARKET. 



S.ieep and Shotes and Lire 



CaWe. Lambs. Pias. Fat Hogs. 



Octohsr 30 3774 5412 250 1800 



November 6 4436 6388 600 3000 



" 13 3562 5727 600 2500 



" 20... 4413 7807 600 4500 



16,185 25,334 2050 11,800 



The following table shows the number of cattle and sheep 

 from the several States, for the last four weeks : 



Cattle. Sheep. 



Maine 3940 4577 



New Hampshire 2239 2555 



Vermont , 6259 8843 



Massachusetts 370 — 



Northern New York 848 1884 



Camuia 435 6952 



Western States 2094 618 ' 



Total, last four weeks 16.585 25,334 



Corresponding four weeks, \ ,-, -an lo -no 



last year, '[....n,o60 18,, 08 



PRICES. 



Oct. 30. Nov. 6. Nov. 13. Nov. 20. 



Beef, ^?' lb 355.7 3Jii6J ^a^ HM^h 



Sheep and lambs $3 (g44 $2i34i $3 (g4| $3 (g4| 



Swine, stores, wh'le... 4 .g4^ 35S4^ 3|g4i 3|a4| 



" " retail... 4^,g6 4ifi6 4 g6 4iff6^ 



Fat hogs, live weight.. .4|g4J 4^n45 4|yj5^ 4^35^ 



Remarks. — The number of cattle and sheep reported for the 

 month is very large, being an avei'age of 4046 cattle and 63S3 

 sheep per week. La^ t year for the corresponding four weeks the 

 average was 2S90 cattle and 4677 sheep, per week. In other 

 words, there have been at market, the last four weeks, 1156 cat- 

 tle and 1556 sheep more, per week, than the average number of 

 the four corresponding weeks last year. 



Perhaps something like one-fourth of the above number of cat- 

 tle may bo reijorted as stores — working oxen, milch cows, and 

 young cattle. 



The supply of beef, however, during the past month has beea 

 greater tlum the demand, especially for the last three weeks. 

 Prices have consequently declined, especially on the medium 

 qualities of beef. More or less cattle have remained unsold at 

 the close of each of the last three weeks, — a most conclusive ev- 

 idence of hard markets for the drovers. They understand very 

 well the expense and trouble of keeping stock in the vicinity of 

 Boston, from one week to another, and will not do so if any rea- 

 sonable otters are made for their cattle. 



Although the price of most of the productions of the farm, as 

 well as of goods in general, has greatly advanced within a short 

 time, and although the liide and tallow of beeves is worth some 

 two dollars per hundred more than they were one year ago, live 

 cattle have sold little if any better during the past month than 

 they did then. 



The jiroportion of oxen among the beef cattle has been unusu- 

 ally large during the month. If the farmers send off their oxen 

 earlier than usual this year, on account of the high price of grain, 

 or other reasons, the winter's supply may fall short. 



i-heep and Lambs have found a ready sale the past month 

 within the range of our quotations. From 4!, to 5c per lb. has 

 been the top price for extra sheep and lambs, — poorer ones 

 much lower, although the hich price of pelts, from $1.50 to $1,75 

 each, helps to keep up the price of all grades. It will be noticed 

 that full one-thii-d of the sheep and lambs are rejjorted from 

 Northern New York and Canada. 



Working oxen have been quoted during the month at from 

 $50 to t?110 per i)air. Extra somewhat higher. A large number 

 at market ; some of which have l)een kept over one or two weeks. 



Milch cows liave been sold better perhaps than any other stock. 

 Comparatively few at market. Forward two-year old heifers 

 and cows from $15 uy>wards. Cows and calves from $20 to 

 $50 ; most sell at $30 to $40. 



Fat hogs have improved during the month, but declined some- 

 wliat at its close. (Jood at about 6'4C, dressed. 



Iliile-: anil tallow advanced. Hides 7 (g 8c. Tallow 8 Q 8>^c. 

 Calf skius 12>2C per lb. 



