Breeding, Rearing, and Feeding Horses, Cattle, and Sheep. 5 
Year. 
Beasts. 
Year. 
Beasts. 
ji. 
d. g. 
d. 
s. 
d. f. 
d. 
1841 
4.500 
3 
8—5 
0 
1859 
7,560 
3 
6—5 
4 
1842 
4,541 
3 
4—4 
8 
1860 
7,860 
3 
4—5 
6 
1843 
4,510 
4 
8—4 
4 
1861 
8,840 
3 
4—5 
0 
1844 
5,713 
4 
0—4 
6 
1862 
8,430 
3 
4—5 
0 
1845 
5,326 
3 
6—4 
8 
1863 
10,372 
3 
6—5 
2 
184G 
4,570 
4 
0—5 
8 
1864 
7,130 
3 
8—5 
8 
1847 
4,282 
3 
4—4 
8 
1865 
7,530 
3 
4—5 
4 
1848 
5,942 
3 
4—4 
8 
18G6 
7.340 
3 
8—5 
6 
1849 
5,765 
3 
4—4 
0 
1867 
8,110 
3 
4—5 
0 
1850 
6,341 
3 
0—3 
10 
1868 
5,3-20 
3 
4—5 
8 
1851 
6,103 
2 
8 — 4 
2 
1869 
6,728 
3 
6 — 6 
2 
1852 
6,271 
2 
8—4 
0 
1870 
6,425 
3 
6—6 
2 
1853 
7.037 
3 
2—4 
10 
1871 
6,320 
3 
10—6 
2 
1854 
6,181 
3 
6—5 
4 
1872 
7,560 
4 
6-6 
0 
1855 
7^000 
3 
8—4 
2 
1873 
6,170 
4 
4—6 
6 
1856 
6,748 
3 
4—5 
0 
1874 
6,. 570 
4 
4—6 
8 
1857 
6,856 
3 
4—4 
8 
1875 
7,660 
4 
4—6 
6 
1858 
6,424 
3 
4—5 
0 
diminished perceptibly, though for the last six or seven years 
it has not varied beyond a few hundreds. When the supply 
was very large, as a rule, the prices were lower. This induced 
feeders not to send so very extensively to one market, as some 
of them were in the habit of doing a dozen years ago. They 
naturally dreaded a glut, and have sent more of their stock to 
market either the weeks preceding or succeeding Christmas ; 
more frequently the former. Of course the growing practice of 
sending large quantities of dead meat from Aberdeen and other 
parts of Scotland to London, as well as the opening of the 
Foreign Cattle Market at Deptford in 1871, affects to some 
extent the numbers of live stock at the great Christmas-market. 
The advance in price, shown by the above figures, has been 
steadier, and just about as great as the increase in numbers. 
The average price in 1841, sinking offal, was about 4s. per 
stone of 8 lbs., or Qd. per lb. ; while last Christmas it was 
nearly 6s., or 9d. per lb. The difference in the common beef 
prices between the two periods is greater even than is repre- 
sented by these quotations. At the earlier date, the quality 
of the Christmas-market lots was further ahead of that of the 
general supply throughout the year than is now the case. 
The choicer lots are, no doubt, still reserved for the great 
Christmas-market ; but they are not now so much superior to 
the animals disposed of at other markets as they were formerly. 
Reference to reports of the principal British markets in the 
month of June for the last thirty years shows a greater advance 
in prices than is indicated by the Christmas-market returns. So 
