fur Consumption in the Metropolis. 367 
" District " BidJoch Supplies. 
1857. 
1858. 
1859. 
1360. 
1861. 
1362. 
Northern Districts . . 
4,000 
4,000 
4,000 
4,700 
400 
Eastern Districts 
CO, 500 
G!;,890 
7,460 
G3,5:i0 
64,060 
08,420 
Other parts of England 
14,490 
u,.')(;o 
19,090 
21,420 
17,700 
20 , 290 
8,3(50 
8,45i; 
10,030 
5,033 
8,712 
9,794 
Ireland 
2,700 
4, 820 
2,217 
1,477 
256 
2,545 
Foreign 
9,23S 
5,649 
7,5SO 
9,058 
12 ,422 
6,195 
Amongst the foreign beasts exhibited were about 500 from 
Spain. Although large and of good symmetry, they have 
" died " badly, or, in other words, they have yielded only a 
limited quantity of internal fat. The prices realised for them 
varied from 19/. to 26/. per head, which, after allowing for 
freight, charges, &c., have left little or no profit for the shippers. 
It may, therefore, be doubted whether we shall draw any large 
quantity of stock from Spain for some time, especially as France 
is still a large buyer in that country. 
Both as regards number and quality the arrivals of home-fed 
sheep have been considerably on the increase. The weight of 
most breeds has, too, been in excess of 1861 ; and the result is, 
that prices have given way. They are, nevertheless, somewhat 
high — the best Downs being now worth 5s. per 8 lbs., though 
this is 6c?. per 8 lbs. less than last year ; but the fall in the in- 
ferior breeds had been confined to 2d. — a proof that the supplies 
have not been much, if anything, in excess of the demand. 
Foot-rot has been by no means general, but the damp state of 
the pastures, caused by the excessive rainfall of the last two 
months, is unfavourable for the sheep. The arrivals from Hol- 
land, taken as a whole, have not equalled those of 1860 or 1861. 
A few of them have realised good prices, but the inferior stock 
have sold on lower terms. At one period there was a decided 
improvement in the imports of sheep from Germany via, Ham- 
burg. Most of them had been crossed with our Downs and 
Leicesters, and the whole were readily disposed of at from 27s. 
to 35s. each. But the cross-breeding had evidently been limited 
in extent, for the sheep lately received from Germany have been 
in poor condition, and the rates obtained for them have ranged 
from 19s. to 25s. each, chiefly for grazing purposes. Our sta- 
tistics of sheep and lambs show an increase in number com- 
pared Avith 1861 of 27,022 ; but a decrease of 30,358 head 
compared with 1860, and of 37,030 compared with 1859. We 
understand, however, that greatly increased supplies of dead 
meat have been received both from Scotland and various parts of 
England at Newgate and Leadenhall markets. 
