382 
Sfatislirs of Live Stock and Dead Moat 
successfully carried out than in England. Amongst the stock 
shown in London, we have observed a much smaller number 
of young animals than usual : hence it would appear that the 
grazing community have of late conducted their operations upon, 
in our opinion, a comparatively safe principle ; and, unless we 
are greatly mistaken, that principle will eventually be found more 
profitable to themselves, and certainly more conducive to the 
interests of the consumers generally, than a too rajnd forcing. 
The inferior and musty state in which the bulk of the hay-crop 
was secured last year is an unfavourable feature, whilst the want 
of adequate warmth fully to ripen the beet-crops is likely to be 
severely felt during the next two or three months. With all 
these drawbacks, however, there is at present no cause for as- 
suming that any kind of meat will be much higher in price than 
it now is, or that our markets are likely to be very scantily- 
supplied with either beasts or sheep ; though, of course, consump- 
tion will fall almost wholly upon home-fed stock until after the 
re-opening of the navigation on the continent, from whence we 
are advised that very large numbers of sheep — chiefly crosses 
with English breeds- — will be shipped in the spring in admirable 
condition. The numbers of beasts, too, in process of fattening 
for the London market are represented as unusually large. The 
Dutch graziers, by crossing, have succeeded in producing sheep of 
great weight and very full of fat, both internally and externally. If 
such marked success has attended the crossing of sheep, how is it 
that some efforts are not made to improve the beasts by a similar 
process ? Again, no attempt has as yet been made to improve 
the quality or weight of those wretchedly poor importations from 
Germany via Hamburg. Surely mutton must be very low in 
price on some parts of the continent, when whole sheep can be 
disposed of in our markets at from 18.v. to 23s. each, and yet 
leave, after paying freight, commission, &c., some profit to the 
shippers ! 
With respect to the production and consumption of mutton 
during the past six months, we may observe that the former has 
not kept pace with the demand, which has continued remarkably 
healthy. Prices have further advanced, and the best old Downs 
have reached the high figure of 6s. per 8 lbs. This advance 
must, in a great measure, be attributed to the prevalence of rot 
even amongst some of our best breeds, and which, of course, has 
operated against the butchers. The rotten sheep have been dis- 
posed of at low rates, since they have carried very little internal 
fat ; a supply of this kind has tended to give considerable support 
to the tallow market, and to run up the value of rough fat to 
?>s. 2^d. per 8 lbs. This high price for fat is likely to continue 
in spite of the; high range in the value of money, since we find 
