478 
Statistics of Live Stock and Dead Meat 
politan Cattle Market are consumed in London ; whereas such is 
not the case. For instance, how frequently does it happen — in 
point of fact it is the case on almost every market day — that a 
portion of the stock — beasts and sheep are here referred to — is 
taken on speculation for grazing purposes. Most of the lean 
beasts are purchased for grazing in the Essex marshes ; and the 
lean sheep are distributed in the counties of Middlesex, Surrey, 
Essex, Bedfordshire, and Hertfordshire, to be again brought into 
the market for butchers' purposes. It must be understood that 
London is not, so to speak, a lean stock market; but it fre- 
quently happens that flockmasters are compelled to part with 
their stock otherwise than in good saleable condition. This stock, 
then, is re-grazed, and, of course, figures apain in the returns 
of the supplies brought forward. As nearly as can be ascer- 
tained, these transactions amount to about 200 beasts and 700 
sheep in each week, which have to be deducted from the actual 
supplies returned. Again, it is a false conclusion to assume that 
there are no sales except for London consumption. Country 
buyers frequently purchase largely, and a portion of the con- 
sumption of towns within ten and even fifteen miles of London 
is met by the supplies disposed of in the Metropolitan market : 
during the month of December, especially, purchases are effected 
for consumption in Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Brighton, 
Bristol, and other provincial towns, which sometimes carry off 
many of our best kinds of beasts and sheep. Another feature 
well known to most of our graziers here requires to be noticed, 
viz., the numbers of stock turned out unsold during the year. 
Heavy supplies, coupled with a dull trade, have frequently 
resulted in from 100 to 200 beasts and from 1000 to 2000 sheep 
being unsold at the close of Monday's — sometimes on a Thurs- 
day's^ — market, which are again re-offered for sale in the follow- 
ing week. It follows, therefore, that, from the aggregate supplies 
offered in each week, we have to deduct rather an important 
portion of the supplies, which again come forward at some future 
period. From this deduction we must not suppose that the 
whole is undisposed of at the end of the year, but merely that 
a certain portion of the stock has been sold twice over, and that 
a proportionately less supply has really passed into the hands 
of the butchers. Even twenty years since such was the case, 
and, perhaps, to a greater extent than at present, because con- 
sumption was much smaller than it now is, sheep were kept 
longer on the land, and the supplies of stock were, if anything, 
larger, in proportion to the wants of the consumers, than at 
present. These are highly important facts to notice at this 
moment, because we have open ports, and yet high quotations ; 
we have competition in stock from every available source, and 
