584—588 Monthly Commercial and Agricultural Reports. [Jan. 1, 1801. 
trade, which, as it is attended with ferious injury to this country, is a fubject de- 
ferving the earlieft attention of Government. 
The manufactures of Leeds are likewife at prefent very ftagnant, from the market 
for coarfe woollens being deftroyed by the inability of the poor to purchafe neceffary 
cloathing.. 
Great numbers of the Journeyman in London, particularly the Cabinet-makers, 
Taylors, and Printers, have lately entered into combinations for the purpofe of ob- 
taining an advance of wages, and fome profecutions of the chief promoters of thefe 
proceedings have taken place. We are fenfible that it may be neceffary to reftrain 
fuch attempts within the bounds of moderation, and that as every advance of wages 
ultimately falls on the confumer, it muft generally be attended with fome difadvantage 
to the trade or manufaGture in which it takes place, butit would be a facrifice of 
humanity to the moft felfifh principles, not to admit, that at a time when fuch an enor- 
mous difference has taken place in the expences of the labouring claffes, a proportionate 
advance ought to be made in their pay. 
Cotton-wool has lately declined in price, but not very materially. 
Raw Sugars have advanced confiderably. ; 
Fine Coffee, about a month fince, had lowered in price very confiderably, but has 
fince rifen again. . 
‘The: amount of the Notes of the BANK or ENGLAND in circulation during the 
year paft, appears to have been generally upwards of 15,000,000}. ; when the Bank 
ftopped payment in cafh, their notes amounted to 8,640,250]; the caufe of the great 
increafe fince that period is a fubjec that deferves enquiry, particularly at the prefent 
moment, when the extenfion of paper credit is but too juitly fufpected of contributing 
in no fmall degree to the fupport of thofe practices, by which the evils which the 
country at prefent experiences are greatly increafed. The amount of 1). and 21, Bank- 
notes in circulation appears by the lateft accounts to be little more than 2,000,000l. : it 
would be a great convenience to the public, particularly to retail traders, if the Com- 
pany were to pay off thefe notes, which, perhaps, create ten times more trouble than 
the whole amount of larger notes, and the Company are certainly able to difcharge 
them if they pleafe, as there is great reafon to believe the amount of cafh and bul- 
lion at prefent in the hands of the bank very confiderably exceeds double this fum. 
Se 
MONTHLY AGRICULTURAL REPORT. . 
Ul 
ue has been the uncommon mildnefs of the weather to the prefent period, that 
&) all the different operations of hufbandry have proceeded without the leaft inter- 
ruption or inconvenience, fo that farmers were indeed fcarcely ever in a ftate of greater 
forwardnefs with their bufinefs. The young wheat crops were, We believe, hardly 
ever remembered to have fo fine and healthy an appearance as they exhibit at prefent, 
which circumfance, added to the greatly increafed extent of ground covered with this 
fort of grain, affords the moft favourable appearance for the next year. 
‘The prices of wheat, and all forts of grain, ftill keep much higher than we can con- 
ceive the ftate of the crops, the produce of taft year, and the imports that have been 
made into the country. juitify. i ‘ 
The feed of Milch Corws in fome diftricts is becoming fcarce; we have heard .of 
curnips being fold for this purpofe as high as frem thirty to forty pounds the acre, to 
be drawn; and when eaten on the fields by fheep, from feven to nine pounds; the feed 
of ftock in general has however feldom in any winter been fo plentiful or fo abundant 
as during the prefent, which has caufed the prices of butcher’s meat to be propor- 
tionably lower than thofe of moft other neceflary articles of food. It has lkewife 
tended to. keep down the prices of fome forts of lean ftock. 
From the uncommon dearnefs of all the articles that are requifite for the feeding of 
hogs, pork is, and muit neceffarily be, extravagantly high. At Smithfield, Newgate, 
and Leadenhall Market, it yields from 5s. 8d. to 6s. 6d. per ftone. 
On account of the warmth and general mildnefs of the feafon, and the unufual 
quantity of erafs in the paftures, the Houfe-lamb Feeders have been enabled to get them 
forward with much lefs trouble than ufual. " 
Hay fill brings a good price; and the price of Stracu is nearly as laft month, 
Hops, of the good kinds, ftill fetch high prices. 
Horfes of the beft kinds are dear, but bad ones are {carcely faleable at all. 
‘At Andover fair, on the 17th, Cheefe\experientced a rapid decline in price, 55S. 
to 758. per cwt.: inferior, 42s. and much remamed unfold. ; 
“he thew of Ceft/e in Smithfield, previous to Chriitmas, was this year remarkably 
well attended, and the cattle exhibited not only marked the great attention of the 
breeders of thofe diftri@s from whence they came, but likewife the vaft advantages of 
cultivating the improved breeds of all forts of itock. 
