The Montgomeryshire Express and Radnor Times

THE FARMERS' CIRCLE. (BY ON): WITHIN IT.) .■■■ ■■ I ■■ I.I The Chester Show of tfie Royal Agricul- tural Society has produced a highly satis- factory financial balance-sheet. At Wednes- day's Council meeting Sir Nigel Kingscote was able to make the gratifying announce- ment that the approximate results would be a surplus of receipts over expenditure! amounting to £ 2,400. At the rent audit of the Berkeley estate, on Monday it was announced that Lord; Fitzhardinge, one of the largest landowners in the West of England, had allowed a reduction of 30 per cent. on the half-year's i rent of his tenantry, owing to the great agricultural depression. Other landlords in Gloucestershire have given abatements of from 20 to in one case 45 per cent. The famous herd of pedigree Welsh cattle, the property of Colonel H. Piatt,, has been sold by auction. It is satisfactory to find that Colonel Platt, having accomp- lished such excellent results in this branch of stock-breeding, intends to turn his atten- tion to the improvement of other classes of Welsh stock, such as mountain ponies, in which endeavour he hopes for equal success. A correspondent writes:—In all directions we hear of fatalities among cattle, horses, and sheep through ea iag acorns, of which this year there is a irost abundant crop. In places wide apart—in Notts and Worcester- shire, in Lincolnshire and Derbyshire, &c., they may be collected with a shovel, and, whilst pigs, turkeys, deer, and pheasants thrive on them, losses have been serious among other stock. One farmer, whose dairy cows have had a large supply, thinks that the abundant rations of cabbage have kept his cows right-medical treatment has not been successful, and post-mortem examinations show the presence of a quan- tity of unbroken, undigested acorns in the stomach, as if the cow or sheep could not get them back to be cudded. THB WEIQHBBTDCK TT80E. It will cheer the hearts of Mr Westley Richards and Mr John D. McJannet to find that the use of the weighbridge has been adopted at one or two important English cattle marts. One notable instance is that of Messrs Alfred Mansell & Co., Shrewsbury. All the animals sold at that firm's sale of store cattle passed over the weighbridge, and their accurate weight registered before their disposal was effected. This exemplary system appeared to commeni itself strongly to both buyers and exposers, and we only hope that it may not be long before the practice becomes universal. As we have frequently remarked before, the custom is almoet exclusively practised in Scotland— at least in the more important marts-and its adoption in England would have equally beneficial results to the farmers. There are, many advantages to be urged in favour of tae system, which a fair trial of it would press home much more forcibly and effec- tively than anything that can be either written or spoken in its favour. We would, therefore, commend that the method be given a fair trial wherever possible. If salesmen are slow to grant the request, farmers have the remedy in their own hands. A little combination and determina- tion of purpose are all that are required to gain their point. The auctioneer may be disinclined to incur the expense of pro- viding the necessary plant, and the butchers and dealers may be expected to offer a most [stubbora resistance to the change. But these are by no means insurmountable difficulties if the exposers agree to face the matter unitedly and boldly. No donbt the erection of a properly equipped and com- petent weighbridge would be a serious burden to the owners of the smaller marts, where the turn-over is not of a very extensive character. In such cases it might be to the advantage of the farmers if they rendered some slight aid by bearing part of the purchase and fitting expenditure. We are very glad to notice that the system has a t last found a real footing on this side of the Border, and we trust the progress may be rapid and lasting. THE SCARCITY OF STOKES. The scarcity of store cattle appears to be felt in other parts besides Scotland. Only a few days ago, a Midland farmer wrote desiring imformation regarding the prices of American cattle and their aptitude to fatten in this country. Those who would like to have them are deprived .of having their wishes realised by the impartial regulations of the Board of Agriculture, which, meantime, provide that no American or Canadian cattle are allowed to leave the port of disembarkation alive. But the question may be asked, why turn across the seas for stores ? If reports are to be trusted, and for ourselves we do not doubt their accuracy, there is a sufficient number of store cattle in England to meet all the un. usually limited requirements of English feeders. This fact is not due to an increase in the cattle population, but arises from the exceptional scarcity of food of all kinds. The requirements of a few counties amount to little more than a fractional part of the needs, so that the surplus in these parts is considerable. Instead of looking abroad, if attention were turned towards such heavily- stricken counties as Sussex, Surrey, and Kent, perhaps the class of animals desired might be procured. As to prices, we should think the English-bred cattle would he equally as cheap as the transatlantic animals, while they would, no doubt, mature more quickly than the imported unacclimatised stores. The one great drawback and hindrance to wholesale give-and-take work between English coun- ties, or between England and Scotland, is the high freightage charged by the railway companies. No matter what class of animals or goods they are asked to carry, provided it is of home production, an extravagant, almost amounting to a prohibitory, rate of charge is demanded. Possibly the railwav companies may seek to excuse themselves by pleading the costliness of their plant, &c. That is all very well, and might carry weight if they consistently followed that principle. But when the consistency ends with the extent of home produce carried, such a plea is unworthy of utterance, far less of creditable hearing. So long as im- ported goods are carried at lower rates than British, so long will the railway companies ail to gain and ret tin the confidence of the British traders, whether in live stock, agri- cultural, or other kiml* of goods; There is some serious discrepancy somewhere when such an unjust state of things ig tolerated, and if Parliament will not come fo the rescue, the constituencies might take the matter seriously in hand. All that we ask is that the British farmer be placed on equal terms with his foreign competitor, and this the country should compel the railway com- panies to ensure.

THE WHEAT CROP OF 1893. BY SIR TOHN B. LAWB8. It would give me much pleasure to be able to record an abundant crop of wheat, LE in this the jubilee year of the Bothamsted Wheatfield, instead of which the crop is not only one of the worst which we have ever grown, but it will also, I fear, prove to be to the English farmer a crop of very low acreage value. The circumstances, however, under which our crop has been grown are very peculiar and somewhat obscure, and make it almost impossible to use the results as a basis for estimating the amount of wheat which the crop of the country will yield. It would have been in some respects more agreeable to me to omit the report altogether for this season, but after it has appeared annually for the last thirty years this would make it seem probable that no further report would be published. No doubt the majority of readers are chiefly interested in these reports as furnishing a sort of guide to the requirements of the country for imported corn, but there are others, and, I hope, an increasing number, who take some interest in what may be called the science of the subject, and wish to know the cause of the violent fluctuations in the yield of a crop which, both in regard to all the farming operations, and to the manures applied, is treated in exactly the same manner every year. Why, for instance, the three artificial manures which, in 1863, the first year of our annual report, gave each of them a crop of 55 bushels per acre, are this year giving a produce of a little over 20 bushels ? October, 1892, was a wet month, but the seed was got in just at the end of it under favourable conditions; November was fairly dry, with about an average temperature; December was a dry month, the first week was cold with a very low night temperature, this was followed by a fortnight of warm weather, the last week being exceedingly cold, the thermometer registering 17 and 18 degrees of frost. January this year was rather dry, but very cold, especially during the early part of the month; on the 4th, 5th, and 6th the thermometer never rose above freezing point, whilst the night tem- perature showed on one occasion 17 degrees of frost. February was a very wet month, with temperature above the average. March was very dry, but the temperature, although high for the month, was subject to great extremes the days being hot owing to the great amount of sunshine—198 hours being recorded-and the nights excessively cold. April was almost without rain, with a high day temp6rature owing to the large amount of sunshine, 271 hours being recorded. May was also a dry month, and very warm, destroying the prospects of the hay crop. June was both hot and dry. In July we had nearly three inches of rain, distributed fairly over the month, and the weather was hot, bringing in a very forward harvest. August was again dry and a better month than July, a temperature over 90 being recorded by us and in many other localities. The season is, therefore, one of a very peculiar character, and is the only instance in our experience in which a dry spring and summer has not produced an abundant wheat crop. The following table shows in the usual form the produce of wheat in 1893 on the [ selected plots in the field at Rothamatead which has now grown the crop for 50 years in succession, and it also gives for com- parison the average produce of the same plots for ten years, 31 years, and 41 years, 1852-1892 inclusive. Bushels of Dresaed Grain, per acre. »— C'I Artificial Manures o a* Sis a £ *o's u S* 51 Kot o ►§ ffci 3 Plot Plot 9 (or g goT« 7 8 16). a Sto Averages 204 21J 19* 21* (1) St !ti!« & St 3 41 years 1852-92 13 34| 33 36| 36* 35$i 27f (4) Weight per bushel of Dressed Grain, lbs. 1893- ¡ «2f 63$62* 62f 62 £ 6-'f 62* Averages. 10 years 1883-92 60 61* 61 61 60i 60! 601 31 years 1852-82 575 60 59$59* 58| 59 5s! J 41 years 1852-92f 58*j 60* 592 59iJ 59 59J 59* Total Straw, Chaff, &e., per acre, cwts. Avenge. 5* m U* VSi 1U 12* 12* 10 years 1883-92 8* 34* 31$38* 403 37i 31 years 1852 82 11* 32* 33| 40* S 381 2S 41 years 1852-92 10j 32* 33* 40* 41{| 38f 27* (1) Equal to 22* bushels at 60 lbs. Der bushel (2) Equal to 29* bushels at 60 lbs. ptr bushel (3) Equal to 2g| bushels at 60 lbs. per bushel. (4) Equal to 27* bushels at 60 lbs. per bushel. The figures in this table appear to con- firm in a general way the opinion of farmers respecting the crop of the country that the yield is bad, that the quality of the corn, as shown by the weight per bushel is exceed- ingly good, and that the straw is excessively short; all these features are brought out in the table. The permanently unmanured plot gives a produce of less than 10 bushels against an average of 12 £ bushels during the last ten years. The plot receiving farm- yard manure gives 84t bushels, or a decline 4 of 4 bushels from the average of the last 19 years. It is, however, in the produce of the three plots manured with artificial manures that the great falling off in the produce is shown. The mean produce of the three plots gives 20i bushels per acre against a mean produce of 37 bushels durin- the last ten years, and the plot which receives the largest amount of manure gives only 411 ousneis, or little more than one-half the average yield during the last ten years, which amounted to 38.1 bushels. AH the plots give wheat of very high weight per bushel, none being below 621b. and rising to 63 lb. Thfe quantity of straw is in every case remarkably small, not exceeding the weight of the grain. In some seasons when the yield of grain is very low the farmer has some compensation in a large produce of straw; such was tho case in 1879 when the grain grown upon the plot receiving the largest amount of artificial manure was nearly the same as it is this year, but instead of growing only 13i ewt. of straw it 8 grew nearly two tons. Farmers are said to grow wheat now quite as much for the straw as for the grain; the very small weight of straw grown this year must there- fore be a serious loss, coming as it does in a season when the hay crop is almost a failure. It is generally considered that dry springs and summers are favourable to wheat, and certainly up to the present year all^the dry seasons have resulted in large yields of wheat in one field. In the present year the drought began earlier and lasted longer than it did in the previous dry seasons. As, however, we had this year in the field ad- joining our wheat field a very abundant crop of barley, it is quite impossible to attribute the bad crop of wheat to the absence of moisture in the soil. The wheat was sown at the usual time—the last week in October; it came up well, and did not suffer from loss of plant during the severe, weather in December and January; in fact, there was up to the time the wheat began its spring growth, a sufficient plant to grow the largest crop all through the season. After the great rains of February had ceased, the artificial manures, consisting of salts of ammonia and nitrate of soda were applied in the usual manner. March and April were very dry months, and although the wheat plant looked healthy it was, noticed that it did not progress in the usual manner, and it was thought that there was some want of action in the manures. In one of our experiments the whole of the salts of ammonia are applied at the time the time the seed is sown, in order to measure the loss of manure by winter drainage, and in a season like this, when so little drainage took place, we should expect this plot to yield a crop of not much less than 40 bushels of wheat per acre, whereas it yielded less than 20. It was evident, therefore, that there was some cause which prevented the manure from acting in the usual manner upon the growth of the crop. Practical farmers are well aware of the fact that during sudden and violent changes of tem- perature the soil rises and lifts the wheat plant with it, tearing it from the lower roots. Several instances of these sudden changes have occurred this year during the growth of the crop. The beginning of February was warm and wet, but on the 5th there were seven degrees of frost, and on the following day eleven degrees. The first half of March was warm and almost without frost, but on the night of the 18th the temperature fell below freezing point, and also on each of the nine succeeding nights. On the nights of the 20th and 21st there were nine degrees of frost, with sunshine all day, and a high temperature. It is prob- able, therefore, that upon one of these occasions the separation of the plant from the root took place, and the absence of rain in March and April prevented the plant from sending down fresh roots. The men who reaped the wheat noticed that it had very little hold upon the ground. It is not difficult to see why the wheat growing upon land manured every year with farmyard manure should suffer less than that grown in the other parts of the field. Whether this explanation is correct or not, the fact remains that our crop is a very bad one, as will be seen when we apply the results to the crop of the country. The area under wheat in the United Kingdom was less than two million acre. (1,952,476). and if we take the yield of our crop in the usual manner, it amounts to 22t b 2 bushels per acre at 601b per bushel This will make the crop grown in the United Kingdom a trifle less than 51 million quar- ters, and, deducting two bushels per acre for seed, leaves a crop of five million quarters available for consumption. It is estimated that the average number of the population in the middle of the harvest-year (1893-4) will amount to about 38,644,190, and allow- ing a consumption of 6 bushels per head our requirements will be very close upon 29 million quarters. It is to be hoped that the wheat crop of the country may be much greater than my figures indicate, and I cer- tainly place no reliance upon my crop, grown under such exceptional circumstances: I can quite believe that while localities extremely large cror have been harvested, in OoL jield must be exceedingly op,p" ver the produce of the eoiw ihing is quite certain, thjo t jrth less to the English tanners th heat crop grown during the present ry. In the Malr" Lane Express of October if t is stated that t;, amount of imported wheELt in ware- ^C ases at the principal ports in the United Kingdom on October 1st amounted to over ^ur million quarters, while in the same paper IV ..as stated that there were nearly two—and—three- quarter milli)n quarters ithipped and on their way it-o his country. Under the influence of these enormous figures, the difference between a good and bad crop of wheat, however important it may be to the farmer of this country, can have no appreciable influence in the quan- tities which the world is prepared to send into our ports. During the present year not more tnan about seventeen out of every hundred of our population will be fed upon bread made from corn grown in the United Kingdom, and as the area to be sown with wheat will probably be further reduced, we may look for a still greater falling off in the consumption of home-grown wheat. «

A FARMER'S HEAVY LOSSES. A distressing illustration of the effects of the disas- trous results of the recent drought in Essex came be. fore the Romford magistrates. Mr Skinner, a farmer in the neighbouring pariah of H Jrnchnrch. was sued for non-payment of poor ratea amounting to .£15. He expressed his willingness to I sy. He said that in con sequence of the weather this year all his early crops--pess, hay, and clover-aad failed, and he had only bay forty-five acres of potatoes to depend up. n for paying the rent, and rat *s, and expenses of tie farm. He bad been anahle to pay his rent, and hit landlord had in conseqnecce distrained upon his pro- duce, the result being tbafc produce, &c.. to the value J8500 had been sold for R6 1. On the 20th of Septem- ber he had been again unable to meet his landlord, who refused to give him any time, and the next day a second distraint was levied. On that oocasion his crop of potatoes, which had cost X3 per acre for seed and over £ 8 for sowing, were sold at the rate of 15s. per acre. He had lest £ 1,000 at th? farm. The mag- istrates remarked that it was a aad case, and ordered the proceedings to be staffed for six weeks, the defen- dant s'attng that he believed he had a tenant who wonld take the farm off his hands.

DiL POLLAIID SAYS or SKCBMAN RUPTURE TRSATMJENT :—He thanks God and every other influence that determined him to try it. All who want to get rid of Rupture and Trasses should send to J. A, Sherman, Hernia Specialist, 64, Chancery Lane, London, for his book with English oadomenn* post free. 7d.

-4 MARKETS. PIOYISIOFS. NEWTOWN GENERAL, TUESDAY. s. d. s. <L Wheat, per 2401bs 13 6 to 00 O Ditto (old) Oo 0 0 Barley, per 701bs 0 0 0 O Oats, per 2201 bs 18 0 19 0 Eggs, 8 to 10 10 0 9 Butter, per lb 1 4 1 g Fowls, per couple 3 6 4 (y Turkeys, each 0 0 0 0 Ducks, per couple 4 6 5 0 Geese, each 6 6 7 6 Potatoes, per ewt 2 6 3 0 Rabbits, per couple 2 o2 2 Beef, perlb 0 3 0 8 Mutton, per lb. 0 5 0 7 Lamb, per lb 0 6 0 0 Pork, per lb. 0 6* 0 6 Veal per lb 0 0 0 0 Bacon Pigs, per lb 0 54 Q 0 WELSHPOOL GENERAL, MONDAY. s. d. b. Wheat, per 751be II. 4 2 to 4 4 Barley, per 70lbs 4 34 Oats 14 0 0 0 Eggs, 10 to 1 0 0 O Butter, per lb 12 18 Fowls, per couple 3 0 4 0 Ducks, per couple 3 6 5 0 Rabbits, per couple 2 0 2 4 Beef, per lb 0 4 0 8 Mutton, per lb 0 6 0 8 Pork, per lb 0 0 0 0 Veal, per lb 0 6 0 7 Lamb, per lb 0 7 0 8 OSWJSSTBY GENERAL, WEDNESDAY. a. d. a. a. White wheat, per 75lbs 4 2 to 4 6 Red ditto, per 751bs 0 0 0 0 Barley, malting per 2801bs 17 0 20 0 Oats, per 2001bs 13 0 14 0 Fresh butter, per lb 1 2 14 Eggs, 8 to 9 10 00 Fowls, per couple 4 0 I) 0 Ducks, per couple 505 G Geese, each 60 80 Turkeys, each 5 0 6 0 Rabbits, per couple 2 4 2 6 Potatoes, per cwt. 2 0 2 3 SHREWSBURY GENERAL, SATURDAY. s. d. g, d. Fresh butter per lb 1 3tol ft Eggs, 7 to 8 lo 0 0 Fowls, per couple 3 6 4 6 Ducks, per couple 4 05 6 Geese, each 5 6 6 6 Turkeys, each 0 0 0 0 Rabbits, per couple 1 8 2 0 Pigeons, per couple 0 0 O 0 Potatoes, per cwt. 2 02 6 Cabbages, per dozen 0 8 1 0 Broccoli, per dozen 2 0 3 0 Carrots, per ewt. 3 0 O O Apples, per quarter 0 2 0 2 Pears, per quarter 0 4 0 ft CORN. LONDON, MONDAY.— Ihe gradual reduction of value in America is exerting considerable influ- ence upon this market, and trade is dull in the ex- treme, with indubitable evidence of depression in all departments. Maize opened firm, with offers about unchangad, but afterwards became stronger, with values occasionally lid better- Barley is firm, but not active. Oats steady. Beans unchanged. At Mark Lane there was a fair attendance, but the demand all round was dio6. appointing, and values are about unchanged from Friday. The principal feature of the marketeer. the scarcity of maize on the spot, and prices ar& 6d to Is higher on the week. Wheat and flout of all descriptions sold slowly at last Monday's figures. Barley was quietly steady with a limitecJ. demand. Oats had a firm market, but there was not much doing. Beanb and peas steady. MANCHESTER, THURSDAY.—No improvemeBfr can, be reported in trade during the put .eeI;. and values have again somewhat receded. Tø- day's market was fairly attended, and there was & moderate consumptive business. English irhnaf" 3d per quarter, and foreign Id to 2d per cental lower. Flour also declined about 3d per Met.. Beans slow, and 3d per quarter cheaper. Oats and peas unchanged. Maize, through short supplies, has advanced 2d to 3d per cental øiaeø: last Thursday. CATTLE. LIVERPOOL, MONDAY.—The supply of stock watt larger than last week. The weather favourable finr slaughter. The demand was fair for cattle, withovfr alteratnion in prices. A few extra prime beast* made over the general top quotations. A gooA demand for best sheep at rather higher pnMfc Inferior classes unchanged. Beef, first class, 614 I second class 6id. third class, 4^d. j per lb.- Scotch mutton, 8d. to 6d. per lb.; Irish muttml, 74(L to 5d- per lb. Live-weight cattle, 34B. to "er cwt./ At market, 2,754 cattle and 8,042 LONDON, MONDAY.—The total imk irts of foreign stock into London last week amounted to ntt) head. The cattle trade has been quiet, withoL-V any feature. A mode, ate supply of beasts was 08 offer, including some 150 from Scotland; but as rule the condition of the stock offered left plenty1 of room f r improvement. Really choice quaHtieIr- realised firm prices, but other sorts were dull of sale and irregular in value. The best Boot* and Herefords made Ss.; runts, 4s lOd.; and heavy Lincolns, 4s 6d to 4b 8d per 81b. The sheep penv were moderately well supplied. There was a steadJP trade, and prices had an upward tendency. The best 8-stone downs made 5s 8d., 9-stone 58 6d* 10-stone 58 4d. and 12-stone 5s, per 81b. Calves were quiet but choice qualities firm. Pigs sold slowly on firmer terms. DEAD MEAT. LONDON, MOWD AY.—The trade this morning was: somewhat disappointing, as notwithstanding a moderate supply and more favourable weather buyers were scarce, and a clearance was scarcely possible. A considerable quantity of sides from Birkenhead were very stale and plain, and most of these were unsold at the close of the market. Latest quotations. Inferior beef, 2s Od to 2s gd. middling ditto, 2s lOd to 3s 2d.; prime ditto 3s 4& to 4s Od.; Scotch ditto, 3s lOd to 4s 2d; Ameri- can ijiverpooi killed, best, 3s 5d to 3s 6d; ditto second, 3s 2d to 3s 3d; ditto hind-quarters, Be 6cJ to 4s Od; ditto forequarters, 2s Od to 2a 4d. English veal 3s 4d to 4s 8d; Dutch ditto 2a 8d to 4s 4d; inferior mutton, 2s 4d to 3s Od mi/Mlfng- ditto 38 2d to 3s 8d prime ditto, 4s Od to 4s 4d Scotch ditto, 48 4d to 4s 8d New Zealand ditto., 2s 4d to 28 8d; lambs 4s Od to 4s 4d; large pork 3s 8d to 4s Od small ditto, 4s 4d to fa. per 81b. by the carcase. WOOL. BRADFORD, MONDAY.—What change there is is this market is for the worse. There is only a lan- guid demand for both English and colonial woof, and sellers have made concessions rather than allow buyers to go elsewhere. Sellers' quotations in merino are not altered, but the purchasers generally get the advantage. Mohair continues quiet and in alpaca the trade is chiefly confined to qualities. There i" not so much demand for to Cross-bred sorts are unchanged, and sales axe not so much pressed. In the home trade there is no change to report. As to the piece trade a con- siderable number of looms are idle. and with favo exceptions business is dull. The merit at present shows no sign of revival. The home piece trade is still unsatisfactory. LEICEBTSR, MONDAY.—Raw wool and combed tops still remain the most cheerful and promising features of the trade and prices are held firmly in anticipation of an advance in the near futme. But the effects of the coal trade dispute are very far reaching, and extremely disastrous to manu- facturers, workpeople, merchants, and shop- keepers. The result is that trading all round is reduced to the narrowest possible requirements^ and small orders under pressure give a very doubt- ful meaning to the word •' busy." BRADFORD, THURSDAY.—Business is scarce to. day in English wools, and the general tone of the market is dull, although there is no quotable difference in price. In Botany tops sellers are prepared to take a trifle less for a good order tlpa was asked a fortnight ago; mohair a little eamSrs, jJpaea firm.