The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1869-02-16 00:00:00

—iitampshirc.

AGILICISLTIMAL REPORT ;01i HAYTIIIII2 —Tire lath
report at the conclusion of the year 1868 aunded to the
peculiar and spring-like mildoess of the weather, and,
our present report must again repeat that the same
mild, although stormy, ',wither ham prevailed through-
out the mouth of January. This mord, In an sericul-
ture' point of view, is soinewiest interesting, because
It indium us to look back to former years aid smoothie
as to the probable results of such sethavenally open end
wet winter. It most be noted that the lete sown
turnips on the warm and dry soils have mettheed to
grow up to the present time, aid the anticipated
scarcity of cattle food has not been realised with serious
severity. Large numbers of cattle and abeep have, how-
ever, been prematurely slaughtered, which cireumstanee
is beginning to tell in the prices of fat and lean stock,
both of shish have risen in price Rinse our lam report,
and, as the consumption is greet, and the importations
of stock are not very large, we may expect wheat to
realism • good prim all through the spring months.
There is, however, some roman to hops that extreme
prices will not prevail, if our statistical returns of live
stook in the country are to be relied on (which Ls
doubtful, unless the returns were made compulsory), ais
as they show • large increase as compared with the
previous year; and when we And that two very
prolific masons with great absence of disease ham
occurred as both cattle and *beep, there is no
doubt we should soosidered, in the absence of ii,'statistical return, that we had added largely to air live
stock. It is not easy to understand the reason why
farmers offer oppoeition to making rehires of stoak,coire,
and the various prodeetioas of the lasid,wben everybody
knows that it is not a money making bsainess,a4 that
poatively they have no secrete to keep. There Is,
however, on. just and fair reason for the fariner'e
objection to the retire because it is not made at a
proper time. If all stoOk was returned up to the let of
Kay in each year, sad given to him on the lot of July,
which is before all the shirt stock fairs commence tor
the sale of either sheep or bullocks, both buyer arid
seller would have, under a oompulsory niters, • fair
statement before them of the stook to be offered daring
that year ; butane in that case, mime the returns were
county statistics, they would be of little avail Pee
lust/mos, Hants and Wilts have a breed of sheep required
for particular purposes: so him Dorset end Somerset •
tire same with the midland aid easier& senate& The;
have their loag.woolled sad other breeds peraliar to
their soil and climate, aid therehn buyers and sellers
both ought to know from the neural whether the
quantity of stook available in the various distriola M
above or below the arsrsige. The same argument
applies to horned cattle in the Merest counties, maey
of which hare a distinct breed. Statistieel returns se
land under crops of various kinds is quite another
matter, yet probably the lot of May would be • good
time to make the retina because all the land aPlrft-
priated or set out for crop at that period, and awes
returns should he before the public by the Ist of July.
also as the Wee ; is feet, if it were not for hindrame
through the Board of Trade, there lone reason why the
returns should not be to hand at one mouth Irma the
time of making the return. Let us therefore hope that
through the influence of our Climbers of Agrieultere
we may be enabled to obtain a Board of timeshare
committed with Government, Mailer to the Board at
Trade, in order that tli Uttered,' of agriculture may be
thpreeented and cared for. Unless& Mange of weather
takes place very soon the work of the farm will be in
weer. The wheat plant. is generally good, and looks
vigorous, and a large theadth has been mown. The
meadows and postures look fresh and green, and the
water meadows an. very promising, which Is fortunate,
fee on many stock farms on the thal.k hills the ebsep
have little but hay end straw to live upon. The Irrigated
meadows will, therefore, be required for stook before
the usual period. The pries of corn and pulse deetwese
a little, mused thiedy by the wet and storm, we"bir.
preventing • regularity of the supply, as nearly all arm
thrashing is now done by steam in the open air. Clover
seeds of the different kinds are likely to be very &dr
this season, ea very little was eared In this othatry.-
111.011DCLL, Southampton, February 1141 i.