The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1877-11-27 00:00:00

AGRICULTURAL REPORT FOR HAMPSHIRE.

The best seed time for wheat is fast passing away,
and upon the hill farms awl dry soils the seed has
been got in very well, with occasional interruptions by
wet weather. The case is, however, very different
upon strong clay and heavy soil's, for where the wheat
was not sown in the dry weather of October, it has
since been impossible to forward the work, and
although it has only been possible to snatch a day for
sowing now and then on some farms this has not been
done, and the land at the present time remains
unsown. There is, nevertheless, some consolation in
the fact that in the event of these heavy soils not
being sown with wheat at the usual time they may
pay as well if cropped with Lent corn in the following
spring. It is, however, now quite decided, that
short acreage of wheat will be shown in this county.
Hampshire, as well as other southern counties, has
been fortunate in having a considerable dry spell of
weather during part of September and October, whilst
in some of the northern counties and Scotland the
weather during that period was extremely wet and
stormy. The dry time we enjoyed has, however, been
made the most of generally, for such land has been
autumn tilled b., steam power and otherwise. The
land in such cases will fie in a forward state for roots,
itc., next season. The seed time for the usual crops
of rye, vetches, Ac., for green fodder in the spring,
has been very favourable, and the young plants are
looking green and gay. Winter beans also have been
generally seeded in good time, and the plan of plough-
ing in the seed is become fashionable.
The crop of hay, both of field and meadow produce,
but especially the latter, is found to be abundant, and
in im.t cases secured iu good condition ; this and the
mild weather has affected the prices,which &reconsider-
ably below that of last year; the price of straw is,
however, well maintaincd, but the quality is not so
good as that of last year. This is is good help to
farmers in some cases, for it is worth as much as the
grain in some situations where the demand is great.
Grass feeding, both on the amble and pasture lands,
has been most abundant. Soot crops of all kinds
hasthis year continued to grow and improve up to the
present time, and will prove a good average crop.
Mangels, however, are rather small in size, but have
generally been secured in air condition. The dry
weather of September and part of October had the
effect of reducing the price id sheep and homed cattle
for a time, but the value of all good stock has agidn
risen, caused, no doubt, by the wonderful growth of
roots during the past few weeks, and the fact (as
shown by the statistics) of a diminishing number of
both cattle and sheep in the kingdom. It is very
satisfactory to know that the foot and mouth disease,
both in cattle and sheep, which prevailed so much last
year, is now neither seen nor heard of in this county.
This has enabled the stock owners and feeders to
follow their avocation with much success up to the
present time, for, alth nigh the store anim ilo have
been bought in high, yet the price of meat is high also,
and will probably continue so for a considerable
period.
There are not so many of the early lambing horned
ewes in our county this year as usuaL A large num-
ber of flocks in their native counties, Dorset and
Somerset, were sold fat owing to the high price of
mutton, instead of being reserved and kept on for
breeding purposes. We are, however, much pleased
to be able ti report one of the earliest, moat numerous,
ani 0, healthiest fall of lambs we have ever known,
and all the ft sAs of lambs we have seen are in famous
condition, and, together with the ewes, are free from
lameness.
Domed cattle, too, are free from disease, ernicla
as they were after the restrictions which were c
out in the time of the cattle plague, in 1863 and len