The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-08-21 00:00:00

we are told, not only all the precious metal
that " arrives from America and Australia, but
also large parcels from the Bank of England."
Under these circumstances there can be little
chance of the money-market becoming easier,
and trade, wholesale and retail, becomes seriously
affected by the " tightness" of money—the
abundance or scarcity of which commodity, for
purposes of trade, is so easily acted upon.
It is as well to look the worst in the face, in
order that, in as far as circumstances will
permit, wholesome precautions and prudential
Imeasures may be adopted to avert or mitigate
consequences, which, unheeded or unforseen,
might prove to be of the most disastrous character.

DORCHF.STER PITCH ED CORN MARKET, Saturday.
—We have to report another week of unsettled
weather, cold, with frequent showers, notwithstanding
the crops are gradually progressing towards maturity,
and a few days of sunshine would enable fanciers to
commence harvest work in good earnest. To-day,
being very cold and stormy, farmers commenced
asking advanced rates, which clicked
millers being disposed to wait the result ot
another week. 'the trade ruled slow at about Is.

per quarter over last week. Barley, oats, and beans
at the quotations of last week.
Moons.--e have the pleasure to reports
favourable season and good sport among the grouse. ,
In the interior of Scotland the birds are very plenti-
ful and strong, and on many favourite moors the
coveys average from six to seven. Four gentlemen,
from the firm of Barclay and Perkins, killed the first
day HO brace, and in three ilays the extraordinary
number of 32. N brace. We also hear that several of
our Dorchester sportsmen have been very successful.
' NlttoiLE EXAMINATIoNS.-1t will
now be generally admitted that the examinations at
Oxford and Cambridge have already done a great
! deal of good. It has given Us much pleasure from
I time to tune to report the rcsults of the examination
I papers, as displaying the success of young gentlemen
in our own neighbourhood. Among the " Juniors,"
Dorchester is not represented ; but we are pleased
to find that in the Division List of the "Seniors,"
two Dorchester names appear, Mr. C. C. Short., son
of our townsman, Mr. J. T. Shorto: of the Wilts and
Dorset Bank ; and Mr. E. F. Bishop. son of Mr.
Julm Bishop, of high West-street, have succeeded
in winning the title of "Associate in Arts." The
name of the former appears in the "Second Division,
in alphabetical order,' the latter in the " General
Alphalrei.ical List." In a recent examination the
average of successful candidates was -fit per colt. ;
the average failures Go per cent. With regard to
the causes of failure, it has transpired that by far the
greater portion of those who failed to obtain a cer-
tificate were rejected on account of their not satisfy-
ing the examiners in those subjects which were
made imperative on all, and which, therefore, con'
stituted a species of " Preliminary Examination."
Nothing could be taken into account until this ordeal
was pawed. Those subjects were—orthography,
writing, analysis and iarsing ; arithmetic, geography,
English history, and English composition. We
understand that the points on which most stress was
laid, and wherein by far the greatest number of
failures took place, were orthograpy and arithmetic.
A large number of those to whom honours were
about to be accented failed in their preliminary
work. Among the seniors, ta were in this position.
In ten of the WI cases the candidate who fink,'
would otherwise have been placed in one of the
" First Livisions," and in two of these ten cases he
would have obtained "double-first" honours. In a
, multitude of other instances the candidate would
have appeared in two or three of the "Second
Divisions " We must here congratulate Mr. Garston,
the French master, on the success which invariably
attends his pupils, who, if they fail in Latin or
otherwise, have always passed in French, which, of
course, prevents them from being plucked. List
year in this neighbourhood two candidates failed in
the preliminaries, but passel' in languages ; this
year one has foiled in the preliminaries but succeeded
• in languages ; another candidate failed in Latin but
. passed in French. --A propos of scholastic examina-
tions. we may here observe that the pupils of the
Polytechnic School in Paris have recently furnished
; some curious statistics bearing on tobacco. Dividing
the young gentlemen of that college into groups, the
, smokers and the non-smokers, it is shown that the

smokers have proved themselves in the various com-
petitive examinations far inferior to the others Not
only in the examinations on entering the school are
the smokers in a lower rank, but in the various
ordeals they have to pass through in a year. the ave.
rage rank of the smokers had constantly fallen, and
not inconsiderably, while the men who did not
smoke enjoyed a cerebral atmosphere of the clearest
kind. .

Olio or Otiriirlis.• —This entertainment came off
at the Townhall on Thursday evening last. Mr.
Woodin's "Speaking Song," called the " Railway
Train," in which there is a rapid snecession of
characters, was received with rounds of applause and
roars of laughter. The exhibition of dexterity, the
rapid change of hats for caps and riee r,rwt, and the
singular variations of countenance by Mr. Woodin,
are truly wonderful; while his imitation of Manuel
l'erex, or the " Ihictor in Love" is as perfect in its
pliancy of limb as in its fidelity of costume. The
entertainment gave the greatest satisfaction to his
numerous audience.
iisitvesT l'itosrV.Arre.—Harvest commenced last
week in the neighbourhood of Abbotabury, and if
the weather should prove favourable, reaping will
this week become general all along the coast under
the hilL For the last few daya, however, the
weather has been anything but favourable for
harvest operations. The potatoe blight is earlier
and worse than it has been for years—there being
scarcely a perch of ground where the crop has not
been affected. The corn crops are generally good
except on stiff, wet land. Mangold wurtzel and
turnips are looking well.
Tile le LET'S FOOD roll CATTLE.—On Thursday
night or early on Friday morning some mischievous
person cut the "bull's head" out of Thorley's cattle
food sign, which was exhibited at the stores of Mr.
Henry Taylor, his agent, at Dorchester.
O,IIMITTED TO INC DoNCHEETEE OAnt..—Senioni :
James Hopkins, stealing 14 gallons of beer at Piddle-
town ; William Tompkins, sterling one duck at Ever-
shot ; Ellen Walbridge, stealing gold ring, silk hand-
kerchief, tic., at Allington; George Sweetapple, house-
breaking at Lytchet Matravers. Herd Labor:
Thomas Wilson, vagrancy at Foolington, 1 calendar
month ; Junta Plant, drunkenness at Fordington, 1
calendar month ; William Ellard, jun., assault on
isdice at Sherburne, 2 calendar months; William
Stokes, stealing a coat at Fifehead Magdalen, 14 days;
Louisa Salisbury. stealing shawl, handkerchiefs, kc., at
Weymouth, (*.calendar months.—/wprisomment: Melina
Coward. assault at Gillingham, 21 days; John Smart.
drunk, Sze.. at Shaftesbury, 7 Alay..—l'urther Ern
lion : Matilda Gould, stealing :ipples ; Rosamond Shar-
man, stealing umbrella and money at Fordington.