The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1875-09-21 00:00:00

THE CORN AND CATTLE TRA9R..

The grain trade 6al on Saturday. at i-d-ec—line of le.
to b. per quarter. At Dorchester, the supply of new
wheat was larger than last week, samples meeting with
a slow sale at from ls. to 21. per imperial quarter reduc-
tion, which had to be submitted to at 41ie Blandford
market this week. Quotatioin ranged from 41e. to 52.5.
per imperial quarter. Malting barley, Ms. to Me. ,• oats,
Mc to Mt per imperial quarter; flour Wsi. to 375. per
sack. At Mr. Enanr's repository sale there was a short
supply of fat beef , the best realising from 15• to 10s. fal.
crrenscere. Trade brisk. Heifers and calves scarce.
en LIO to £1.5 per bead. Sheep very dear, fat
welters making 9.1. te 10.1. per lb., or In. to 70s. each, and
fat ewes Sid. to WI. per lb., or Ks. to Ms. each.
Fat lambs, 10.1. to 114. per lb, or 32e. to 45. each.
Feel, 9d. per lb. A general clearance was effected. At
Reading there was a short supply of grain. Holders
asked the same price• as last week, but • drooping ten-
dency prevailed. At Norwich prices receded about b. per
qr. At Bath no alteration in prices from last week. At
Gloucester Mnglish wheat sold at • reduction of ed. to IL
on the rates obtainable on the previous Saturday. Trade
In foreign inactive, at fully Is. per qr. reduction. At
Warminster there was • large supply of new wheat, which
wea in fairly good condition. Trade was very fiat and
limited, and prices generally must he quoted ls. per
quarter lower. Barley was not in large supply; there
were several good lota, but the hiebest price we heard of
WY OIL Other grain was fully as dear. Wheat, 46. to
fiffs. per qr.; barley, Ms. to 42..; oats. 275. to 315.; beans,
Ns. to •, peas, 235. to 27L; rye, 16.. to Ms.; retches,
111. 64. to Ms.: flour, line, 40s. to efis. : beet seconds, 32a
sack; bread, Is. per Bib. At Taunton prices
slight decline.

OUR CORN RZQUIREMINTS.
Mr. James Caird estimates that we shall require from
abroad half our tt,nsumption of corn between now and
next harvest ;we are short of 11,0110,0n0 quarters. Last
year we wanted 9 millions, and got nearly 12. To supply
our deficiency he thinks we mutt not look for much from
the United States end Canada, but that we sball get
MlPPliss chiefly from Ramis. German,. and

Frince.

-BHIPP-1140 DiziAnTEßS.—'
The Royal Mail Snsampacket Company's steamer
Shannon. &coming water-lo4ged, wssahandened, and the
crew landed at Kingston n, Jamaica. Specie saved.
The West Indian and Pacific steamer Caulbean was
caught In • cyclone, awl the ileclut swept of boat; and sky-
light, and three seamen wero washed overboard.

COUNTRY FAIRS.
To Me Editor.

In this county of Dorset and the adjoining ones there are
held periodically what are termed pleasure fairs. Usually
they commence with the exposure for sale of a few old
horses, third-clam cattle, awl half-% ild sheep, This
°mtgess the forenoon if the first day; and then follows
for two or three days the sale of cheap ornamente for the
mantelpiece. toys. ml gingerbread. These 1-e accompanied
by booths, containing, for exhibition, fat women Mid other
prodigies, and panoramic views of interest, and figures
more or less indecent for testing case's strength. Hach of the
booths has its attractions eithanced with glaring pictures,
loud trumpets. and de:treeing drums. This horrid din is
Increased by hobby-horses and leprobergate together
worked by steam ; aud there is soperadded the constant
click of the rifle in countless 'booties; galleries.
On Tuesday and Weilneschiy ,tf thin week such pan-
dremoulum took up it. gunners its tho little square of
Winiberne Minster. S. areely wail room left for vehieles
to pass through the motley atel 'Lebec cross. The showmen
seemed to detight it La:l,u the erente.t noise they could
when a =Mag. wa,, ',wing. Can you be surprised that
• lady lost her life an.l,her son was badly Injured in miles-
roaring to make their way in their musings from the rail.
way station to their own home on Wednesday afternoon?
That she was welbknow n fir her abnable enalities awl
excellent demeanour, the 'life of the respected steward of
the popular member for our county, tuay be the means of
calling attention b 4 the dangerous character of these
gatherinrs.
I was obli-ed to drive to Windom, myself thu same day,
and if I had not gono by the roundabout road my pony,
quiet and ;Ad as he is,; would never have taken us to the '
stables we norally mart to. I saw my neighbours, lay
and clerical, at the head* of their h..rses, haling them
through the conoetree. Ass onitunry driver, with an
ordinary horse, noahl not r 3 Or; ugh %without great risk.
The tradesmen coraphun ;I:et U.eir clistemers cannot roach
their thee*: the Corporxtom and inhabitants are power-
less ; the magistrates and the Guardians of the Union
have in vaiu striven ti stop this annual nuimuce—or rather
these annual nuisances, for there are two every year.
There Is souse Charter which gives a prescriptire right to
anybody to bring and expose his wares at this time for so
Long. Merely teepees intonate,. dc.. SIMI there should be
corresponding changes in there institutional They now
serve no purpose but to carry away the superfluous coin of
the neighbouring rustics and to 51.91,41/8 both MM. 1
have known lads steal to get money ter the night's de-
bauchery at this fair. Others can tell of sadder things
connected e ith these needless sod pernicious
A Denser lisarrea•

am- tul.la,:es.
Soptunabir