The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-10-11 00:00:00

Errlanb.

BALLINASLOE GREAT OCTOBER FAIR.

BA LLIN A 81.06, Tuesday Evening.

The great national fair, which commenced this morn-
ing has su far disappointed the expectations of the make
rity of the persons who have attended it, and it is not
likely, as the priucipal transactions have taken place,
that they will be productive of any other result. The
stocks were in their places in the Bane-park at an early
hour this morning, but it was evident very soon that
buyers were determined to stand aloof till such time as
they thought their passive attitude would operate on
the minds of the dockinasters. In former years I have
known the principal portion of the buainsia to be over '
before o'clock, but on this occasion it was an hour
later before there appeared to be the slightest stir. The
desperate struggle for precedence between the herds,
which led to such unpleasantness at times, was not at
all observable. for now all had ample leisure, the few
docks which left the park being driven away in succes-
sive order. The opinion of those well acquainted with
the fair for a long series of years is that a slacker fair has
not been held in their recollection. A shorter experi-
et. on my own part leads use to the same conclusion.
it was nearly 11.011 More there was any briskness lathe
"...tome. The Connaught men say that their oppo-
nents 'dodged' for fully an hour before they made a
single purchase. As I have already apprised you, the
latter same relying on the want of forage in the country
as • means of forcing sellers to yield to their offers. They
calculated upon a reduction of is. a head on sheep. as •
natural consequence of that state of things, noel
masters held out for • long time, and it was only after
womb bargaining that they cousented to sell as they did,
I artiewladl with respect to wethers, at a reduction on
last year's rates. Though the Leiuster men assert that
they bought dearer than they expected, I think it way
be safely said that the average fall in wethers was about
is,, though, of amuse, in some instances it was leas, and
in others greater. The demand was nut by aiy moans

brisk for this class of sheep. Good ewes sold better, and
maintained very nearly last year':, prices, but there was
a fall in inferior descriptions, and the tendency was
downwards as respected the former. As regards wethers
the fall bas been fully 7s. or Sc. a bead, as compared
with the fair of I8:P7. As frequently happens,
the demand was brisker in the morning, but as the
day advanced there was a reduction in the prices which
were then offered. Several persons allege that they
sold ewes at 2s. less than the sum they brought at pre-
vious fairs in the country. In many instances the con-
dition of the sheep, particularly f the smaller class of
graziers, was not so good as in 1858, and it was • cir-
cumstance well known to buyers that these were the
best that could be brought forward. The great drought
that prevailed during the summer, and the consequent
failure in the supply of grass, was one of the great
causes to which flockmasters have toattribute the falling
I off in the rates which they got. Much disparity of
opinion prevails with respect to the supply, some con-
' tending that it was in excess of last year, while others
11 maintain a contrary belief. The number in 1858 was
90,499, being greater by 27,000 than that of 1857. I
think it will be found that the supply on the Race-park
1 to-day was smaller than this time twelvemonths. This
fact can only be correctly ascertained when the numbers
are made up at the Customs gap this evening, which I
will send later by telegraph; but it is, at all events,
considered on all hanis that the supply has been greater
than the demand. The special tram which left Dublin
at 5 o'clock a.m, brought the principal Leinster buyers.
The flocks looked remarkably well owing to the fineness
of yesterday and to-day. It rained during the night,
and the morning broke on the shepherds collecting their
sheep, with their usual noisy manifestations, in a heavy
mist. The weather continued dark and threatening till
9 o'clock, when the sky became overcast, and a drizzling
rain, presaging a future of mud and dirt, began to fall,
but half an hour had not elapsed when it ceased, and
the NM shone out with great brilliancy, much to the
gratification of all parties. The day has been delightful
since, the sun iseesessing all the warmth of midsummer,
and imparting additional animation to the busy scene.
If the first day of this year's fair were not distinguish-
able for any other 'peculiarity, such a circumstance would
be worth recording, for it lies been difiennt from all I
have known. According to the official returns issued
to-night the number of sheep sold to day is 57„163.
'fliers is a large number still unsold. On the first day
in Is:e4 the number sold was 6.5,497. This evening the
decline in prices is generally admitted, especially in
wetheni."

MARSHAL WIIMION.—An enthusiastic Limerick gen-
tleman having applied to the 31arshal for the history of
his family from the time of their emigration from
Ireland to France, received a polite note in reply from
his illustrious correspondent stating his inability to lie-
come his own historian. Having spent all his life (lie
says) in military excursions, and far from home, and not
being chief of the family, he pommies none of those
papers arid genealogies that might prove interesting.
SiK JOHN LAWRENCE. —Great preparation which had
been in progress in the city of Londonderry for enter-
taining Sir John Lawrence at a grand banquet, were
checked by an unwelcome letter from Sir John, intimat-
ing that the state of his health compelled him to decline
the proffered honour.

El-ROYALTY IN TIPP/BART.—The Clonmel papers
announce that on Monday the Duke and Duchess &Au.
male and the Prince de Conde, accompanied by the
Hon. Mr. Fitzpatrick, and the Hight Hon. Edward
Cardwell and suite, arrived in Cloninel by the 2 pin.
train, and immediately proceeded to Newtown Miner,
where they will rellll6ll for come days the guests of Mr.
and Mrs. Osborne. About 150 of the inhabitants of the
town waited the arrival of the ei-lloyal Family of
France at the railway station.