The Express.
London, England, 1851-11-01 00:00:00

sort of pieces had usually been sold in the month of
March. And he goes on to say, "but even this high
price is still a good deal cheaper than what we can
well suppose the ordinary retail price to have been
in the time of Prince Henry. During the twelve
first years of the last century, the average price of
the best wheat at the Windsor market was
IL 18s. 3 1-6 d. the quarter of nine Winchester
bushels. But in the twelve years preceding 1764,
/Deluding that year, the average price of the same
measure of the best wheat at the same market was
21. Is. 91(1. In the first twelve years of the last cen-
tury, therefore, wheat appears to have been a good
deal cheaper, and butcher's meat a good deal dearer,
than in the twelve years preceding 1764, including
that year."
For good beef we cannot obtain sd. per pound for
the estimated weight of the like animal, and mutton
is still dearer, while the average price of wheat is as
I have mentioned, or 355. per imperial quarter.
I confess that I rather look for a reduction than
an increase in tho price of meat, on the long
tun, because all our modern improvements
in fanning involve the feeding more stock.
That the return from all kinds of pulse is good is
certain, and all articles used for feeding purposes are
unquestionably abundant, so that the fanner will
graze his stock at an easy rate ; and lean stock—that
is cattle—though welling better than last year, can-
not be said to be too high to afford a fair profit for
feeding, even at present prices. Indeed, it is ad-
mitted on all hands that our farmers have now a fair
chance of recovering from the effects of the losses
from the indifferent crops and low prices of last
season. I would not, however, raise any expectation
that prices of grain will experience more than a
moderate rise, tier though no great quantity will
come from the Baltic, the wheat crops in America
are abundant. In a letter received a few days ago
from a relative of my own, farming in Canada West,
he says the wheat crop of his district is extremely
good. We must always remember that the average
produce per acre in America is low, and that the cost
of inland carriage and the long sea voyage must
always prevent more than moderate supplies—com-
paratively speaking—from across the Atlantic.
Farmers generally are more cheerful than they have
lately been, and such of them as have the means and
fair tenures arc applying themselves earnestly to
make the best of things as they are. I don't meet
with one man in twenty amongst them who has any
serious expectation of reviving the corn laws, and
most of them see plainly enough that it must be by
adjustments with their landlord' they can alone get
out of the false position in which they have been
placed, by submitting to occupy their land as yearly
tenants and by a reliance on protection.
But this cannot be done all at once, for some
fanners are not sufficiently independent or intelli-
gent to deal advantageously for the adjustment of
their contracts, and three will drag on until the
efforts and remonstntnets of better farmers shall

have convinced the landowners that it is for their
own interest to place the relations of jandlord and
tenant on a better footing. And this class of
farmers might be assisted by their landlords far
more effectually than by mere abatements of rent.
For instance, I heard that on a large property in
Mid Lothian, the proprietor, instead of returning
some part of the rent, has required it to be laid out
in additional manures, which will of course increase
next year's crop; and probably if the system should
be persisted in for a year or two longer—unless they
are hopelessly incapable—that their farms would
have become so much increased in productive power,
that let prices be ever so low they could go on with- I
out any fart her allowance or reduction. The sort of
aid landlords can afford is that which enables or in-
duces tenants to help themselves. All this is worse
than useless.
A :MIDLAND COUNTIES FARMER.
(To be continued.)