Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1847-03-19
Tbc - farn,.


NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. are esldDllSncu ana Htiu
at stated periods, in every part of Great Britain
and Ireland Some of these are for FAT cattle
alone others for store animals, milch cows,
ch,ep horses, swine, 81. Purchasers are thus
enabled to select the stock they may desire the
farmer finds A ready market for what he has to
dispose of. and can always receive the pay down
for his stock, it being the custom so far as
could learn. always TO pay cash at these fairs.
Grain markets are also held, and the same rule
prevails. The sales are usually by samples the
buyer and seller each retaining a portion of the
SAMPLE to prevent any question as to the qua
lity of the grain sold No writings are used,
the purchaser and seller merely striking hands,
as evidence of the bargain. | was told that Il
case very rarely occurs where the bargain is re-
yndiated The sales are commonly effected by
statesmen, who are men of responsibility, and at
all times familiar with the state of the market.
Many advantages, it appears to me, result from
their method of doing business. The prices are
uniform the farmer obtains the market price
and is not subject to the wes of the sharper or
torestaer The certainty, too that he is sure
of finding sale for his stock or grain on market
day, and that for each, is an object of no small
account Whether this system, or something
analogous TO it, might not be introduced to adj
vantage in America, is certainly worthy of con-
sideraton.
SNIrHrlEIp MARKET.-The Smithfeld Cattle
Market in London, held every Monday and FRI
dav, is the largest, and doubtless the most spen-
did exhibition of cattle and sheep in the world.
| visited this market on market days for several
weeks in succession. and the beauty eXtraordi-
nary fairness, and perfection of the animals ex-
hlbted there, was certainly far superior TO what
had anticipated.
Monday is the principal market day. Friday
bniu nod Il
day, and such as arrive after the Monday mark
ct The number of fat cattle weekly brought
up ranges from $500 to 5000 : and sheep 30
to 10000; calves. 200 to 800 swine, from 900
to 800. This market is in the very heart of
London, and as there exists ,prescriptire right
to 1t. it cannot be removed. 1t is becoming too
strait for the increasing wants of this vast the
tropos, which has population nearly uqual to
that of the state of New York, and preparations
were making when was there. to enlarge its
dimensions. by removing large number of bull
dings The animals are usually all in their pla-
ces by sunrise, anlar required to h, removed by
three clock in the afternoon. when the whole
ground is carefully cleaned, leaving very little
traces o Its use. The cattle brought up here
are from two to three and four years old acqu-
ring maturity much earlier than is common with
us. Since the completion of railways, the cat.
tie come mp in much better condition than form
cry Some complaint, however, now exists, as
the cattle are frequently injured in the cars BY
being bruised The advocates of the broad
guage railways, say that this difficulty only cx.
lists upon the narrow guage roads. with how
much truth am not prepared TO say.
Mr. Colman, in one of his numbers having
gwen description of SmitlfeH by night. took
an early opportunity to witness it myself and
can with truth say" the half was not told me-"
take the liberty of giving his description. which
presents as vivid an impression of the scenes
wh'ch transplre, as anything upon paper can
give -
"SMlTnFlELD BY NlcHr.-About midnight.
the different attachments. almost trcading on
the heels of each other, begin to make their way
TO thc place o! rendezvous, through the winding
streets OF this wilderness Of houses and enter the
great market place by different and opposite
avenues, and like hostile parties, often meet each
other IN the very centre. Then comes the con-
net the driving Of so many thousands of sheep
INTO the several pens; the asserting and tieing
npor arranging so many thousand cattle, driven
INTO a state of terror and phrcnzy by the men and
1ogs : Tho struggles of the different owners OF
o'o'ers 10 Keep their own and prevent their in
r'ii'hghng with others =; the occasional leapine
"e o''r'ers, and the escape of some stragglcl
VINO Is to he brought back by violence; the sound,
sues OF the poor crazed animals the shrieks o
the men the yelling and barking of hundreds o
oogs, VINO look alter the sheep and cattle with
ierocity perfectly terrific and sagacity almos
human the believing of the cattle and tn,
beating of the calves forming if the eypres
sion is allowable, a concert of discortant sound
utterly indiscrlbable and hidcous, and in tn
midst OF all this confusion, the darling about O
hundreds OF torches, carried in the hands bv mel
looking for their cattle and sheep, and seekin
TO identify their marshall together present a
exhibition for which it certainly seems dilicul
to find PARALLEL, and sufficiently gratifying t
the loves of the picturesque in human affairs"
The cattle most valued in the Smthfel
market, are the Scots, as they are called consis
ting Polled Galloway, West Highland cattle
&c. from Scotland. These are mostly black
OF medum size, extremely fat, their meat richl
mottied or variegated, and are sure to comman,
the top OF the market. These cattle are ofte,
la'iened by the farmers in England, and the ca
anu iaciiity with which they take on flesh whe,
p'aceu IN their rich pastures, render them a yer,
proh'abie breed for the market. II struck mo
."a' these are the very animals we need !,
, n IN some sections, at least, and from
VIVA. learned OF their hardness aptitude +,
.aten a. an early age, and the superiori,v n
their meat, have no doubt they would hon.
the most profitable breeds of cattle ,ha, e one
introduced. A breed similar to the W., IM "
land saw IN Anglesea, in Wales, andt thew sI,c
coed well there, and are more numerors , luz
any other breed '"S Una
The derefords, Short-Horns. and Devons
next to the Scots. esteem the UoracanI al
very choice animals for beef Some of as e" !,
animals as saw in the markets were If ,p
breed. The Short-Iiorns are much more nu M
rous than any other breed. should Judge In,
they were nearly equal in numbers to all II
other classes. They are the leading stock
England, and their popularity seems to be
high as ever Several sales from choice her
took place while was in England, at which Il
prices ranged very high. AT one of them, Ea
Spencer's, think, some of the bulls broug
81 500, and cows sold from $500 to 5000.
In passing through the country cattle in pr
paration for the market are to be seen on almc
every farm. They are fattcned on turneps, ca