, 1881-01-29
London Letter.
Interesting to farmers---European Agriezl-
tuTNl News Items.
Regular Correspondence. !

Regular Correspondence.
LoSDoy, England, Dec. 20, 1850.
The continuance OF dry weather has been
very advantageous to agriculture. The cold
er temperature which prevailed at the close
OF the week is preferable to the unusually
mid weather which has hitherto character
lied the month OF November, and Viii prove
wholesome check 10 the rapid growth OF
the early sown wheats on hiad land. The
British grain trade has been subject to ma
terial shrinkage daring the week, AMI whilst
sundry descriptions of hreadsiuifs remain
nomInally unchanged in value, everything is
cheaper TO buy The demand for English
wheat and flour was very slow at the COM
mencement Of the week, both in London and
the provinces. English wheats were diff
cult to sell and fully Is. per qr lower than
oD Monday, ana to effect sales still greater
reduction was IN some cases necessary. The
trade IN foreign grain and breadstuiis has
been depressed throughout the week. Bread
stufis have been Ill much smaller supply to
London, but the importation into tire United
kingdom has been considerably greater than
for the previous week, and the quantity on
passage shows material increase on that OF
the preceding week and on the quantity on
passage Tor the coresponiing week in last
year. The visible supply in the United
States also shows an increase, asd the re-
c-ipts from India have been comparatively
large
In France TIE young wheats are reported
as being very healthy. anl the open weather
has opened a considerable amount Of home
grown grain TO be threshed and marketed.
In Germany the trade Tor breadstuffs has
been slow, and rye is cheaper Other grain
about the same as in the previous week.
Saale barley Of the finest qualities is being
held by merchants with the expectation of
higher prices for mailing samples in England.
A telegram from Russia states that there
is probability of general fall in the price
of bread.
The arrivals Of American and Canadian
cattle and fresh meat during the past week
At Liverpool have been unusually small,
there being only 50 head of cattle landed,
3, l35 qrs. Of beef, 553 carcasses of mutton,
and .23 pigs, against total Of | .007 cattle,
so sheep, 5,697 qrs. Of beef, TO carcasses OF
mutton, and 35l pigs Oh the previous week,
thus showing large decrease IN cattle, and
rs regards sheep there We're none arrived.
which il the first time for many months
past.
The Liperpoo! Journal Of Commerce calls
attention to new method o' staillng
cattle On board ocean steamers. the object OF
which is 10 make the Conveyance OF cattle
from America more safe and profitable than
it has been thus lar. II Is a recent Amer-
can invention, the full details Of which are
not made known, and consists OF what Is
called a platform stall, capable Of holding
eight animals 1t IS suspended by chains.
50 that 1t remains perfectly level when the
vessel rolls, like the glass racks hiied III
steamers cabins. The success OF such
a platform remains to be proved. The
journal alluded 10 puts the question OF pro-
viding better accommodation for cattle on
ocean boats from \ humanitarian point OF
view, and says: at is, IN truth, 4 matter
OF more than mere trading and commercial
interest for, inasnuch as great mortality
and loss OF cattle at sea means also greater
amount OF agony and distress 10 them, so 1t
is fast becoming a question. not only VIII
1t nav : but shall 1t be permitted? II better
and more merciful methods o! conveyance
are. not socn adopted" OF course, there is,
and must be a great deal OF suffering con
nected with the transit Of live animals by
rail and by sea, especially 10y sea, which is
inseparable from the traffic itself. The long
Journeys viii n have TO be endured by UNI
ted States cattle In railway cars before their
ocean troubles come upon them, must entail
great suffering and great waste. a traffic in
fresh meat would be far safer from sam
tary point of view-far less wasteful, and
far more humane We fear, however, that
no more humanitarian consideration will ever
suffice to alter the features of Tins trade !;
but any scheme which will entail less waste
If not attended by too great cost-will,
no doubt, be carrfuily considered.