BRITISH AGRICULTURE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1981, 11 February 1892, Page 7

BRITISH AGRICULTURE.

(Fijom Our English Agmcultuhal Cohrespondknt.) London, December 26. Tire Ykaii 1891.

The dying year will depart unwept, though not unsung, for it will bo remembered aud celebrated throughout the ages as a shocking example of what a year should not be. It opened in the middle of one of the longest and severest frosts on record, which destroyed swedes left standing in the fields for sheep feed, as usual. Consequently, stores of roots and hay under cover had been drawn upon very freely, and feeders of live stock needed an early growth of forage crops and grass. February proved mild and fine, and hopes of an early spring were raised, but only to bo disappointed ; for March camo in "like a lion," in proverbial fashion, but failed to complete the adage by going out " like a lamb." We had severe frosts, snow, and at least one regular " blizzard " in March, and April was another wintry month. So far vegetation hud hardly made a start, and keepers of live stock had beon put to great expense for purchased food, or had been obliged to sell off their cattle and sheep at a serious sacrifice. The second half of May was warm and sunny, with sufficient rain to make crops grow rapidly. Just after the middle of the month some severe frosts occurred, blackening and killing the tops of potatoes, and the rest of the month was very cold, with rain aud snow. June was cold and wet till the 13th, after which there was over a fortnight of warm and sunny weather, and crops then grew fast for the first time. At tho beginning of July there appeared to be a good prospect for harvest, although everything was extremely backward. But after the first week of the month rain fell nearly every day, and August was another wet month. All the heaviest of the crops were laid, while blustering winds caused great loss of grain as the corn ripened. The hay crop, gathered chiefly during July, fully a month later than usual, was nearly all damaged by the rains. Harvest began in the early districts in the second week of August ; but progress was extremely slow, and corn carted was stacked in very damp condition. After the first of September we had nearly a fortnight of hot and sunny weather, the only considerable spell of real summer which was enjoyed. This enabled farmers who had not hurried their corn into stack to cut it in dry condition in the early districts. But the latter half of September and all October proved very rainy, so that the late harvesters had no chance of securing their crops in good order. The result was a fair all-round yield of corn, much injured in quality, and very damp. November was wet, except.for one fine week, and all attempts at the cultivation of stubble to kill weed were futile: Ploughing for wheat was aUo much interrupted, and sowing was carried on under difficulties, a bit at a time. At the end of the month, when all sowing should have been completed, a great deal of land remained unsown, and remains so still. The first half of December was rainy, and then there came severe frost, with dense fogs, by way of pleasant variation after the prolonged deluge. A more worrying year has never been experienced by the oldest farmer in this country. Corn-growers may possibly make a proiit, as prices are considerably better than they have been for some time past, though not equal to expectations. Those who can hold till tho spring will pretty certainly get much higher prices. For breeders of cattle and sheep it has been a bad year, prices having been much lower than in 1890 or either of the two previous years. Nor did graziers do well, as the fall in values occurred chiefly after they had bought in their stock for summer feeding. They have a good choice for winter fattening, as stores were very cheap in the autumn. Milk, butter, and cheese have been rather cheap throughout the greater part of the year, so that dairy f armors are not satisfied. On the whole, then, the year 1891 has been a bad one for farmers in this country— not so bad as some of the worst years of the "eighties," but quite bad enough. If the climate of England were always to be as it bar, been in 1891 we should all be disposed to emigrate to New Zealand or some other country where there is a summer.

IMPOHTS Or NKW SSK\I.\ND IJUirKH

It is satisfactory to notice that the fiist cargoes of butter received from N-jw Zealand this year have come in good condition, and lrivo been readily sold at prices varying from 93s to 128s per cwt. Colonial butter will suon yet into favour if it continues to come in good condition. In previous years the large proportion of inferior stuff had given the butler a ba.d character, and it is a great mistake to send any but the best.

KKfIREMENT OK A VJITKHAN Afiim'Ul/rUlH'jr

'Sir James Caird, for many years one of the Land Commissioners, and well known tor nearly half a century as an agricultural statistician, is about to retire from the Board of Agricultuiv. His place will be filled by Sir Jacob Wilson, the popular hon. director oF the •'] loyal Agricultural Society's shows, who will take this title of Director of the Land department. Sir Jacob is a capable man of business iind a good organiser, while his wide knowledge of agriculture and his urbanity (it him jwlinirobiy for the post he is about to (ill. Colonel L'.'ach, the secretary of the board, also retires, and giv« s place to Mr Elliott, a civil servant of long experience, and of late private secretary to Mr

Ititchie, president of the Local Government Board. j^,. AfiMCULTUJUL PRODUCE STATISTICS. T~ i The Board of Agriculture has issued the pre- j liminary agricultural produce statistics of Great Britain for 1891, giving the acreage and yield of the principal cereals, as follows :— I ~

The acreage of the present year was as follows:—Wheat—England, 2,192,393; Wales, 61,590; Scotland, 53,294-;— total, 2,307,297. Barley—England, 1,772,432; Wales, 117,102; Scotland, 223,265;—t0ta1, 2,112,798. OatsEngland, 1,672,835 ; Wales, 234-.055; Scotland, 992,239 ;—total, 2,899,129. The reports from a large number of districts indicate that the corn crops generally are inferior in quality and condition, and that an unusually large proportion of grain was shed in the fields. The yield for ■wheat comes out higher than for any year since 1887, when it was 32*07 bushels an acre for Great Britain. In 1885 it was 31*31, and the present yield is greater than in any but these two of the seven years up to 1890 during which the official statistics have been collected. This is remarkable after such a season as we have experienced; but the weather was fine just when the fertilising period for wheat -was in progress, and the dryness of the soil during the winter and spring kept the crop healthy. The " ordinary average yield of wheat in Great Britain is 28*80 bushels per acre. This year's yield of barley is a little over the ordinary average of 34-"02 bushels, while that of oats is below the ordinary average of 39*04- bushels. The acreage of wheat and oats is smaller than for 1890, while that of barley is slightly greater. The Irish statistic* of jield have not yet been published. MARKETS. The recent fall in the price of wheat, in spite of the prohibition of exports from Rusbia, is a sad disappointment to sellers ; but it has been occasioned by exceptional circumstances. The Russian prohibition had been anticipated for some time, and before it was issued merchants hurried wheat out of the country as fast as they could, while the rise in price, caused by the anticipation, attracted heavy supplies from America and India. Consequently our imports have been very heavy. During the two months ending with November, we imported wheat and flour equal to 6,227,480qr5, as compared with 5,205,537qrs for the corresponding period of last year, and 5,088,258qrs for that of 1889. Thus stocks accumulated in this country, and as the supplies have been kept up in December, just before the holiday season begins to check business, and at a time when merchants are keeping their purchases within narrow limits, as they always do at the close of the year, a fall was the natural consequence. But everyone expects an early recovery in the new year. By the time that New Zealand wheat of the new crop can reach this country good prices may confidently be anticipated, for reasons given on previous occasions. Should the winter in America prove severe we may have quite a high range of prices in the spring and summer. The American wheat crop is thin and weak, and not at all in a good condition for standing the trials of an ordinary winter, and there is no doubt that an exceptionally large proportion of it will be destroyed if the weather proves severe. The frosty weather of the week now ending has helped the trade in fat stock. Prices for cattle are precisely the same as they were a year ago ; while those for sheep are 4d per 81b lower. New Zealand mutton on Thursday was quoted at 2s 6d to 2s lOd per 81b, English and Scotch ranging from 2s 8d to 4s Bd. Butter is now selling well Superfine Irish has touched 143s per cwt during the week, and the best Danish 1425. Cheese is quiet, with.finest Cheshire at 78s to 84s, and Chedder at 64s to 70s. The wool trade is firm with a small demand. CONGESTED DISTHICTS IN IRELAND. The best part of the "Irish Land Purchase Act of 1591" was <ha,t providing for the relief of the congested districts. A statement has just been issued by the Congested District Board, which I have condensed as follows :—Before any action on a large scale can be taken statistical inquiries have to be carried out. A congested district is defined in the act which created the board as one in which, at the commencement of the act (August 5, 1891), more than 20 per cent, of the population of a county, or one of the ridings of Cork, live in electoral divisions of which the total rateable value averages less than LI lO.s per inhabitant. Such divisions are. to form a congested districts county. Power, however, is given to the Lord Lieutenant, on the repoit of the board, to vary the limits ol any M-di congested districts county, provided that action be taken within one year of the fth of August 1891. The main income of the board consists of L 41,250 per annum, behitf iiitiTcefc at 21 per cent, upon the Church "-"in-plus Grant of L 1,500,000. Part of the principal, umliT certain conditions, may also be used by the board. Besides, there are placed at the disposal of the board the capital of the Irish Reproductive Loan Fund, amounting to about L 46,000, subject to the proviso that the money shall be applicable only to counties in which it might have been used before the passing of the net, and L 22.000 from the Sea and Coa?t Fisheries Fund, applicable to congested districts in certain maritime counties. The board may deal with congested districts by promoting agri(Miti\ral development, forestry, breeding, the ]iv. iding of seed corn and potatoes, fisheries, weaving and spinning, other suitable industries, the amalgamation of small holdings, migration, aud emigration. Committees of the board h:>\e held frequent meetings, and some steps h-ivc already been taken for the development vi m? i fisheries and for improving the breeding of li\e stock and poultry. But local liiquuie-. h:\xv to be made in order to obtain or verity stutisiical and oilier information before project.;, afftutiny piecise localities can be cai *••<■■. ■!•.'<« < fuel. The coinmiabioners wisely ictwin u,r tin- Hei-cnt from issuing any goiu-i: ■ ..... • psl-j vroc-dure, as it is felt that such rules might tie their hands and reduce their i.o\> .•. vu i •»,.■!u!n« mif drawn up before they h-.w . ,•(••■ iv • <>\ti iim\c exj eiience. They have wiyl.ugc discrolionaiy powers, and it is ■Well t' ' " <"• Ml .l|,l I--.,;, tin 71-.. CARCASE COMPETITION AT DUN! in. A \u} laiLitotnij- nujowd.Ru was introduced

at the recent fat stock show held in Dublin by the Royal Dublin Society. A class was opened for carcases of beef. The entries were exhibited alive on the first day, weighed and slaughtered at night, their carcases and loose fat being shown on the following day. An Aberdeen shorthorn gained first and third prizes, and a shorthorn the second prize. The meat was excellent. In connection with this class an illustration of the system of selling cattle by guess work was given. Before the beasts were weighed alive, farmers and others were invited to estimate their carcase weights, and 22 gave estimates. For one beast (a little Dexter) which weighed scwt 3qr 201b when dead, the highest estimate was 6cwt 2qr, and the lowest was 3cwt 2qr. The estimates for the other beasts were nearly as wide, and for the five the averages of highest and lowest guesses were Bcwt 2qr 61b and 6cwt Oqr 16lb, whereas the actual average was Ipxvb 3qr 41b. These figures show how very far out farmers sometimes are in estimating the weights of cattle which they sell. The show authorities do not give the nearest guesses, which they should have published.

MMITINO THE A(iK Ol" SHOW CATTLE,

It can hardly be long before the age of three years will be the limit for cattle exhibited at fat stock shows. At the Smithfield show recently held in London there were classes for steers over three and not over four years ; but three years was for the first time made the limit for heifers (excepting Highlanders and Kerries, as mountain breeds, slow in developing), while no animal could be shown in the cow class unless it had had a live calf. It is easy to imagine why this new regulation was made, as it cannot be profitable to keep barren heifers after they are three years of age, and those kept longer for show purposes should not be honoured by prizes. But the limit for steers might well be lowered to three years, as it was at the Chicago fat stock show for the first time this year. The result is reported to have been entirely satisfactory, and the benefit is said to have been more striking in the carcase classes than iv the classes for live beasts, the meat being free from the excessive fat which commonly disfigures the carcases of older show beasts. Butchers catering for the public clearly show that consumers' tastes lie in the direction of 6mall cattle. At the Christmas market in London the other day the prime meat beasts were snapped up fast, the big ones being left as second best, however prime they were in quality. This preference for small beef has been growing rapidly during the la.st few years.

I'I.KUHO-PNKUMOM.V AND SWINB I'KVKR

So considerable a measure of success has attended the action of the Board of Agriculture in attempting to stamp out pleuro-pneumonia that a deputation from the Central and Associated Chambers of Agriculture and the London Farmers' Club will shortly wait upon the Minister of Agriculture, in order to urge upon him the desirability of putting the supervision of swine fever also in the hands of the board, and of paying compensation for slaughtered animals out of Imperial funds. At present the several local authorities -are left to deal with the swine fever, and a pretty muddle they make of it.

WHEAT j Estimated Total Produce. Estimati age yi acre. ;d averield per 1891. I 1890. I 1890. 1891. 1890. England . Wales Scotland.. Bushels. I Bushels. fJ5.694,456 t>J),442,417 1,4(51,740 1,712;5U 1.971,067 2,199,526 72.127.2H3 1 73,354,4841 Barley] I Bushels. 69,442,417 l,712;5ll 2,199,526 Bush'ls. 3133 2373 36-98 Bush'ls. 3079 24-94 35-49 Cx. Britain ! 73,354,4841 >rley] 62,250,366 3,621,793 8,061,642 31-26 30-74 England ... Wales ... Scotland . . 60,900,824 62,250,366 3,438,620 3,621,793 7,789,651 8,061,642 72,120,095 73,933,801 3436 29-36 34-89 35-06 3024 37-36 G. Britain I 34-14 35-02 _ England ... Wales ... Scotland . . . Oats. 69,796,175, 72,104,0341 7,698,529 8,116,344 31,901,557 39,967,068; i1]2,38R,2C1'120,188,04fi' 41-72 32-89 35-17 43-75 33-65 39-43 G. Britain i 38-77 41-40