The Farm. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES. THE HE Trade and Navigation Accounts, in the corresponding month of last year. which have just been issued for the In the seven months, however, we had month and the seven months passed, shew that about 8000 more than up to the end of our receipts of cattle from abroad, on the July last year, but 30,000 less than in month, was smaller by 1500 than in the cor- 1869. The figures were, for the by-gone responding month of last year, notwithstand- seven months of this year, 74,085; last ing the higher price of beef in this country. year, 66,891; in 1869, 105,363. There If we were to look at the importation of cattle alone, the inference, in connexion with the fact stated above, would necessarily be that the cattle are not to be found. High prices do not bring them. There is another alternative, however: the appliances for sending cattle across the ocean-even when Ocean is in its kindliest mood-are by no means satisfactory. On road and river, sea and shore, there is much need of improvement in cattle transit. The trucks in which stock is sent at the present time are disgraceful to the railway companies, and very detrimental to graziers and feeders. Beef and mutton just now are at ransom prices; and, dear as they are, we believe they do not pay salesmen and butchers so well as if they were id. or 2d. per lb. less. For this reason, that the mass of the people cannot afford to buy except in small quantities, and it is the mass of the people who pay the butchers, not those who take special joints. At all events, butchers, as a body, calculate more upon their general than their special customers. With this little semi-digression, we "return to our mutton"-literally, beef-and to figures, which are often tougher than foreign cattle, because, within the last year or two, there is a manifest improvement in the getting out of foreign stock. The total number received in the course of the month was 13,082 of oxen and bulls, against 14,605 was a very large increase in the import of cows - an increase which we by no means appreciate, as it is generally through cows that disease finds its way into our own herds. The number imported during last month was 8454, more than five times the number received in the corresponding month of 1870, and four times as many as in July 1869. On the seven months, the increase over last year was treble, and over 1869 more than double. The numbers for the seven months ended July this year were 26,449, to compare with 8353 last year, and 12,516 in 1869. The supply of calves was larger both on the month and seven months. There was an increase of over 40,000 in sheep on the month, and above 80,000 on the longer period; but there were 10,000 less than we received in the first seven months of 1869. The value, however, was considerably higher than in 1869. For 495,196 sheep, up to the end of July 1869, we only paid £808,498, while this year we paid £901,101 for 489,346. The price per head this year was therefore about £1, 17s. 3d., while in 1869 it was only £1, 12s. 8d. On the seven Of swine we had a much larger supply during the month than in the corresponding month of last year, the numbers being 13,638, as against 8867. months, however, the increase was not so marked, the numbers being, for this year, 51,492-last year, in the like term, 49,956. Imports and Exports of Agricultural Commodities This year, we got our porkers at a cheaper rate than last, the sum paid this year being £175,683-last year, in the same period, £184,690. Bacon was in greater demand, or at least in larger supply, both in the month and seven months, than it was last year, and there was, as in the case of pigs, a marked decline on prices. For 593,852 cwt. of bacon received up to the end of July, the sum disbursed was £1,511,120; last year, up to the same time, we had to pay £1,154,848 for 376,866 cwt. There was a large increase in the supply of "salted" and "fresh or slightly salted beef," the quantities being, of the former, 195,541 cwt., and of the latter, 10,711 cwt., as against 107,500, and 6968 cwt. up to the end of July 1870. The cost for this meat was £454,703. For hams we are credited with £102,769. Then there is pork, salted and fresh, for which we put our hands in our pockets to the extent of £567,710, and for game and poultry we paid £65,769, a slight reduction in the latter case upon the sum we paid in the like period of last year. £5,495,346 is the sum we have given for animal food up to the end of July, which appears to be a great deal too much for a country so well able to produce beef and mutton itself if its resources were made the most of. There was a large increase in the imports of dairy produce. Of butter, we received in the seven months 737,360 cwt., as against 596,094 cwt.; and of cheese, 496,290 cwt., to compare with 350,085 cwt. in the corresponding period of 1870. For butter, we paid, for the seven months, £3,864,261, and for cheese, £1,410,850. Our wheat imports during the month were very much larger than in July of last year, larger also than in the corresponding month of 1869. In the month, we received 4,633,120 cwt., as against 2,878,873 cwt. in 1870. In the seven months for which the Trade and Navigation Returns are made out, we have imported 19,386,678 cwt.; last year, the quantity was 16,721,997. The foreigners have drawn heavily upon us this VOL. VII. year for wheat, their bill for the seven months amounting to £11,403,685. Russia and the United States, as usual, were the largest creditors, the one claiming £4,261,349, and the other £4,231,894, for the seven months, or more than two-thirds of the whole. It is singular to note that France, to whom the generous farmers of this country have been sending seed-corn, is able to supply us with more than she did last year— 21,494 cwt., as against 9506. The following tables shew the quantities and value of the corn we imported during the past seven months. Here we desire to make a correction with reference to the figures of our summary of last month. The figures quoted were for the six months ended June, and not for the month of June itself. Wheat. Russia....... QUANTITIES. Austrian Territories Turkey, Wallachia, ended July Seven Months Seven Months Cwt. 5,177,209 31, 1871. Cwt. 7,486,482 33,433 1,673,461 222,742 2,254,845 18,998 38,792 42,327 215, 108 305,379 927,072 Chili Total.........1,917,178 £2,055,594 The supply of guano during the month was much smaller than in July of 1870; but, in the seven months, the quantity received came within about 3000 tons of the total up to the end of July last year. The amount we paid for the seven months' discharges was £1,637,451; last year, in the same time, we paid £1,763,251. Bones, likewise, were in smaller demand during the month, although an increase is noticeable on the longer period to which the Returns apply. The cost of these artificial fertilizers, for the seven months that have expired, was £325,153; last year, up to the same time, they only cost £273,853. Eggs, in which for some months there was In a falling off, owing to the war on the Con- The receipt of hops last month was very heavy, reaching 31,324 cwt., as against 904 in July of last year, the cost being £85,388, to contrast with £2545. In oilseed cakes the increase during the month was a-third over last July, and on the seven months there was an increase of over a-fifth. We paid for this commodity for our cattle during the seven months £899,798, last year, up to the same date, only £702,145. To the value of animal food, which we have given above, should be added "unenumerated meat" (it is a pity that the Returns do not bring kindred subjects closer together than they are printed), which salted, fresh, and preserved meat, cost nearly £350,000. Potatoes were in less request both in the month and seven months, costing this year only £119,711, as against £221,282 in the same time last year. We had double the quantity of wool in the month that we had in July 1870, and over the seven months there is a large increase, as the following figures shew: QUANTITIES. : Imports and Exports of Agricultural Commodities VALUE. From Countries in Europe £472,459 British Possessions in South Africa... British India Australia Other Countries...... 1,038,783 149,302 9,249,206 297,621 1,004,411 471,039 163 needful. The total number of horses ex£986,636 ported during the year, up to the end of July, was 4988-4104 of which went to France. The amount realized for the lot was 9,321,166 £178,711; last year at the same time only 659,059 £79,936. Home-grown wool was in more demand on the Continent-about 1,500,000 Total............£11,207,371 £12,442,311 lb. more having been exported in the seven months. Germany and Holland were our Turning now to the credit side of the account, we find very little alteration in the best customers, as the following figures tell:quantities of home-made butter and cheese exported. For butter, there was a little more demand; for cheese, slightly less. The amount received for butter was £184,866, and for cheese, £54,369, as compared with £160,204 and £59,655. QUANTITIES. Seven Months Seven Months Wool, Sheep, and Lambs. 31, 1871. lb. lb. 622,170 1,557,900 France.... To Germany WE PRODUCING HAY FOR MARKET. E copy the following very sensible time. The cities, towns, and villages which are article from the Albany Country Gentleman, from the pen of Mr W. Brown, Rockingham County. It has been considered by many a ruinous business to sell hay from the farm, and in the common acceptation of the term, such is the case. Some farms are not adapted to grass culture, being dry and poor, fit only for tillage, or to grow wood. In this case, it would be unwise to attempt grass culture. On such farms it would be poor policy to remove the scanty crop grown. Yet there are lands which are by nature adapted to grass, and with a system of culture looking to that end, will produce good crops for an indefinite length of annually requiring an increased quantity for consumption, are obliged to go farther each year to obtain the needed supply I have known, in years of scarcity, hay drawn 60 miles by horses to the Boston market. Moving hay 40 or 50 miles is a thing of everyday occurrence; and those who have lands well adapted to grass in this section, do nothing more profitable than producing hay for the market. The area of planted land is becoming less each year, the high price of labour having caused many to raise only just enough of the hoed crops for family use; the great improvements in hay harvesting machinery have been conducive of this result. It requires a different course of management where hay is raised exclusively, from that where a more mixed system prevails. In order to produce hay successfully, grass land is needed. It is no use to try to subvert the laws of nature in the growth of plants. Grass on dry hillside or sandy plains is as much out of place as corn or potatoes on wet low land. PLOUGHING, MANURING, AND SOWING. soon as the snow has disappeared, is a favourite time with others. In either of the latter cases, a full crop is not produced the first season. I am favourable to the early spring sowing, having succeeded in getting a good catch and heavy crops from high land. where formerly a grain crop was considered indispensable in successful laying down to grass. I have found but little difficulty in sowing at any season of the year, if the land was in good condition, and the weather not too No small part of a farmer's success dry until the grass had become established. depends on the fitness of the soil for the To grow hay successfully for the market, crcps he wishes to cultivate. For grass, good crops and of the best quality should a moist soil, capable of withstanding be produced-a good article always comdrought, is as favourable a condition mands a good price and a ready sale. Wet as we can have. The old method of lands should be drained enough to kill out manuring and cultivating hoed crops for all water vegetation; when this is done it one or two years, and then laying down usually becomes the most productive land. with grain and grass seeds, in many instances Where the hay is mostly sold, some provision laying down in poorer condition than when must be made for manure to keep up the taken up, is rapidly going out of practice. The fertility, either by purchase or manufacture. land is turned over, the manure applied to the Those who live near towns, and can pursurface and harrowed in, the seed sown and chase stable manure at a fair price, find it rolled in. All the benefit of the manure and profitable to do so. One of our good farthe decaying turf, with the mechanical con- mers informed me that I ton of hay fed out dition produced by the plough, go directly on his farm would produce a cord of manure; for the benefit of the grass, without the I ton of hay sold would deliver three cords exhaustive effects produced by the hoed and of manure at his farm; in this case he can grain crops as by the former custom. The well afford to sell hay. Ashes, both manure should be applied to the surface and leached and unleached, are used with harrowed in, as it is then in the best position good success; guano and superphosphate to be readily taken up by the roots. The are used, and in some instances have proved action of rain does not leach it below the valuable. Whether manure is purchased or soil penetrated by the roots. Manure, not, the home manufacture should not be ploughed in for grass is too low down to pro- neglected. Some stock must of necessity be duce the best result. Experience has proved kept-teams, cows, &c. The coarse fodder that manure is double in value for grass meadow and salt hay is fed out with grain, applied near the surface, to that ploughed and where the manure is kept under cover, under, yet it is not an uncommon thing to see supplied with absorbents, quite an amount those calling themselves good farmers, is made. Some feed grain purchased to fatploughing in manure for grass. Some plough tening animals, and in this way produce very immediately after haying, and seed in August rich manure, which may be spread much or early in September. Sown at this thinner and produce better results than a time, the young grass becomes strong much heavier coat of manure such as is enough to withstand the winter, and a usually made on the majority of farms. One good crop is produced the succeeding sea- great help, in my judgment, to improved and Others sow just as the ground closes profitable agriculture, would be the producup for the season. The seed does not ger- tion of richer manure. As it is of the same minate until spring. Early in March, or as nature of the food from which it is produced, son. |