AGRICULTURAL REPORT FOR HAMPSHIRE
The past season has been of an entirely exceptional character, and will be long remembered in the annals of agriculture on account of the extreme drought which prevailed through the whole of the summer months, and, in consequence, the great dearth of cattle food, which was felt most severely upon all soils, not only as regards the arid and useless condition of the grass lands, but also upon the arable lands, on which it was quite impossible to grow anything like the usual produce of root food for cattle.
The hay crop, on the whole, was under average, and for a time fetched a very high price, but has receded somewhat in value as the winter advanced. It is to be hoped that the fear as to provision being found for cattle and sheep stock has now abated, owing to the extremely favourable autumn, the mildness of the weather having to a considerable extent mitigated the evils of general scarcity; and it must be very gratifying to the agricultural interest that Providence has thus, up to the end of the year, so far compensated for the difficulties which beset them during the summer.
In referring to the health and condition of our flocks and herds we find it much better than could have been expected under such trying circumstances, but the dry season has no doubt had the effect of holding in check the foot lameness, to which the flocks of sheep have been subject for a number of years; in fact, it has prevailed more or less ever since the year 1845, and we fear that the constitutions of our sheep are so impregnated with the epidemic and foot lameness that they will not be entirely free from attack for a long period when the seasons are wet and mild, for we find numerous flocks have fallen lame within the last week, caused, no doubt, by the prevailing wet weather. Neat cattle seem to have been very free from disease in this county, which may to some extent be attributed to the extreme rigour of Orders in Council applied to the cattle trade during the cattle plague, and also through not allowing any cattle to come out of the London markets alive, and it is to be hoped that this view of the matter will not be lost sight of in any future arrangements connected with the cattle trade, both English and foreign.
This is now the third favourable lambing season we have had to report of the early horned ewes, the present being the best we can ever recollect, both as regards the number of lambs saved and the general good health and condition of the ewes, and it is to be hoped that the Hampshire Down flocks on the hill farms will have equal success, as the few early Down ewes we find have lambed equally as well as the horned ewes.
The supply of fat stock for Christmas markets has exceeded our expectations both in numbers and quality, and upon the whole must be considered satisfactory in prices obtained for them, nor has the consuming public any right to complain considering the scarcity of food which prevailed. It may be worthy to remark the great success which has attended the cattle auctions throughout the kingdom, for not only was the auction this Christmas held at Southampton astonished people generally, but it is to be noticed that auctions for the sale of stock are increasing rapidly, and finding favour with the agriculturists in nearly all the leading market towns of the Midland and other counties, and it may be confidently anticipated from the direction that public opinion is now taking that they will continue to increase and prevail, and chiefly because auctions possess so many and great advantages as compared with the ordinary open markets.
It is to be noticed that steam cultivation has made considerable progress during the past year. There are now a number of sets of tackle on hire in various parts of this county, and they have been in full employ as long as the weather proved favourable, and it is to be seen during this rainy season how readily the water passes into the subsoil and escapes on steam-cultivated land, whereas on land under ordinary culture, the water is seen on the surface on all the strong soils, very much to the injury of the crops and future tillage.
The agriculturists of this county ought to feel gratified that during the past year the Hampshire Chamber of Agriculture has assumed so prominent and promising a position in the advocacy of their interests, and it is to be hoped that the Chamber will derive further support by a large increase of members, and that although the Chamber has hitherto met only at Basingstoke, Winchester, and Romsey, that its meetings will be extended to other towns, like Andover, Southampton, Fareham, Petersfield, Alton, and Ringwood. By such means a large accession to members would be obtained, and no doubt if gentlemen in the neighbourhood of these towns would send their names, stating their willingness to open discussions be approved of by the Council, that the meetings would become migratory, and consequently more advantageous to the agriculturists of the county; and, when we consider that almost every county has and will during the next year have its Chamber of Agriculture, we can easily anticipate the means at command of influencing the legislature in favour of any fair and reasonable changes in our laws for the benefit of the owners and occupiers of land.
Dec. 31st, 1868. JOSEPH BLUNDELL, Southampton.