Bad Time for Farmers

 

About the year 1876 the prices of food sank to a level alarmingly low as it seemed that the lower the price of commodities the less money there was for purchasing the same.

It was said at this time that, through over-production on the virgin soil of North America, wheat was such a druig in the market as to be shipped from the States as ballast in outward-bound vessels.

I heard of a baker who sold three-quarter loaves for a shilling.  American salt pork came on sale at fourpence a pound, but this meat did not become popular among us as, by a local prejudice it was called Slated Tiger.  English cheese of a sort could be had for 2d a pound; I have seen it, a white and crumbly kind, in fact, a joke of the period was that some people carried a lump of this cheese to use as chalk!

Good farmhouse butter at 9d, eggs at 6d a dozen, fresh pork at 6d, best beef at 9d, mutton still less and other prices in proportion.

In 78-9 there came loss and disaster, to farmers, through an extraordinary succession of rainy seasons.  The Stour ran bank high or overflowing for weeks together.  At one haymaking time (1878) a high flood spread out washing away whole fields of new-mown grass.  Many tons of this floated downstream until it came to the mill where it accumulated.  A man who worked there raked enough of this ‘flotsam’ from the stream, to make a good-sized rick, but the stuff was useless for feeding purposes, serving only for litter.

Conditions grew steadily worse until the sodden ground brought disease to sheep and cattle, which had become infected by Fluke.  This was an organism in the shape of a tiny flat-fish which attacked the livers of the animals, eventually causing their death.

It was stated that the origin of this plague was a minute parasite, developed by continual damp in the body of the common slug.  On passing into the stomach of an animal it settled on it’s liver where it developed into the dreaded Fluke.

This disease was specially prevalent on low lying or marshy ground.  The only preventative, or remedy was to place lumps of rock-salt about on the ground where the cattle might lick the mineral freely.  One farmer near Sturminster lost a hundred cows by this complaint, a case which excited much sympathy so that a public subscription was made in aid of the unfortunate man.  Fortunately, as the rainfall became normal, and the fields less sodden, the fluke fated out.  Since that time there has been no serious outbreak of this scourge.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Quaint Remedies

  Over a century ago there were cases of a malignant disease known as ‘king’s evil’. A remedy prescribed for this malady was the leg of a toad, cut from the living reptile, then sewn up in a thin muslin bag and hung round the sufferer’s neck, to be worn constantly next to the skin. Epileptic fits were supposed to be curable by the following ritual;- The patient collected a penny each from eleven different friends, a twelfth friend then gave a shilling for the eleven coins.   The silver coin was then beaten into a ring to be worn by the afflicted one.   I remember seeing a ring which had been so acquired, but no benefit resulted.
Read more

Trade with Newfoundland

  During the first half of the 19 th Century a considerable trade with Newfoundland was carried on in the town, a sub depot was housed in the premises now occupied by Messrs Barnett where, in the room which formed the office, I am told there may still be seen traces of the transactions of that busy time.   The chief depot was established at Poole between which seaport and Sturminster. there passed a steady stream of traffic.   (See mentions of the old ‘Road Wagon on Page 4). The exports from our town were warm clothing, boots, gloves and other necessaries for the men engaged in the arduous labours of the distant fishing fleet.   The imports consisted of large quantities of codfish, salted and dried, barrels of caplin, a small dried fish of a peculiar flavour and cranberries in small wooden kegs.   The latter formed a most useful fruit for winter use, they were very juicy and tender, much superior to the tough, thick-skinned variety which is now the only kind ...
Read more

The Railway

  In 1847 the old South Western line was extended via Wimborne to Dorchester.   Next from Hamworthy to Poole, the latter place being the terminus for some years during which time visitors to Bournemouth were conveyed from Poole in vans and waggonettes. About 1858 the old Somerset and Dorset line was laid from a junction at Wimborne up to Blandford where a station was built a mile below the town on the Spetisbury road.   The first train to reach Blandford was hailed by a public holiday with processions of schoolchildren etc. Finally the line was extended via Sturminster, Wincanton and Glastonbury to Burnham –on-Sea.   During the summers 1862-72 crowded excursions trains ran weekly from all stations between Blandford and Burnham.   Return fares 1s Children 6d for a distance of 50 miles each way.   This was the fare from Sturminster.   Much money was lost by local magnates who financed the railway, one landowner being so badly hit that he was compelle...
Read more