R3/4519

Letter: Reads- Talking to farmers. They think the general measure will tend to lower prices & reduce their capital very considerably; some think they will hurt most in oats & barley; others think beef & mutton will go down to almost nothing. Their fears & alarms are (I think) exaggerated. I think when they admit they will suffer least in wheat (formerly most tenacious as to highest protection), protection of other sorts must be relative. However Peel hay throw dust in eyes of consumers, he won't lower agricultural produce in a material degree. Whence would beef & mutton come? France, Holland etc. [Long discussion of further future prospects]. Difficult to change settled plans of management; capital required. Bullock cannot be fattened till 3 years, sheep 1 year; it must be time before we can have regular supplies; when they come, prices here & on continent will equalise & probably go down something, and foreign markets rise. Salt provisions for victualling ships will be most speedily affected, as we may expect imports of cured pork from America, but the Eng. shipowner will victual ships at home & not resort to the evasions now practised. I presume no live fat stock will be sent from America; notwithstanding voyage much shortened by steam, yet expense, and waste of flesh by confinement will prevent sending. The voyage from Scotland in fine weather is well enough, but not if stormy. I see no ground for general alarm, though farmers must be circumspect. Crouch fears rent too high for future; offered 450 per annum for 7 years, but rise or fall with prices. Averse to let for 1 year only. Say: Overman 700 Crouch 450 4 years. Or: 720 470 7 [endorsed 7 March]

27 March 1842

From: 1842 To: 1842

item

Haedy, C,
Peel,
Crouch,
Overman

farmer, oats, barley, sheep, bullocks, victualler, letters, WOBURN, Woburn Abbey, Scotland, France, Holland