Cylchgronau Cymru

Although the contribution of the various components of output to total sales tended to vary between years, the ratio of sales of livestock to crop products was very similar for the years following 1818. It has already been suggested that the low livestock output in 1818 came about as a result of the retention of lambs for breeding purposes. A further reason for the high ratio of crop to livestock sales in 1818 resulted from the extremely productive cereal harvest in the western counties of Britain that year.13 Thus in 1818, 518 bushels of wheat and 1,146 bushels of barley were sold from the farm by comparison with a mean of 119 and 258 bushels respectively for the remaining years. It will be recalled that while the price of wheat fell from 83s. to 47s. 8d. per quarter and that of barley from 54s. to 22s. gd. between 1818 and 1822, prices of livestock products declined at a less drastic rate.1* Accordingly the relative increase in the value of livestock sales may be ascribed primarily to the reduced quantities of cereals sold from the farm at lower prices than those prevailing in 1818. Taking the five year period as a whole, an average of gi tons of wheat and 1 tons of barley were annually sold, despite the consumption of substantial quantities of these cereals in the House. Apart from the occasional large consignments of barley to one Evans, maltster of Llanbadarn, the bulk of barley sales were in small lots of two or three bushels. Buyers included small farmers, tradesmen, drovers and labourers, the latter purchasing barley either for household use or pig feeding. Wheat produced on the demesne farm, was again frequently sold in small lots directly off the farm, although the majority was sold in Machynlleth where Erasmus Jones of Furnace Mill appears to have been a regular purchaser. Of the total livestock sales, sheep represented over fifty per cent. The greater part of the sheep sales comprised fattened lambs, although from time to time a group of ewes with lambs at foot would be sold to itinerant dealers and drovers. Sales of wool at Machynlleth fair accounted for almost half the total returns from sheep, which is rather surprising in view of the comparatively low wool yield of the Southdown breed, the improvement of which by John Ellman (1 753­ 1832) had been aimed at developing its meat, rather than wool potential. Wool yields from Southdown ewes and lambs generally ranged from 2.4-2.7 lbs per head The apparently high yield of 3.5 lbs. in 1821 (a similar level to that which might be expected from a modem Southdown), was due to the high proportion of ewes relative to lambs shorn in that year." Cattle sales, either in the form of fattened bullocks sold to local butchers, joints of beef sold to neighbours and others, or hides from the carcasses of animals slaughtered for household consumption, were an important component of livestock output. The absence of any