A very extensive business in artificial food for cattle has sprung up of late years, but as yet there are only two or three firms engaged in the trade in Norwich. Mr. John Ketton has mills near Foundry Bridge, where he produces about 200 tons of cake weekly, for fattening cattle. The linseed or other seed is crushed by immense circular stones, turned by ingenious machinery. The oil, thus squeezed out, is of great value, and the refuse is made into cake for fattening cattle, and sold at £8 per ton. The oil is of equal value. Messrs. Gayford, Kitton, and Co., have mills at St. Ann’s Staithe, King Street, and produce 100 tons of cake weekly. These two firms, therefore, produce about 300 tons of cake weekly, or 15,600 tons yearly, the whole value being £124,800. The oil being of equal value, the total trade amounts to £250,000 a year. Other city merchants, not producers, send away about 100 tons a-week.
The late Mr. William Stark, of this city, was an eminent chemist, and the first who produced bone manures. His son, Mr. M. I. Stark, continues the same manufacture of manures, made from steamed bones under a process by which all their gelatinous and fertilizing properties are converted into the most suitable form for application to the land. He also produces large quantities of cake, made from linseed and beans. This new article of artificial food has given great satisfaction. The mills are at Duke’s Palace Bridge, Norwich, and Rockland St. Mary. Mr. Reynolds and Mr. Parker also produce other kinds of artificial manure in large quantities.
Cattle and Corn.
These trades properly belong to the county, but the transactions in the city are on a large scale. The cattle trade is the great trade in the eastern counties, and more especially of Norfolk. A vast amount of it is transacted on the Castle Hill, greatly to the benefit of the city, as it gives employment to a large number of poor people, and brings custom to many inns, taverns, and business establishments. Norwich Cattle Market is now one of the largest in England, taking the whole year round, and it is rapidly increasing. The following returns show the extent of the trade in the city and county. The traffic at Trowse Station, from June 1866 to June 1867, was as follows:—
| Cattle inwards | 57,058 | |
| Sheep ,, | 76,154 | |
| Pigs ,, | 9,855 | Total 143,067 |
| Cattle outwards | 35,083 | |
| Sheep ,, | 59,063 | |
| Pigs ,, | 12,493 | Total 106,639 |
Most of these animals are brought to or sent away from Norwich Market.
There are twenty acres of layers belonging to the railway company round Trowse Station, and about one hundred acres of layers close by belonging to private parties. These layers are generally covered with cattle and sheep during the season, from August till November. The valleys of the Yare, the Bure, and the Waveney, afford almost unlimited pastures for any number of cattle and sheep, and the greater part of the lean stock sold on Norwich Hill are brought to be fattened on those pastures. In short, the cattle trade on the Great Eastern lines has been greatly increasing, and is now the largest on any system of railways in England.
Norfolk ranks the fourth in extent, as compared with other counties in England, and eighth as regards population; and it is well known, that since the commencement of this century, the resources of the county, in regard to the production of corn, have been greatly increased by an improved system of husbandry. Over a million acres are under cultivation, including 200,000 acres of commons and sandy heaths, which have been inclosed of late years. In 1831, the average yield of wheat was three quarters per acre; but there has been an increase of thirty per cent, since that period.
According to the inspector’s returns of sales of corn in the Norwich Exchange, the quantities and prices have varied greatly in different years, since 1845. In the year ending October 11th, 1845, the quantity of wheat sold was 150,226 qrs., but after the repeal of the corn laws, the quantity was gradually reduced to the year ending October 3rd, 1868, when it was 65,903 qrs. Since 1855, the quantity of barley sold yearly has varied from 120,000 to 177,000 qrs.; and in the year ending October 3rd, 1868, it was 166,796 qrs. Average prices per qr. for 1868. Wheat, 66/9½. Barley, 42/8¼.