148 Transactions of the 



IJAliLKV. 



The unfavorable cliaracter of the season of eighteen luindrcd and 

 seven ty-six and seven, was inanifrsted more partirnlarly in tlu- yield 

 of barley than in any other of uur cereals, the districts best ada|)te<i 

 to the culture of that grain having been subjected in an especial 

 degree to the drought that in that unfortunate season scourged our 

 whole State. The crop was a very poor one in the best of these sec- 

 tions, and, in most, was an entire failure. The business of the year 

 was consequently a very poor one, and almost entirely local, our 

 exports amounting to hardly a sixth of those of the preceding year. 

 The market opened in July very strong at one dollar and seventy- 

 five cents per one hundred pounds, for feed descriptions, and one 

 dollar and eighty-live cents for brewing; and these prices were main- 

 tained with only trilling variations for nearly three months — feed in 

 November even selling as high as one dollar and sixty cents and one 

 dollar and sixty-live cents, and brewing one dollar and eighty cents. 

 During this ])eriod some seventy-five thousand centals of Chevalier 

 were exportetl to Great Britain, at a cost of one dollar and ninety 

 cents to two dollars — which exhausted about the entire surplus of 

 that descrii)tion. The rains of January, which ])ractically insured a 

 crop during the coming season, of course worked a comj)lete change 

 in the market, and in February we find feed kinds selling for one 

 dollar and twenty-five cents, while brewing had gone to one dollar 

 and forty cents and one dollar and thirty-five cents. The decline 

 continued through March and April, and in Ma}', wlien it became 

 necessary to clear out the warehouses, feed was sold for eighty-five 

 cents and brewing for ninety cents — much of the old stock having 

 become weevily. Our list of exi)orts shows a lamentable falling oil 

 in all directions. South America taking almost nothing, and Austra- 

 lia very little, while none at all was sent by rail to the Mississi])pi 

 Valley, these having been in previous years our great i>oints for shiii- 

 ment. The crop now being harvested is untloubtedly one of the 

 largest, if not the very largest ever raised in the State, and much of 

 it will be of a very superior quality. Such samples as have reached 

 market indicate excellent color and weight; but late rains are 

 reported to have damaged a good deal of grain in the southern coast 

 counties. New feed opened at eighty-five cents per cental, and the 

 imiu'ession is general that extremely low prices will rule. It is to be 

 hopetl that o])enings will be founil lor our surplus, and with fair 

 rates of freight to Australia (by steamer) and to Chicago and St. 

 Louis (by rail), we hoi)e to see much of the grain utilized. At best, 

 however, it is dilUcult to see how the crop can i)rove a j)roritable one 

 to the producers. 



OATS. 



There is no call for any review of the market for this description 

 of grain. The business done has been entirely local, and, as usual of 

 late years, a large proi)ortion of our stock has been furnisiied by our 

 neighbors in Oregon. Dealers are looking forward toa jiossible trade 

 with Australia during the coming three or four months, but no orders 

 have appeared so far, and the whole business at the best will be insig- 

 nificant. As far as we can learn the growing crop promises to be 

 better than an ordinary one. 



