THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



85 



REVIEW OF THE CORN TRADE 



DURING THE PAST MONTH. 



The closing month of the year which has now 

 passd away was remarkable in many respects. The 

 sea^son itself was more like a mild autumn than 

 winter; the grass having continued its growth, as 

 well as esculents, and the wheat plant having at- 

 tained a vigour quite unusual. Of the earher pieces, 

 some have become rather winter-proud ; and the 

 almost entire absence of frost has encouraged the 

 growth of vermin in some localities : but the wea- 

 ther not only being mild, but dry, the young wheat, 

 as a whole, perhaps, never gave a better promise, 

 while ploughing and all kinds of field work have 

 been prosecuted with scarcely any interruption. 

 Human labour has therefore done its best, and the 

 future must be dependent on the Great Ruler of 

 the times and seasons ; but the present prospect is 

 full of hope and encouragement. 



The last Monday in November, being the 30th 

 of the month, could not be included in the market 

 statements ; but it proved the only cheerful one 

 that could be recorded, as the wheat trade then 

 closed with an advance of 2s. per qr., reducing 

 the month's decline to 2s., instead of 4s., as re- 

 spected the London markets ; but all, and more 

 than all, the improvment was lost on the opening of 

 December, prices then declining 3s. per qr., from 

 which there has been no rally, though no further 

 decline has since taken place. Before the last 

 crop was gathered, stocks were running short; and 

 the averages on the 20th July rose to 63s. lOd., 

 the highest point attained through the year. After 

 the gathering of harvest, when the yield both in 

 this country and abroad was known to be abund- 

 ant, they gradually dechned to 53s. lid. by the 9th 

 of November; and the fall since then to 49s. 3d. 

 on the last Monday in the year, which is 4s. 8d. 

 per qr., may fairly be attributable to the permitted 

 importation from France, coupled with the almost 

 unexampled crisis in monetary affairs. As the 

 year opened at 59s. 8d., the decline from its com- 

 mencement to its close is 10s. 5d. per qr. ; the low- 

 est point reached being on the 14th of December, 

 viz., 48s. 3d. As to the future, though unlooked- 

 for events have hitherto frustrated all calculations, 

 we cannot but expect a more cheerful state of 

 things when the holidays are passed, and the new 

 year has fairly opened. France, which was so 

 dreaded, can no longer send in shipments either of 

 flour or wheat without a serious loss ; and farmers 

 there, with liberty to export, seem no longer in- 

 clined to force off their produce. The Baltic may 

 fairly be expected shortly to close by frost, as well 

 as North America; and though heavy arrivals of 

 foreign wheat have been pouring in from the East, 

 sales involve great sacrifices, and prices of Ghirka 

 wheat at Odessa and Berdianski are actually higher 

 than on the London market, while the financial 

 state of the country is rapidly improving ; and the 

 serious failure in the potato crop, not felt at present 

 because of the anxiety of growers to quit their 

 stores, and the present liberal foreign imports. 



must, as spring advances, greatly increase the con- 

 sumption of wheat, the stocks of which, all over 

 the world, were at the lowest ebb before the new 

 gatherings. The following prices show the state of 

 foreign markets : The best winter red wheat at New 

 York was quoted 41s. to 43s. 6d. per qr. free on 

 board, white to 51s. per qr. Odessa quoted 38s. 

 to 47s. per qr. for Ghirka wheat ; sales of the best 

 being made, freight included, in London, at 46s. 

 At Berdianski, prices of soft wheat ranged from 

 49s. 6d. to 51s. At Taganrog, which is stopped 

 by frost, the quotations were to 37s. 8d. per qr. At 

 Galatz, trade had become so prostrate that prices 

 of wheat had fallen to 25s. for 59s. to 6 libs, per 

 bushel quality. Freights were quoted lis. per qr. 

 Nothing can be expected thence till spring, when 

 the relative lowness of prices may attract orders, 

 and send them up. Shipments have been making 

 from Danzic and Hambro' with all haste, in antici- 

 pation of the set-in of frost. Stocks in store were 

 short ; and as supplies arrived, they were placed 

 from the craft on board ship, to save granary ex- 

 penses. The best high-mixed at the former port 

 was quoted to about 46s. per qr. ; prices at the 

 latter were to 44s. 6d. per qr. Stettin quotations 

 were were about 41s. 6d. per qr The mean price of 

 wheat in Belgium was 44s. 4d., fine red at Louvain 

 being held at 45s. per qr. Dutch prices still ranged 

 high, though markets were continually receding, 

 Polish wheat at Amsterdam being still quoted 53s. 

 4d. The influence of French imports has been 

 most considerable in Spain, where prices have again 

 receded to a moderate scale, though it is expected 

 that the country has not grown enough for its own 

 consumption, notwithstanding some local abund- 

 ance. At Valladolid wheat was quoted 45s 

 per qr. ; flour at Santander, for first quality Span- 

 ish having only brought about equal to 44s. 6d. 

 per English sack. At Paris Wheat was quoted to 

 about 43s. per qr., and Flour there to 32s. 6d. per 

 English sack ; but the expenses of transit, with 

 duty on both sides and commission, stop consign- 

 ments on the northern sea-board ; where facilities 

 exist to make shipments, the rates leave a loss. 

 Nantes quotes 43s. for wheat, worth only 44s. in 

 London ; and wheat in Algiers was of the same 

 value. 



The first Monday commenced on the back of 

 moderate supplies of wheat, with but a scanty show 

 for the morning from Kent and Essex ; but the 

 weather having been very damp, the samples 

 were much deteriorated in condition, and at the 

 Essex stands fair runs were offered at a reduction 

 of 3s. per qr., with but slow progress. The foreign 

 trade was not equally affected ; but to sell, rather 

 less money had to be taken. In the country 

 generally prices were not so shaken ; but Bristol, 

 Norwich, Spalding, and Newmarket were 2s. to 3s. 

 per qr. lower, the general reduction being seldom 

 more than is. per qr., and Portsmouth was firm. 

 Liverpool on the first market yielded 3d. per 70 lbs.. 



