86 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



but did not further give way on Friday. London as 

 the week advanced was further depressed, and on 

 Friday appeared to reach the lowest point, the trade 

 seeming quite unnerved, without any accumulation 

 of supphes ; but the monetary crisis was, perhaps, 

 the cause of the then depression. 



On the second Monday the low tone of the pre- 

 vious market had passed away, though the sup- 

 plies were rather better, and the rates of the pre- 

 vious Monday were recovered for all really fine dry 

 parcels, which were scarce, but those out of con- 

 dition were about 2s. per qr. reduced. In foreign 

 there was rather more doing, but somewhat lower 

 prices were taken. The country trade again showed 

 a better feeling than the metropolis : Birmingham, 

 Hull, and Newark were Is. higher, and Spalding 

 was nearly 2s. improved; and the markets held on 

 Saturday were mostly rather dearer ; but Ports- 

 mouth, which had been an exception to most other 

 places on the previous week, fell back to the com- 

 mon level. Liverpool advanced 3d. per 70 lbs. on 

 Tuesday; and on Friday a further rise of id. to 2d. 

 per 70 lbs. on fine quality took place. 



The third Monday, with small supplies from the 

 near counties, was a quiet day, in anticipation of 

 Chiistmas, good-conditioned parcels being cleared 

 at former rates, though those out of order were 

 placed with difficulty. Foreign was firm. Christ- 

 mas occurring on Friday, all the country towns 

 partook of a holiday character ; but at the markets 

 held, there was scarcely any alteration in prices. 



The last Monday was a repeat of its predecessor, 

 there being but a slow steady trade, without any 

 quotable variation either in English or foreign 

 prices, none being anxious to increase stocks at 

 the year's close. 



The supplies of wheat for the four weeks of De- 

 cember were as follows: 17,269 qrs. English, 

 and 59,068 qrs. foreign, the. weekly average being 

 19,084 qrs., which is about 4,000 qrs. below No- 

 vember. The exports have been trifling, viz., 

 200 qrs. wheat, 100 brls. 125 sacks of flour; but 

 the imports into the principal ports of Great Bri- 

 tain in the four weeks were liberal, viz,, 429,562 

 qrs. ; the arrivals of November into the United 

 Kingdom were 456,804 qrs. wheat, and 267,159 

 cwts. flour. 



The flour trade, as respects country sorts and 

 foreign, has been in sympathy with wheat, the 

 first Monday receding Is. per sack, without any 

 further reduction subsequently ; Norfolks com- 

 mencing at 34s., and closing at 33s. per sack ; but 

 town samples for first quality have continued 

 unaltered at 47s. per sack. Foreign yielded on the 

 second Monday, on a large supply from America, to 

 the extent of Is. per brl., the general quality of good 

 western being about 28s. per brl., extra to 30s. per 

 brl. French sold well on the first offers ; but lately 

 having left a loss, agents have not been able to 

 sell free on board, and unless markets recede fur- 

 ther in the northern ports, the trade must fall 

 off. The imports into London during four weeks, 

 in English sorts] from the country, have been 

 73,578 sks. 31,409 brls. American, and 9,425 sks. 

 principally from France, which has proved little 

 more than half a week's supply from the country. 

 The weekly arrivals have, however, exceeded those 



of November by 2,813 sks. and 5,203 brls., and the 

 comparative firmness of prices seems rather indica- 

 tive of an advance. 



The barley trade all through the month has 

 been very heavy, the comparative absence 

 of demand for fine malting qualities exciting 

 some surprise, but the slow sale of malt at 

 somewhat reduced rates sufficiently accounts for 

 the neglect, the pressure of the times having 

 lessened the consumption of malt liquor; while the 

 liberty given in France to use grain for distillation, 

 as well as the duty imposed on foreign spirits, has 

 made the inquiry for the medium descriptions very 

 limited. The first Monday had the best supplies, 

 and the market then gave way for all sorts Is. to 

 2s. perqr.; the second Monday showed a still 

 duller state of trade for secondary qualities, which 

 sold more in buyers' favour. Towards the month's 

 close, however, there was a rather better demand, 

 with a tendency to improve. The arrivals into 

 London for the four weeks were 17,880 qrs. En- 

 ghsh, and 59,859 qrs. foreign, which gives an 

 increase over the previous month of about 8,000 

 qrs. weekly. 



Malt has been dull all through December, with- 

 out much change of value; but Is. per qr. less 

 was quoted on the second Monday. 



The oat trade, with a falling off in the supplies 

 to less than one-half of those in November, has not 

 recovered from the effects of previous gluts, dealers 

 then having liberally stocked themselves, and that 

 without advantage, having felt no inducement at 

 the end of the year to make fresh purchases, though 

 they have had the opportunity to do so on still 

 more moderate terms. Ihe first Monday having a 

 good supply, prices receded 6d. per qr., and ihough 

 ever since then they have been exceedingly small, 

 thei'e has been no improvement in value; with, 

 however, the certainty of the cessation of Russian 

 supplies, of which the gluts have alone consisted, 

 a deficient crop here, and a not over-abundant one 

 abroad, and less grown in Ireland, we cannot help 

 arriving at the conclusion that as the granaries 

 here get relieved, markets will be rather dearer. 

 The four last weeks show the following arrivals, 

 viz : of English 1,643 qrs., of Scotch 4,365 qrs., 

 of Irish 3,920 qrs., and of foreign only 74,020 qrs. ; 

 making the total weekly supply only 20,987 qrs., 

 against 47,790 qrs. in November. 



Beans have declined in the course of the month 

 more seriously than other corn, the English sup- 

 plies only being moderate ; but the foreign were 

 good, and as many are expected from Egypt there 

 does not appear much prospect of a speedy im- 

 provement. Almost every market-day has noted 

 some decline. The first Monday was lower Is., 

 the second Is. to 2s., the third rather cheaper, and 

 the last again Is. per qr, down, leaving the top 

 price of Mazagan about 34s., and fine small 40s. 

 per qr. The imports for the month into London 

 were 2,521 qrs. English, and 11,610 qrs. foreign, 

 which being more than double that of the previous 

 month partly accounts for the fall. 



Peas have been heavy to sell, and about Is. 

 cheaper, the change taking place on the first Mon- 

 day. The comparative scarcity of maples and 

 duns keeps up prices relatively high, but boilers 



