546 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



REVIEW OE THE CORN TRADE 



DURING THE PAST MONTH. 



The first half of the past month was cold and un- 

 genial, vegetation being kept in check, and a yellow 

 hue was spread over much of the young wheat and 

 barley; but warm showers and fresh breezes from 

 the west, with a good deal of sun, have materially 

 changed the face of things for the better, the only 

 fear now entertained arising from the too luxuriant 

 appearance of the forward wheat on highly culti- 

 vated land. An abundance of straw and grass is 

 now pretty certain ; but without dry, sunny wea- 

 ther, an equal yield of wheat with last year cannot 

 be expected. Durham and Northumberland ap- 

 pear exceptions to the generally strong appearance 

 of the wheat plant, from the long prevalence 

 of drought and cold. As respects prices, the 

 month has shown little change ; the utmost fluc- 

 tuations have not exceeded Is. per qr., and the 

 balance of the four weeks is a slight gain. 



The state of the London and general averages 

 shows a remarkable agreement, and the steadiness 

 of prices throughout the entire country. To place 

 the former on a par with the latter as respects time, 

 they must be put one week back; and by so doing, 

 we have this result : Tlie general averages com- 

 mence at 44s. 9d., and the London included therein 

 were 47s. 8d. ; the general close at 44s. lid., and 

 London at 47s. lid.; making an advance of only 

 2d. per qr. in the general averages, and 3d. per qr. 

 in the London — London commencing at 2s. lid. 

 over the general rate, and closing at 3s. over it. 

 This small difterence accounts for the slender sup- 

 plies which have come to the London market, which 

 is, however, well provided with foreign wheat and 

 country flour. Future prices must greatly depend 

 on the weather ; but as the rates are much below 

 the average of the last ten years, and the quality 

 above it, we think farmers need not force off" their 

 stocks, as a good quantity of fine old wheat must 

 be required for mixing, and foreign markets have 

 lately been improving. The course of the deliveries 

 for four weeks shows that less English wheat has 

 lately been selling than during the same period last 

 year. Last year's sales for a month were 439,893 

 qrs., this year they were only 402,861 qrs.— defi- 

 ciency this season 37,032 qrs. Now as the impor- 

 tations, including flour, this year, for four months, 

 have greatly exceeded the first four months last year 

 —viz., to the extent of 607,818 qrs., or about 35,700 

 weekly— and yet stocks of foreign in all shipping 

 ports are small, it follows that the low prices, with 



an increased population, have produced a con- 

 sumption not calculated on ; and this is likely to 

 continue. 



The prospects of a good crop abroad are 

 not so promising as recently. Algeria has im- 

 proved by a timely fall of rain, but last year's 

 abundance is not looked for. Spain, in some 

 places, has been suffering from drought; and in 

 Asia Minor this has been excessive, and quite en- 

 dangered the crops. Piedmont, on the contrary, 

 has had too much wet ; and in other parts of Italy 

 it has not been genial. France still looks well, and 

 in the South the wheat is coming into ear. In 

 Northern Europe there are fair appearances, and 

 American reports are generally favourable. The 

 continental markets have been firm, or slightly 

 dearer. France is decidedly so, the Paris flour 

 market having recently advanced about 2s. per 

 sack English, from the low stocks in millers' 

 hands; and wheat has risen Is. 6d. per qr. The 

 best flour was worth 31s. 9d. per sack, and wheat 

 42s.6d. per qr. At Bordeaux, the price was 41s. 

 9d. In Belgium the range was from 43s. 9d. to 

 4 5s. 9d. for top quality. At Amsterdam, prices 

 were 40s. 6d. to 52s. 6d. At Rotterdam fine heavy 

 red was worth 44s. At Hambro', quotations 

 were 40s. 6d. to 42s. 9d. ; Stettin, 43s. 9d ; 

 Danzic, where large sales have been making, 4Js. 

 to 48s. for high mixed ; Berlin, 42s. 3d. per qr. 

 Navigation being resumed at Petersburg, prices for 

 soft wheat have opened at about 40s. 6d. per qr. 

 At Odessa, the new supplies are dropping in plen- 

 tifully ; the quality is well spoken of, but rates have 

 been firm, in consequence of the clearance of pre- 

 vious stocks. Polish wheat was held at about 38s. 

 3d,, Ghirka 39s. 3d. per qr. The trade at Galatz 

 is beginning with moderate quotations, 28s. only 

 being demanded. Sales from Varna have been 

 made at 32s. Prices at Trieste, which had received 

 Spanish orders, were 43s. 2d. Genoa had risen 

 2s. per qr., and literally nothing has resulted from 

 the Neapolitan permission to export at a high duty. 

 The diflferent markets in Spain, from north to south, 

 are firm, though lately all were expecting lower 

 rates. At Alicante, Taganrog wheat was worth 53s. 

 4d. ; at Seville, 55s. per qr. With the canals open. 

 New York is getting supplies, and flour has some- 

 what yielded ; so that a moderate export has en- 

 sued. The wheat market looked heavy, but no 

 quantity yet pressed on holders j the last quotations 



