X78 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



REVIEW OF THE CORN TRADE 



DURING THE PAST MONTH, 



The month of July, though much beyond June 

 in its genial character, has had many cold days 

 and nights as well as heavy showers, still keeping 

 the corn crops in a backward and therefore 

 critical state. The first fortnight was dry, but with 

 much coldness in the air, more especially at the 

 beginning of the month ; but it was a most wel- 

 come time to hay-farmers, some grass cut in June 

 being nearly spoilt, and a large quantity of hay, 

 with the help of machines, was then secured in 

 good order ; but much being later cut has lost 

 colour and quality by the rain, though the yield 

 upon the whole has been fair. A great improve- 

 ment during the fine and dry weather was every- 

 where perceptible in the corn ; but heavy rains 

 towards the close laid a good deal of the most pro- 

 mising fields, and blight has taken many good- 

 looking pieces of beans, so our expectations are 

 somewhat abated as respects the general yield. 

 With a diminished breadth of wheat sown, and 

 much thinness of plant on the heavy lands, the 

 finest weather henceforth seems unlikely to bring 

 out an average yield. The first fortnight evinced 

 a retrograde movement, the weather having taken 

 up; but with a return of rain, first moderately and 

 afterwards heavily, the market nearly recovered its 

 previous losses, so that little difference of prices 

 has to be noted. The general averages commenced 

 at 58s. 5d. and closed at 56s. 6d. Stocks, it 

 would appear, are working up close — the improved 

 rates as compared with this time last year, when 

 the averages were only 44s. lid., faiUng to bring 

 good supplies to market. The rates of imports, 

 too, is behind that of last season, the then receipts 

 for June being 045,823 qrs, wheat, 663,035 cwt. 

 flour, against 413,496 qrs. wheat, 375,586 cwt. flour 

 for June this year; but the imports of July, 1860, 

 though not yet made up, seem likely rather to 

 exceed those of 1859. The prospective lateness of 

 this year's harvest makes an increased claim for 

 consumption to the extent of about 750,000 qrs. 

 wheat, and all the shipments making seem quite 

 below the apparent necessity. American prices 

 having been for some time almost stationary, more 

 margin has been found for the British market, and 

 supplies hence have been more liberal, with a pros- 

 pect of continuance, as the great coi-n-producing 

 countries of the Western States are all well re- 

 ported, and receipts, both at New York and in 

 Canada, have been more liberal. In the South, 

 however, there is much deficiency, and the danger 

 in the North and West this season is from drought. 

 In France prospects have much improved, harvest 

 proceeding rapidly in the southern and central de- 

 partments. Spain and Italy have made their gather- 

 ings favourably on the whole, but there is some 

 deficiency in Lombardy and Venetia. Belgium, 

 Holland, and Northern Europe, though complain- 

 ing of lateness, expect a fair result. Poland is very 

 promising, as well as Southern Russia, Hungary, 

 and the Principalities, So, should any disaster 



befal this country, there seems every probability of 

 our deficiency being made up — a favouring Pro- 

 vidence thus again securing a provision for the 

 wants of this populous world. 



With but moderate stocks on hand, both English 

 and foreign, and some time yet to harvest, our 

 rates must greatly depend on the weather ; but the 

 high price of meat seems against much decline, 

 under the most favourable weather, while a rough 

 and stormy time might send prices up materially. 



The following are the rates quoted in the corn- 

 producing countries : — 



Fine wheat at Paris was worth about 59s. per qr., 

 an d this was also about its value at Danzig and 

 Konigsberg. Fine Polish at Rotterdam was held 

 at 62s., and Baltic red at 60s. ; the best red at 

 Louvain was quoted 56s. to 57s. (61 to 02lbs.) 

 Red wheat at Groningen was held at 55s. to 56s. 

 per qr. The moderate quality shipped at Riga 

 was 54s. per qr. there. Ghirka wheat at Odessa 

 about 43s. per qr. ; Sandomirka, 42s., extra to 47s. 

 At Galatz soft wheat was 37s. to 37s. 9d. New 

 Banat was procurable at Trieste, at 43s. to 44s. per 

 qr. At Smyrna, the low quahty of the country 

 was held at 36s. The quotations at Leghorn were 

 46s. to 49s. for red, 54s. to 57s. for white. San- 

 tander flour was held at 39s. per 280lbs., being 

 worth— duty paid — in London about 45s. to 46s. 

 per sack. Soft wheat at Algiers was quoted 45s. 

 to 47s. per qr. 



Prices in America as follows : — 



Good Western red, at New York, 47s. 6d. per 

 480lbs. ; white Michigan, 47s. 6d. to 50s. ; red at 

 Baltimore, 45s. to 46s., white, 50s. to 51s. Sd.; 

 spring wheat at Montreal was quoted 42s. 



The first Monday's wheat market in London 

 opened after a large foreign, and but a small Eng- 

 lish supply. The contributions of the morning 

 from Kent and Essex were small, but a favourable 

 change in the weather having taken place, and with 

 plenty of choice in foreign samples, millers kept 

 aloof, though English factors were willing to take 

 2s. per qr, less money, and the business done was 

 at this reduction, in English and foreign samples. 



The dull report from London, together with the 

 very favourable weather, produced quite a stagna- 

 tion in the country markets, and the average 

 decline on wheat, where sales were made, was about 

 Is. to 2s. per qr. At Liverpool the little that was 

 done was at a decline of id. to 2d. per cental. 

 The Scotch and Irish markets all felt the effect of 

 the fine weather, and to sell wheat it was neces- 

 sary to submit to some decline. 



On the second Monday the returns of foreign 

 wheat were above 52,000 qrs., though the home 

 supply was small. Very few samples during the 

 morning appeared from Essex and Kent ; but the 

 continuance of fine weather on so large a foreign 

 supply kept millers aloof, and to sell it was neces- 

 sary again to accept a decline of Is. to 2s. per qr. 

 Still the smallness of the quantity of English, and 



