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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



REVIEW OF THE CORN TRADE 



DURING THE PAST MONTH. 



An increased though still superficial supply of 

 rain during the month has greatly facilitated all 

 tillage, and enabled farmers to get a large breadth 

 of land in fine order for autumnal wheat sowing, 

 which in some localities has already commenced 

 very favourably, but a still further fall would be 

 very serviceable generally, as cattle are with diffi- 

 culty supplied : many springs have ceased flowing, 

 and the streams continue low ; but let us hope that 

 the fruitful showers will yet come in their season, 

 and that all things will work well. The dryness 

 of the meadows has certainly been favourable to 

 animal health. The wheat trade through the 

 month has undergone but httle change, the symp- 

 toms of improvement which began to appear hav- 

 ing again subsided from the continuance of sup- 

 plies beyond the ordinary wants of millers, and the 

 total absence of a speculative demand to carry off 

 any temporary excess. Imports have declined, 

 but it is yet too early in the season to produce any 

 effect, as our own stores have undergone no sensi- 

 ble diminution since harvest, with the help of the 

 over-left abundance of last year, followed by ex- 

 cessive imports. 



The seed demand, with a })artial withdrawal of 

 supplies by farmers, has occasionally given tone to 

 the trade ; but with all markets readily accessible 

 by rail, millers have been wary, as the manufac- 

 tured article does not always find a ready sale even 

 at low prices, and is always dangerous to keep 

 in this country. Consumption is reported to be 

 lessened by the dull state of trade; but we appre- 

 hend the truth is, that less is " wasted" now 

 from the shortness of pay, rather than that men go 

 much short of food, as parochial resource is a 

 native right which necessity will not fail to claim. 

 The opinion, however, gains ground that we are at 

 about the lowest as the Baltic ports may be 

 expected ere long to close, and the long voyages 

 and high freights from the Black Sea will be a 

 check to the freedom of imports, and a turn after 

 Christmas, if not earlier, will eventually reward 

 the patience of holders. There are indeed calcula- 

 tions that America will have power to send us 

 large quantities, but we have so often seen 

 accounts from this quarter fallacious, and the 

 prices at New York for fine qualities are so 

 on a par with our own, viz., 45s. to 4rs. per qr. 

 from the comparative scarcity of these sorts 

 that the estimated surplus of 4,000,000 qrs. may 



be reduced to one-fourth the amount, and even 

 then the quality prove below the requirements 

 of millers, and Canada we know to be very defi- 

 cient. France has been unsteady, and the prices 

 shaken by the meddling of its Government ; but 

 that country now seems gradually emerging from 

 the decline produced by a resumption of the sliding 

 scale; and on a review of her comparative im- 

 ports and exports, we find the balance of the latter, 

 after the productive season of 1857, from 1st of 

 August then, to the 31st of July 1858, to be only 

 700,000 qrs., and as the last crop was only a 

 doubtful average, we think the period of her low 

 prices nearly at an end, while Spain and Portugal 

 must import all through the season, and the in- 

 terior of Germany, Poland, and some Russian 

 governments will require aid. The range of 

 jjrices abroad is as follows : — At Paris the best 

 wheat is about 41s.; at Bordeaux, 42s. per qr. 

 In Holland prime Zealand is worth 46s. ; Louvain, 

 in Antwerp, 42s. to 44s. per qr. (63 lbs.). Hol- 

 stein at Hambro', 46s.; new Danish 62 lbs. 40s. 

 6d. At Cologne 45s. 9d. was paid: fine high- 

 mixed at Danzic 50s. to 52s. per qr. At Galatz 

 the rates for best quality were about 30s. per qr. 

 Ghirka wheat at Odessa 37s., soft Polish 39s. per 

 qr. At Berdianski soft wheat 34s. 6d. At Trieste 

 63 lbs. wheat was worth 40s. ; at Seville mixed 

 53s. per qr. 



The first Monday of the month at Mark- 

 lane commenced on a moderate English and 

 good foreign supply. From Kent and Essex, in 

 the course of the morning, there was nothing 

 beyond an average show ; but millers were very 

 indifferent buyers, picking out only the best parcels 

 at previous rates, so that factors had much undis- 

 posed of at the close of the market. Foreign 

 factors kept up the rates of fine qualities, and the 

 business was but retail. In the country, supplies 

 generally were reported to be less abundant — 

 farmers not being disposed to send much at pre- 

 sent rates, and those places that had abundance 

 found a more ready sale at fully the previous 

 terms; but very few noted a positive advance, 

 though Newcastle and Leicester quoted Is. per qr. 

 improvement. The Tuesday's business at Liver- 

 pool was a counterpart of the previous day in 

 London— none but the finest samples of wheat 

 finding placement at full prices, and Friday was 

 still more decidedly in buyers' favour. The second 



