THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



151 



Stock on baud 1st January , 100,000 qrs. 



Imported 468,000 „ 



Coastwise from Loudon 50,000 „ 



Per rail from Liverpool 10,000 „ 



628,000 

 Ueduct estimated stock in all hands .... 90,000 „ 



Quantity consumed 533,000 qrs. 



Or an average consumption of upwards of 10,000 qrs. per 

 week. Black Sea (upon wliich description our quotations are 

 based) was quoted at 51s. per qr. for old aud 52s. to 523. 6d. 

 for new j during the months of January and February the 

 arrivals were unusually heavy, averaging 13,000 qrs. weekly; 

 notwithstanding, the market sustained itself well through this 

 period ; during March the arrivals were limited, with a steady 

 market until the beginning of April, when large arrivals took 

 place, and prices declined about 2s. perqr. The downward ten- 

 dency continued to the end of the month, when a sudden aud 

 unexpected rise of 3s. to 43. ensued, through the unsettled 

 state of political affairs ; this, however, did not last long, a 

 speedy decline of Is. to 2s. followed, and at the end of 

 May (when the crushing season may be considered as over) 

 50s. was the nearest price on the spot. During the month of 

 June the arrivals were to a seasonable extent, but the crush- 

 ing trade being at a low ebb, our mills were only very par- 

 tially at work, and the imports went chiefly to warehouse ; 

 this state of things continued for another mouth, and at 

 the close of July the price had receded to 46s. 6d. At 

 the beginning of August supplies came forward more 

 freely, and the mills resumed work : prices were steady 

 throughout the month at 4G3. to 47a., and gradually declineJ, 

 with a very large import, to 453. to 45s. 6d. during Septem- 

 ber. Liberal arrivals followed both from the Baltic and Black 

 Sea ; several cargoes of the latter description were sold at 44s. 

 6d. to 443., being the lowest .'price attained during the year. 

 Tlie market now being cleared of floating cargoes on the co.^3t, 

 and the period being at hand for the closing of the navigation 

 in the Baltic, crushers were more disposed to augment their 

 stocks, and more especially so with an improved demand for 

 Cake, aud a better prospect forward for both Oil and Cake. 

 Before the close of November 47s. 6d. and 483. was paid ; 

 since which a further gradual improvement has taken place, 

 and sales have been made at 49s. to 49s. 6J. The late severe 

 weather has given an impetus to the demand for ordinary 

 qualities of all sorts, and importers have been enabled to 

 realize an advance of 3s. to 5e., ex warehouse, from the lowest 

 point. During the present year our crushers have more than 

 ever restricted themselves to the purchase of seed on arrival, 

 choosing this course in preference to importing ; this applies 

 more particularly to imports from the Black Sea aud Azoff, the 

 qualities of which have so often proved unsatisfactory ; the 

 present season has been no exception to the rule in that re- 

 spect, aud the arrivals are not; calculated to inspire buyers 

 with more confidence for the future ; no seed has proved more 

 disappointing than Archangel, the quality of which has been 

 much under average of late years' shipments, while the Peters- 

 burg Linseed has ranked decidedly better in quality than 

 usual. Black Sea is quotable at 493. 9d. to 50s., Petersburg 

 fine 473. to 483. 6d., ordinary 368. to 45s. ; East India 50s., 

 to 543., Kiga 26s. to 44s. per qr. 



LINSEED OIL. — The quotations on the 1st January was 

 293. 3d. per cwt. For the first three months of the year the 

 market remained steady, at no time varying more than about 

 3d. ; in April it declined to 28s. to 283. od., immediately after- 

 wards advanced to 293. 6d. for a few days, from political 

 causes, aud then again fell back to 28s. 6d. to 28s. 3d. ; on 

 the 30th June it stood at 283,, and contiuued during the next 

 three months with slight fluctuation. October opened at 283., 

 with a large production and a declining tendency. Early in 

 November business done at 27s. to 27s. 3d., and these rates 

 steadily maintained after that period to the close of the year. 

 The export amounts to 14,754 tous, aud although not quite 

 equal to last year, which was 15,348 tons. The shipments to 

 London, for the French and Mediterranean ports, are this year 

 5,918 tons. Tne stocks are unusually low. The trade of the 

 year has been less speculative in its character than usual, aud 

 the demand has been chiefly based upon consumption. The 

 duty in all ports of the Zollverein will be reduced £2 lO's. per 

 ton on the 1st January, 1860. 



LINSEED CAKES.— The make of English cakes has been 

 this year on an unusually extended scale in this quarter, still 

 not more so than sufliced to meet a demaud which seldom left 

 any in the hands of crushers. The year commenced with 

 prices at £9 53. to £9 7s. 6d. per ton for Hull makes; con- 

 tinued thereat up to the end of March ; during April decliued 

 about lOs. ; in May £3 15s. to £9 their value; and before the 

 end of June £3 10s, was accepted; prices remained thereat 

 during July, August, and September; with the conviction 

 that unprecedented supplies would come forward, and low 

 prices range, crushers sold freely ; during the mouth of Octo- 

 ber £8 53. was accepted, aud in some instances £8 2s. 6d.; 

 forward contracts were also made up to March and April next, 

 at prices varying from £8 10s. to £8 15s. About the middle 

 of November the altered state of the seed market caused our 

 crushers to take a stand for higher prices, and before the close 

 of the month £9 was paid; severe weather in December 

 brouj;ht buyers forward freely, aud stocks, which, since the 

 commencement of the season, have never been large, are well 

 cleared at £9 2s. 6d. to £9 7s. 6d., aud iu some instances £9 

 10s. paid for approved makes. 



KAPESEED. — The import this year is about double that 

 of 1858, being respectively 23,574 qrs. and 45,013 qrs., the 

 largest portion of which consists of Riibsen, which came in in 

 July, and brought 463. to 47s. per qr. The growth of this 

 kind of seed on the continent has almost superseded that of 

 rape. Up to September but little rape appeared on the mar- 

 ket, when the value was quoted 528. per qr. In November 

 prices reached 543., and at the end of the year 568. was paid 

 for fine quality. The stocks are small of both sorts of seed, 

 the crushers being the only holders, as they were almost the 

 only importers during the year. 



RAPE OIL. — The business passing, like that of last year, 

 has been entirely a consumptive one. The opening price for 

 brown was 43s. 6d., and pale 473. per cwt., which fell in the 

 spring months to 40s and 43s. respectively, but maintained 

 its value until June, when a decline commenced which conti- 

 nued to the beginning of November, when it reached 323. 

 6d. for brown, after which the price advanced to 36s. 6d. for 

 browu,and 39s. for pale, at which the year closes. The im- 

 port of foreign has been insignificant. 



RAPE CAKES. — The vslue of this article, in consequence 

 of the short supply, advanced from £6 Ss. in the beginning of 

 the year for feeding, to £7 in February, which was the high- 

 est price reached. The result was a limited demand, and a 

 decline of prices to £5 IZs. Od. to £6 in' April or May ; after 

 which they gradually receded to £5 in July, at which rate 

 they continued for some months, when more liberal supplies 

 from the coutiueut aud a Urge import of seed brought the 

 value to 928. Gd. for both English and foreign best feeding 

 qualities. The year closes at 95s. to lOOs. for feeding, and 

 803. to 853. for manurea. 



FLAX. — The total import of flax into Hull during the year 

 from the various countries amounts to 13,695 tons, against 

 17,913 tons iu ISSa, and 19,459 tons in 1S57 ; aud of tow 

 and codilla 3,937 tons, against 3,252 tons and 3,381 tons in 

 the two previous years. It will be remarked the reduced im- 

 ports of flax at this port ere chiefly from Riga, Petersburg, 

 and Holland. The stocks of flax at the close of 1858 were 

 greatly reduced, chiefly owing to the large export of the article 

 from Hull (and the Scotch flax ports) to France and Belgium. 

 The year opened with great firmness, and during the mouths 

 of January and February a decided rise in value took place. 

 Prices in Russia greatly advanced, aud were nearly equal to 

 those paying by the spinners in this country, which, however, 

 checked contract business for spring delivery. In March the 

 spinners began to restrict their stocks, in consequence of the 

 high prices and the unremunerative rates obtained for yarns. 

 The trade remained in a very inanimate and unsatisfactory 

 condition for the next two or three month?, the stocks being 

 nearly swept oflf, while the uncertain aspect of continental poli- 

 tics induced great caution in the buyers, under the influence 

 of which the holders were compelled to lower their demands. 

 In July the expected peace reassured the trade, and somewhat 

 strengthened the position of the holders. The previous re- 

 duction in prices induced the spinners to buy more freely, and 

 a fair demand showed itself for all descriptions of flax, prices 

 being now from £3 to £4 per ton below the opening rates of 

 the year. In August a large business was done, and iu some 



