154 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



ANNUAL REPORT OF THE LINSEED, OIL, AND CAKE TRADE. 



Sir, — Last year was marked by so few iucidents to call for 

 more thaa a passing notice, that we fear our annual circular 

 will agaiu be deficient in iatereat, except in showing that of 

 late the business has been more remunerative to crushers than 

 for some time previously, and a lower range of prices having 

 been established abroad, we hope the healthier tone of our 

 trade will continue, and no cause of complaint remain either 

 to importer or manufacturer. The import and prices have 

 closely followed the expectation we expressed in our last ; the 

 present statistical accounts have also been compiled with great 

 care, and are worthy your considerate attention. The retro- 

 spect likewise will be found useful, as showing how much 

 prices depend now-a-days almost upon supply alone. The de- 

 mand having so increased of late as to be out of all proportion 

 to former years, besides which, being continuous, and still to 

 a great extent free from speculation, our wants are very regu- 

 lar, and prices are chiefly governed by temporary excess or 

 absence of supplies. 



LINSEED. — At the commencement of the year, the value 

 of Black Sea seed was 523. 6d., and allowance being made for 

 slight differences i;i quality, it scarcely varied a sixpence dur- 

 ing the first three months. It was dearest in January, when 

 stocks were light ; but after February, during which month 

 the arrivals were free, the value was with difficulty maintained ; 

 and when Mirch brought with it new arrivals and mild wea- 

 ther, the price relapsed to 493. by the end of the month. In 

 April, large arrivals sent the value to 473., at which price the 

 coast was cleared, partly for home consumption, and some for 

 export. At the close of this month, war between Austria and 

 France ensued, aud the rumour of a secret alliance between 

 Russia aud France was promulgated, causing our market to be 

 very excited, and sales were made at an advance of 63. per qr. 

 in about as many days, SSs. having been paid for a consider- 

 able quantity. The sales at this time were principally from 

 granary ; holders, who had during the previous few weeks 

 endeavoured to stop the decline by landing and withdrawing 

 their seed from the market, now gladly taking advantage of 

 the rise to get out of stock. The excitement was but 

 momentary, however ; for, doubts having been started as to 

 the truth of the alleged secret treaty, a great absence of trans- 

 actions followed, and prices dwindled almost imperceptibly 

 during May and June, by the end of which latter month the 

 value had fallen to 493. In July the market was flat, and 

 new arrivals off the coast made the tendency very heavy, so 

 that a further fall of Ss. 6d. per qr. was established. All the 

 cargoes then offering were cleared at 473. to 463. 6d. ; and, 

 pending new arrivals, the price was quoted 483. aga-n by the 

 middle of August. It was only a nominal value, however, for, 

 arrivals quickly succeeding, the price returned to 463. 6d. 

 Further heavy importations in September reduced the figure 

 10 45s., and even thereat (although the margin for working at 

 this time was unusually profitable) the disposition of buyers to 

 operate only from " hand to mouth" made sales difficult to 

 effect. The same same may be said of the month of October ; 

 aud iu this month we have to mark the lowest price, namely, 

 433. 6d., at which some cargoes were taken off the market, and 

 lauded ou speculation. November brought with it diminished 

 supplies, and those who had neglected to purchase on the flat 

 mark ;t9, now that they were driven to buy, found seed less 

 plentiful than they had expected, and a rapid rise occurred of 

 53. per qr. Early iu December fresh heavy arrivals moment- 

 arilj' checked the rise ; but a growing belief that the supplies 

 will run short during the spring months has further slightly 

 enhanced the value, aud the market is firm to-day at 493. for 

 seed on the spot, with buyers at 503. for cargoes expected next 

 mouth. Throughout the year the amount of business done 

 previous to arrival has beeu of the most limited character; 

 only very saldora has it happened that buyers have been found 

 willing to operate. When, however, such has been the case, 

 it Las generally been at about Is. per qr. above the price 

 offered for parcels at hand. 



Notwithstanding 800,000 qrs. have beeu imported within 

 SIS months, stocks are barely equal to those held at this time 

 last year ; and in addition to this fact (if our estimate prove 

 fight) we may calculate on a comparative deficiency of 100,000 



qrs. during these first six months of 1860. The accounts of 

 the late crops are so various as to prevent our forming any 

 reasonable conclusion regarding the quantities we may expect 

 for next season's use (1860-61), but we incline to the belief 

 that they will prove short of the past two years' supplies. 



Bombay seed maintains its very high character. Calcutta 

 has fallen off, partly through the country damage sustained 

 this season before shipment, and likewise through the repre- 

 hensible system of admixture common to Black Sea and some 

 Baltic shipments. Morshansky has been the best for many 

 years — Archangel the worst. Black Sea linseed is as good as 

 ever ; but whilst the obnoxious system of adulteration is car- 

 ried on through the admixture of 12 per cent, to 20 per cent, 

 of extraneous matter, we need not be surprised at the incessant 

 complaints expressed regarding it. Until lately, we did get 

 an occasional unmixed cargo, but now all the importers find it 

 so much to their interest to follow the common mode of ship- 

 ment, that it is merely a difference of degree. The hourly 

 complaints of the linaced oil made in the present day, show 

 the extent of the deterioration caused by the admixture of wild 

 rapeseed, &c. We really think the remedy, however, is in the 

 crushers' own hands. Merchants cannot but be desirous to 

 bring the seed in its genuine state if it paid them even only 

 equally well to do so ; but they carry on their business for 

 profit ; and if they find it more to their advantage to bring it 

 as it now comes, owing to buyers not paying an adequately 

 higher rate for unmixed seed, why of course they will continue 

 so to do. The conditions also enforced by sellers in the lately 

 established forms of contract for Black Sea cargoes, will help 

 to increase rather than mitigate the evil, and there is no rea- 

 son why by-and-bye we should not see Azov seed scarcely dis- 

 tinguished from Rjeff or low Wiasma, and it is to be hoped it 

 will by that time be.ar a relative value, as it has already shown 

 signs of doing compared with the best East India descriptions. 

 Unless, also, some decided steps are taken, it is not improba- 

 ble Calcutta seed will presently come equally changed in its 

 character. It simply requires that the better articles should 

 be saleable at an equally remunerative rate to the inferior, and 

 the disease would remedy itself. We should be only too glad 

 to see some new arrangement come to between buyers and 

 sellers to bring about so desirable a result, and we would 

 gladly personally do everything in our power, either in the de- 

 vice or carryin:': ^ut of a scheme, to obviate the evil complained 

 of. It is real.j deplorable that it should be found commer- 

 cially necessary to deteriorate a really good growth of liuseed 

 by foul admixtures. 



In Granary we have about 35,000 qrs., namely, 11,500 qrs. 

 Black Sea, 1,000 qrs. Petersburg, and 22,500 qrs. East India, 

 beside which about 20,000 qrs. have been lately reported, but 

 are not yet discharged from import ships. At Hull there are 

 55,000 qrs., and there is said to be 45,000 qrs. in crushers* 

 hands, including what is afloat iu the port. At Liverpool 

 about 20,000 qrs. are held by importers. Off the coast there 

 are 40,000 qrs. ordered, but not yet arrived at their destina- 

 tions, and in addition 185,000 qrs. expected within the ensuing 

 three months, 70,000 qrs. of which are Black Sea, 86,000 qrs. 

 Calcutta, and 29,000 Bombay, or in all about 100,000 qrs. 

 less than at same time last year. 



The import into London is again greatly in excess, and 

 stocks being only about the same as last January, whilst the 

 export has been considerably less, proves that the consumption 

 drawn from this district must have been nearly double that 

 of the previous year. Subjoined are the respective annual 

 official returns of the aggregate imports into the United 

 Kingdom : — 



1841 .... 363,461 qrs. 1851 .... 630,471 qrs. 



1842 .... 307,700 1852 .... 799,402 



1843 .... 470,539 1853 .... 1,035,335 



1844 .... 616,947 1854 .... 828,513 



1845 .... 656,793 1855 .... 756,950 



1846 .... 506,141 1856 .... 1.180,179 



1817 .... 439,512 1857 .... 1,031.113 



1818 .... 799,650 1858 .... 1,017,844 



1849 .... 626,493 1859 about 1,250,000 



1850 .... 008,984 



