THE FARMER'S V MAGAZINE, 



279 



REVIEW OF THE CORN TRADE 



DURING THE PAST MONTH. 



The past month has been very winter-like, after 

 opening wet, so that but little field-work could be 

 done. The unsown wheat lands have now but a 

 poor chance this season ; and the young wheat 

 looks very backward, with a good deal of miss- 

 plant. In some parts the early-sown pieces alone 

 are said to be good, and in others to have suffered 

 most. On the whole, the prospect of a large crop 

 seems remote, and without very propitious weather 

 next to impossible. The damage done to the root 

 crops by the repeated and severe frosts has been 

 very serious, and many lambs have been lost. The 

 spring, therefore, opens rather darkly, with much 

 wheat yet unsown ; but, on the other hand, the 

 heavy rains and snows since autumn have replen- 

 ished the wells beyond what has been known for 

 several years, and there is no longer any fear of 

 drought for some time to come. The wheat trade, 

 notwithstanding a great deal of injury to the newly- 

 thrashed samples, has ruled firm ; and as dry par- 

 cels have become more plentiful, they have gone 

 off pretty readily, at fully Is. per qr. more than 

 during the past month. With a yet plentiful stock 

 of good foreign and old English held by farmers, 

 millers, notwithstanding a limited supply of dry 

 parcels, have long kept reserved till necessity has 

 made tliem more free in their purchases on favour- 

 able opportunities ; and as March winds may be 

 expected to improve the condition cf the ricks, a 

 better tone of trade seems highly probable. Still 

 " the hope" of agriculturists " has been so long 

 deferred" by the permanence of low prices, that 

 many, losing heart, may cut away their chances 

 just on the eve of realization ; and it must be ad- 

 mitted that without some disaster, agricultural or 

 political, a sudden or material rise seems distant. 

 The shortness of feed has brought on a better de- 

 mand for low-quality barley and linseed-cake, as 

 well as given more firmness to beans and peas. 

 The prospective adoption of the principle of free 

 trade in France no longer exercises any influence in 

 that country or here. There the wheat trade has 

 lately been improving ; and as the floods have done 

 much damage in several departments, and the last 

 crop was deficient, there is more likelihood of a 

 further advance than a retrograde movement. 

 Belgium, Holland, the Baltic ports, Switzerland, 

 and the interior of Germany, as well as Italy, all 

 show an upward tendency ; while many parts of 

 Spain and Portugal give quotations far above Eng- 

 lish prices, but the growing crops in these early 

 countries are said to have a very favourable appear- 

 ance. The Danubian ports have been dearer for 

 wheat ; Odessa has kept firm ; and the United 

 States, for their best wheat and flour, show great 

 steadiness, with prices quite out of range for 

 export. The late imports of flour all leave a loss, 

 or are held at rates which prevent business. 



The following quotations show the rates obtain- 



ing in foreign ports : — Fine wheat at Paris was 

 worth 49s. The average price throughout France 

 for the month of January was 43s. 2d., for the 

 same month in England it was 43s. lid,, and our 

 comparative prices now are much the same as then. 

 The best Baltic at Antwerp was quoted 53s. per 

 qr., and at Brussels 52s. The best Polish at Rot- 

 terdam was worth 54s. to 53s. per qr. Prices at 

 Hambro' for red — Mecklenburg 49s. 6d., Wahren 

 for spring 51s., and Holstein 63!bs. for spring 48s. 

 per qr. free on board. A covering of snow has 

 protected the autumn-sown wheat at Stettin, where 

 63lb. Pomeranian red was quoted at 47s. per qr. 

 At Danzig prime high-mixed was worth 49s. to 

 52s. per qr. At Cologne, 48s. was made of the 

 best quality. Stockholm quotations wers 40s. to 

 41s. Odessa, after slight fluctuations, for fine 

 quality obtained 40s. to 42s. At Galatz, on the 

 Danube, the best soft Wheat was quoted about 33s. 

 per qr., the hard being all cleared at 36s. to 38s. 

 fid. per qr. Smyrna quotations for wheat were 

 high, say, to 49s. fid. per qr. Soft Berdianski at 

 Genoa obtained 47s. per qr., hard 58s. 6d., Sar- 

 dinian 53s. per qr. At Barcelona prices ranged 

 from 65s. to 7is, per qr., at Seville 63s. to 76s. 

 per qr. White wheat at New York, weighing 

 63lbs. per bush., was worth about 53s. per qr. free 

 on board. Wheat at Sydney 58s. to 60s. per qr. 



The first Monday in London opened on a very 

 small foreign, and scarcely an average English, 

 supply of wheat. Very little was exhibited during 

 the morning on the Essex stands, but there was 

 rather more on the Kentish. The portion that was 

 dry and useful went off steadily at previous prices, 

 but what was rough and damp was quite neglected, 

 butthese were gradually cleared as the weekadvanced, 

 with a better tone in trade. The country markets 

 this week had less wheat offering, and nearly all 

 were firm or rather dearer. Norwich, Newcastle, 

 Boston, Sleaford, St. Ives, and a few other markets 

 were Is. per qr, higher. Hull, Leeds, Manchester, 

 and Bristol were rather against buyers. Liverpool 

 both on Tuesday and Friday maintained fully 

 former rates. On the second Monday there were 

 only 65 qrs. foreign wheat, with below an average 

 of home-growth, Kent and Essex again sent up 

 but few samples; and as the condition was rather 

 improved, this enabled factors to establish an ad- 

 vance of Is, per qr. on all dry parcels, for which 

 there was more demand, but those out of condition 

 mostly remained unsold. The next market was a 

 more lively one than for some time past, a good 

 business in foreign, as well as English, being 

 transacted at fully the previous rates, and occa- 

 sionally rather more; but the last market was 

 quiet. The country advices were quite in keeping 

 with the London advices on Monday, every consi- 

 derable place being Is. per qr. dearer— as Birming- 

 ham, Manchester, Newcastle, Stockon-on-Tees, 



