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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE, 



The first Monday in London opened on mode- 

 rate supplies, both of English and foreign wheat, 

 the latter being about half French. The near 

 counties only sent up about the usual supplies, 

 but the return of warm forcing weather in- 

 fluenced the market unfavourably, sales being 

 only slowly made at the previous quotations, 

 and the business in foreign was but retail. 

 The country markets held subsequently were 

 generally firmer than that of London, but Birming- 

 ham, Gainsborough, and Stockton-on-Tees were 

 more decidedly dull, with some downward ten- 

 dency. Liverpool found a demand for Portugal at 

 9s. Id, per cental, but the last market there was 

 rather in buyers' favour. 



The second Monday was better supplied with 

 English wheat, and less from abroad, Kent and 

 Essex sent up a fair show of samples, the condi- 

 tion of which was improved. Warlike rumours 

 prevailing, prices were influenced fully Is. upwards 

 on the samples sold; but generally a larger advance 

 was insisted on, which checked business. More 

 transactions passed in foreign, at fully Is. per qr. 

 improvement. Some markets in the country on 

 receipt of these advices were not improved, but 

 more generally there was Is. advance, Boston, 

 Newark, and Sheffield being Is. to 2s. up ; 

 while Norwich, Spalding, and several other 

 places were quite 2s. per qr. dearer. At 

 Liverpool, on Tuesday, some fine red was 

 sold for Portugal at equal to 48s. per qr. of 480lbs., 

 in bond, other sales being effected at unaltered 

 prices, while Friday's business was only firm. 



The third Monday had less English and more 

 foreign wheat, the quantity from France again pre- 

 ponderating. From Essex in the course of the 

 morning there were but few samples, and from 

 Kent only a moderate show. Orders from Por- 

 tugal being in hand for red qualities, those of good 

 quality brought Is. to 2s. per qr. more money, and 

 the value of white was somewhat improved at the end 

 of the market, by the clearance of the red samples. 

 Notwithstanding the occurrence of Good Friday 

 this week, the country markets all gave a ready re- 

 sponse to the reports from town. Birmingham 

 and Spalding were Is. dearer; Hull, Lynn, Bristol, 

 and Newcastle reported a brisk trade, at Is. to 2s. 

 more money; Ipswich, Leeds, and Norwich quo- 

 ting fully 2s. per qr, advance. At Liverpool, on 

 Tuesday, holders held their samples generally 

 too high, but eventually accepted 3d. per cental 

 advance. The Scotch and Irish markets followed 

 in the wake of the English, 



On the fourth and last Monday there was a fair 

 supply of home-growth, with more of foreign than 

 of late. Kent in the course of the morning sent 

 up better supplies ; from Essex they were moderate. 



The increased probability of war in Europe made 

 holders high in their demands, an advance of 5s. 

 per qr, being at first insisted on, but eventually 

 factors were content to take an improvement of 2s. 

 to 3s. per qr., and sales were not fast at the rise. 

 Some holders of foreign altogether withdrew their 

 samples, and none would sell unless at Is. to 2s, 

 per qr. more money ; but this description having 

 lately been held relatively high, sales were checked. 



The slow course of the general averages does 

 not show the month's advance, the rise therein 

 being only from 40s. to 41s, 2d. per qr. Neither do 

 the London averages make a further advance than 

 from 43s. 6d. to 44s. 7d., but it would now seem 

 that the lowest point is past for perhaps a long 

 period. The imports into London for the four weeks 

 have been 31,490 qrs. English, 37,596 qrs, foreign; 

 against 17,414 English, 23,834 qrs, foreign, in 

 April last year, showing a large increase, partly 

 owing to the openness of the Baltic this season, 

 but more from the increased supplies from France. 

 During the month of March the imports into the 

 United Kingdom in wheat were, 259,872 qrs. ; in 

 flour, 328,524 cwts. The four weeks' exports were, 

 1,390 qrs, wheat, 978 cwt. of flour. 



The flour trade all through the month has been 

 very steady, till the rise at the close. Norfolks on 

 the second and third Mondays had risen about Is, 

 per sack, and on the fourth there was a further ad- 

 vance of 2s, per sack, making the rise 3s. ; and on 

 the last Monday the town trade raised their top 

 price from 40s, to 43s, per sack. French was also 

 influenced to about a similar extent. No fine 

 American is here, the prices being much above our 

 own. 



The imports into London for the month were, in 

 country sorts 68,090 sacks, in foreign 9,322 sacks 

 92 barrels; against 65,080 sacks Enghsh, 7,269 

 sacks 504 barrels foreign, in April 1858. 



The barley trade has scarcely varied through the 

 month; that for malting purposes has, with the 

 season's advance, diminished in demand, and con- 

 sequently in value, till its quotations have become 

 uncertain, though to the last there has existed a 

 lingering retail demand for this purpose. The im- 

 portations of foreign have been very free, the early 

 opening of the Baltic bringing supplies, in addition 

 to those usually received from the Black Sea, and 

 the low prices of this latter giving an extended 

 consumption in admixture with oats, to cheapen 

 that food for horses. The first Monday having 

 the heaviest supply, this grain was then cheapened 

 6d. to Is. per qr., which it subsequently recovered, 

 on the last Monday, when the warlike rumours 

 added somewhat to its value and increased the de- 

 mand. The imports into London for the four 

 weeks were in English qualities 7,334 qrs., in 



