S53 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



sioned by tHe reopening of canal navigation, the 

 wants of several places in the interior have revived 

 prices, white Kentucky wheat being worth 1 dol. 

 98 c. per bushel (66s. per qr.), and winter red 

 1 dol. 55 c. per bushel (51s. 8d. per qr. of 480lbs.). 



The first Monday in London opened on fair 

 supplies, though there was but a small show o' 

 samples from Essex and Kent. This day had 

 more exc itement in it than experienced for years> 

 hostilities having commenced between Austria and 

 Sardinia, with the astounding report that Russia 

 had formed a special treaty with France. This had 

 already produced a great rise in the country, and 

 holders in town scarcely knew how to ask enough, 

 and the previous Friday in London being about 6s. 

 to 7s. per qr. higher, a further advance was insisted 

 on, some quoting the total rise from Monday as 

 much as 10s. to 12s. per qr. ; foreign was also 

 raised 8s. to 10s. per qr., at which much business 

 was done, there being a large attendance from all 

 parts of the country. As the advance on the 

 London market was more a response to that in the 

 provinces than an example, so we found very dif- 

 fering accounts in different places. The markets 

 held early in the week were all 10s. to 12s. per qr- 

 higher, several, as Hull, Spalding, Gainsborough, 

 Newmarket, and others, noting a still further im- 

 provement ; but as the week wore, an important 

 reaction commenced, as Russia had distinctly dis- 

 claimed a treaty with France, and prices lost all cer- 

 tainty. Liverpool, on Tuesday, after advancing 

 2s. to 2s. 6d. per cental on wheat, found no buyers 

 on Friday without lower prices, and this was pre- 

 cisely the state of things in London on that day. 



The second Monday, with a large foreign supply 

 and a moderate English one, opened with a per- 

 fectly changed appearance, though tdere was very 

 Uttle showing from the near counties. For a con- 

 siderable time there was quite a pause ; English 

 factors finally, in order to tempt millers, offered 

 their runs at 5s. per qr. abatement on the previous 

 Monday's rates ; but this was of no avail, as a fall 

 of 8s. was required to make sales : about this re- 

 duction was finally accepted by some Kentish 

 factors, but generally the bulk was held over. The 

 trade in foreign was almost equally paralyzed. 



At such an unsettled time it was not to be ex- 

 pected country advices would be reliable, a panic 

 generally prevailing. Leeds noted a decline of 6s. 

 to 8s. per qr., so did Boston, St. Ives, Spalding, 

 Bristol, and Gloucester. Louth and Lynn made 

 the reduction 8s. to 10s., but the average was 

 about 6s., and at the close of the week there was 

 a partial recovery varying from Is. to 4s. per qr,, 

 Liverpool on Tuesday was Is. 3d. to Is. 6d. per 

 cental cheaper. Friday's trade being of a retail 

 character improved Gd. to 9d. per cental. 



On the third Monday there was a considerable 

 foreign arrival, but not much of home growth. 

 Essex and Kent in the course of the morning sent 

 but a moderate quantity. The speech of the Prince 

 of Prussia being rather warhke, an attempt was 

 then made to recover the lost ground of the pre* 

 vious Monday; but this failed, and millers would 

 not pay beyond 3s. to 4s. per qr. advance on the 

 nominal rates of that day, and foreign factors, with 

 the plenty on board ship, were content to accept 2s. 

 per qr. over the then quotations. The unsteady 

 character of the trade again appeared in the country 

 reports, many places experiencing a renewed ex- 

 citement. Sleaford, Market Rasen, and Bristol 

 were about 5s. per qr. dearer ; but Birmingham 

 was slow, as well as Wolverhampton, only quoting 

 a rise of about Is., the London rise being about 

 the average. Liverpool, after gaining Gd. te 9d. 

 per cental on Tuesday, lost 3d. of it again on 

 Friday. 



On the fourth Monday there was something like 

 a repeat of the second, with a large foreign arrival, 

 and but a moderate show of English. Business 

 was again at a perfect stand-still : some factors 

 offered their samples at 2s. less ; others were con- 

 tent to merge last Monday's advance, but at this 

 reduction, which was 3s. to 4s. per qr., a few sales 

 only were made, some millers requiring a fall of 

 Ss. per qr., against which factors were firm. The 

 country markets were bafHed by the town advices : 

 all were more or less affected, the range of the de- 

 chne being from Is. to 4s. per qr.; but Birmingham, 

 Bristol, and Spalding did not lower prices more 

 than 2s., and there appeared generally a good deal 

 of resistance to a further reduction at such a period 

 of fluctuation, some holders withdrawing their 

 samples altogether. 



The imports into London during the first four 

 weeks of May were, 23,640 qrs. Enghsh, 87,194 

 qrs. foreign: against 20,154 qrs. Enghsh, 48,763 

 qrs. foreign, in the first four weeks of May 1S58, 

 showing a large increase in foreign as the conse- 

 quence of the turn in the markets. The total im- 

 ports into the United Kingdom for April were, 

 300,955 qrs. wheat, 288,702 cwts. flour. 



The four weeks' exports from London were in 

 wheat nil, in flour only 250 cwts. 



The flour trade during the four weeks, as might 

 be expected, has closely followed the wheat mar- 

 kets, though without equal fluctuations. The first 

 Monday noted the important rise of lOs. per sack 

 on Norfolk s and other country sorts, and lis. on 

 the top price of town quality, the former being 

 quoted 41s. and the latter 54s., but Norfolks 

 though little altered on the second and third Mon- 

 days, settled to 38s. per sack on the 4th matket, 

 while in Town-made there was no change from the 



