THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



511 



REVIEW OF THE CORN TRADE 



DURING THE PAST MONTH. 



The first fortnight in May was cold and unge- 

 nial. The heavy snow-storm of the 4th, followed 

 by a frosty night, severely cut up the fruit ; but the 

 want of moisture was so great in the fields, that 

 service was done to the corn, and another fall of 

 rain a week afterwards proved a fine preparation 

 for the sunny and warm weather which succeeded. 

 An almost instantaneous benefit was perceptible, 

 both in the meadows and corn fields, and steady 

 and rapid progress has since been made in the 

 growth of all cereals inspiring the hope that the 

 harvest of this year will be gathered well and in 

 season. The wheat plants that outlived the rough 

 weather now generally look jjromising ; and for the 

 quantity on the ground, there may be a fair yield. 

 This favourable change is great cause for thank- 

 fulness ; for with another such year as the last, and 

 America no longer to depend on, the consequences 

 to this country might have been fearful. Consi- 

 dering the vast improvement in the weather and 

 prospects, the markets have stood their ground 

 well, English wheat of fine quality being very 

 little altered in value ; and the fact of its scarcity 

 is now becoming so plain, by the falling otF of sup- 

 plies, that millers will soon have to look exclusively 

 to foreign imports. These have continued on a 

 large scale, and the granaries are as yet well stored, 

 and heavy imports are still on their way from 

 Europe and America; but how long exports will 

 continue from the latter country none can divine, 

 in its present distracted state ; and the abstraction 

 of a vast amount of agricultural labour for military 

 purposes must throw much land out of cultivation 

 and cripple the divided country for an indefinite 

 period. Markets here up to the next harvest must 

 be determined by the weather. Should it continue 

 propitious they must be heavy, and perhaps lower 

 for new foreign, which is mostly damp ; but fine 

 old will be still more largely required to make up 

 the deficit in English growth, and is not likely to 

 be much cheaper. The rise of prices in France 

 from drought, should it continue, must soon bring 

 orders here, and indeed buyers have already ap- 

 peared to take advantage of the present duluess ; 

 and as in that country, as well as in this, there is 

 much mis-plant, a heavy crop, under the most 

 favourable circumstances, is not to be looked for. 

 The new corn-law is now before the Corps Legis- 

 latif, proposing the abolition of the sliding-scale 

 and the substitution of nominal duties ; and should 

 it pass, is more likely to raise prices here than 

 otherwise, as the imports of Wheat into 

 France for the first four months of the 

 present year have more than doubled the ex- 

 ports ; and the oflfers at Paris and the country 

 markets are diminishing from the evident ex- 

 haustion of stocks. In Germany the wheat has 

 passed through the winter fairly, and since the warm 

 weather has greatly improved ; fine rains, too, have 

 fallen in Spain and Italy, though the latter country 



has partially suffered. In Egypt prices are declin- 

 ing, and prospects good. At Odessa supplies have 

 not yet been very free, but the markets have ruled 

 dull, and fair quantities are expected. In Algeria 

 everything looks well, and the barley harvest has 

 begun. Prospects therefore, on the whole, are fair, 

 with the exception of that unhappy country so 

 lately called the United States, where the freedom 

 of the master is so notoriously damaged by the 

 bonds of his slave. 



The following quotations show the recent state 

 of foreign markets for wheat : At Paris, the best 

 wheat was worth G3s. Gd, ; at Bordeaux, 64s.; 

 Amsterdam quoted 7'2s. for the finest Polish and 

 Rostock; G^is. was the price at Brussels; wheat at 

 Cologne was selling at 5Gs. 6d. ; at Mayence about 

 the same ; kiln- dried red at Groningen was 50s., 

 white 54s. ; GOlbs. Saale wheat at Hambro', 588. 

 Gd., Gllbs. 59s. Gd, per qr. Mecklenburg 58s., 

 Sleswick and Holstein 54s. to 55s. cost and freight ; 

 Gllbs. Pomeranian, 57s. ditto, Odessa prices were 

 41s, to 49s., Galatz to 30s., free on board. Soft 

 wheat at Ibraila 32s., at Venice 52s. ; Danubian at 

 Florence was worth 43s., Blanquillo at Santander 

 G3s. per qr. The civil war in the United States 

 had not yet much affected prices, the lower sorts 

 being more dull at New York. Milwaukie Club 

 was about 40s. 4d., winter red 43s, 4d., Indiana 

 white 46s., Kentucky white 58s. 8d., all per 

 480lbs. 



The first Monday in London commenced on a 

 moderate English supply, with a good foreign 

 arrival. The show of samples from Kent and 

 Essex during the morning was small, with very 

 little fine, and this scarcely supported its price, all 

 below it being Is. per qr. lower, with a slow sale. 

 The foreign trade was very inanimate, the effect of 

 the importations a fortnight back being still felt, 

 and though there was a retail sale for fine qualities, 

 the value of damp new was nominal and cheaper to 

 sell. Sales off the coast participated in the dul- 

 ness, and were only made on rather easier terms. 

 The country mai'kets did not respond to the heavi- 

 ness reported in London, rates being mostly un- 

 altered, and some dearer. Birmingham was so. 

 Is. per qr., and later in the week the tendency to 

 a rise was more general ; Norwich, Leicester, and 

 Lincoln being up Is. Grantham, Newcastle, and 

 York were Is. to 2s. higher. Tuesday's market at 

 Li;'erpool was firm, and on Friday advanced Id. 

 per cental. Scotland and Ireland were but dull. 



On the second Monday there was less foreign 

 wheat, and but little of home-growth. Kent and 

 Essex made very small additions during the morn- 

 ing, and millers who wanted good samples had 

 occasionally to pay Is. per qr. more ; but it was 

 difficult to quit inferior sorts at unaltered rates. 

 For good foreign there was more inquiry, and 

 buyers found the market against them, but factors 

 could make no way at any advance, A good 



