REPORT OF THE STATISTICIAN. 



193 



our oats. The new crop of 1876 was poor and deficient, not so much in 

 the number of measured bushels as in weight per bushel. Oats weigh- 

 ing 25 to 26 pound per measured bushel were graded as iN'o. 2, while at 

 least three-fourths of the offerings failed to meet even this poor test. 

 The result was a great demoralization in the market. The new crop 

 came iu slowly, as holders, calculating from the short yield that prices 

 would bo higher, were disposed to hold on to their stocks. Western buy- 

 ers did not care to take them, and hence they were sent forward to glut 

 the eastern market. During the last five months of the year Chicago 

 prices ruled relatively higher. The annual and monthly range and aver* 

 age of prices during the .year and the last four years were as follows : 



Month. 



January . . 

 February . 



March 



April 



May 



June 



July 



August ... 

 September 



Lowest. 



?0 2nj 



30 



:iO 



305 



nisheat. 



$0 31 1 



■^2i 



34i 



33i 



3U 



3li 



304 



33 



35 



jAverage. 



f 30. 6 

 31.4 

 32.78 

 32.28 

 30. 22 

 20. 71 

 28.77 

 30.8 

 33.42 



Average. 



32.87 

 32.21 

 33.74 



31* 

 47 

 4fi 

 232 



Eye. — The receipts nearly doubled, being 1,447,917 bushels in 187G, 

 against 699,583 in 1875 ; the shipments were 1,433,976, against 310,592, 

 an increase of fourfold. This great disproportion in the shipments was 

 caused by the close of nearly all the distilleries for the winter, necessi- 

 tating the shipment of the receipts to other markets. Prices dragged 

 through the winter and spring, but in June a fair demand for European 

 export arose, which advanced the prices of No. 2 to 72^ cents per bushel, 

 but the free receipts of the new crop reduced quotations to 50 cents. 

 With a partial rally prices remained steady to November, when reports 

 of a short crop in Germany caused a rapid clearing of the rye-bins of 

 Chicago for shipment to Europe, which strengthened prices^ In Decem- 

 ber it was believed that most of the "visible supply" in the country was 

 controlled by a single Chicago firm. 



The annual and monthly range and average of prices during the year 

 and the last four years were as follows: 



Month. 



January . . 

 February . 



March 



April 



May 



Jiiuo 



July 



Au;jn3t ... 

 September 



Average. 



Tear- 



1676 



1875 

 1874 

 1873 



Barley. — Eeceipts 4,716,360 bushels, an increase of 1,609,063, or over 

 50 per cent.; shipments 2,687,932, an increase of 819,726, or 44 per 

 cent. The market throughout the year was languid and unsatisfactory. 

 The crop of 1875 in regions dependent on Chicago was poor, while 

 Canada and New York raised abundant crops of good quality. This 

 reduced prices to an unusual depression. An unsuccessful attempt at 

 cornering brought heavy loss on the parties engaged in it; they were 

 obliged to receive a*t.95 cents a large quantity of barley for which thev 

 13 A . 



