202 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



in 1876 to 17,7GS barrels, being about half of the receipts of 1874 and 

 one-third of those of 1872. This trade is declining. 



Corn jSTo. 2 mixed opened on the 3d of January at 37^ © 3S-| cents ; 

 rose to its roaximura quotations, 48^ ® 48i cents, in April, ar.d then, 

 with some fluctuations, fell to 39 ® 3'Ji cents at the close of the year. 

 Corn-meal, city kiln-dried, ranged with little variation during the year 

 from $2.10 to 82.55 per barrel. 



Oats. — The oats trade shows a considerable decline in 1876, the 

 receipts being only 3,600,912 bushels, against 5,006,850 bushels in 1875. 

 There were also shipped direct from country points 8,360 bushels ; the 

 surplus left over from 1875 was 89,078 bushels, making the total amount 

 handled during the year 3,758,350 bushels. Of this amount 1,932,982 

 bushels were shipped abroad, 1,662,805 were taken for local consump- 

 tion,,and 154,202 were left over at the close of the year. The decrease in 

 receipts was found mostly in the North and West ; eastern and southern 

 supplies were slightl3' in advance of last year. Nearly all the exports 

 went South, only 107,206 bushels being sent eastward. The crop of 

 1875 was light in quantity and weight throughout the West, and very 

 unsatisfactory to both buyers and sellers. 



Prices showed no great fluctuations ; No. 2 mixed opening at 34J ® 

 35 cents at the beginning of the year and closing at 32-^ © 33 cents, with 

 a fall to 29 cents about the end of July. 



Bye. — The receipts of rye were 399,826 bushels, against 275,200 in 

 1875. There were also shipped from points in the country 345 bushels. 

 Adding 26,589 bushels, the surplus remaining over from 1875, the total 

 amount handled was 426,760 bushels. Of this amount 304,192 bushels 

 were shipped to other points, and 71,269 were ground in the city mills, 

 leaving a surplus at the close of the year of 50,954 bushels. Of rye 

 flour there were manufactured in Saint Louis 23,310 barrels in 1876, 

 19,303 in 1875, 21,432 in 1874, 19,475 in 1873, 14,060 in 1872, 19,307 in 

 1871, 8,558 in 1870, and about 15,000 in 1869. Prices of rye No. 2 

 opened at the beginning of the year at 67 cents per bushel and closed 

 at 70J cents, the lowest point being 59 cents, in July and August, JSye- 

 flour was very uniform in price, being qaoted at $4.25 ® $4.75 per bar- 

 rel on the 1st of January, and $4.50 €i $5 on the 1st of December; the 

 minimum, $4 ® $4.50, was during July and August. 



Barley. — The barley trade was larger than during any previous year, 

 the receipts reaching 1,492,985 bushels. The surplus left over from 

 1875 was 117,815 bushels, making the total amount handled during the 

 year 1,610,800. The receipts were considerably in advance of those of 

 1875, which were 1,175,337 bushels. Of the receipts 223,680 bushels 

 were shipped to other i>oints, and 1,187,434 bushels taken for city con- 

 sumption, leaving a surplus at the end of the year of 199,686 bushels. 

 Of the receipts 493,845 bushels were from the North, being grown 

 mostly in Minnesota ; 458,783 bushels were brought from the East, a 

 small proportion coming from Canada ; a little came up the Mississippi, 

 and 441,716 bushels from the West. The receipts from Minnesota, both 

 in quantity and quality, surpassed those of any former year, excelling 

 even the Canada barley. The fair weather of October and good prices 

 prompted the farmers to market their stocks with great freedom. 

 Brewers also purchased large supplies for storage, filling their bins 

 almost to their utmost capacity. This caused a slack demand after 

 November 1 for all inferior grades. The crops of Kansas were abun- 

 dant, but of inferior quality. Iowa barley was scarce and poor. In the 

 latter part of September Texas sent Bome good winter-barley to this 

 market. Oalifornia barley wau of better quality and lower pnoe thAn 



