7 i6 



Corn Markets in November. 



[dec, 



in search of small maize, should lead to an increased trade. The Argentine 

 yellow maize at 2js. per qr. is rather poor stuff, and 295. is asked for fine 

 small round from Russia. Thus maize is a dear and difficult market for 

 those who have run short of stocks. There are large offers to ship new 

 American in January at 25^. 6d. to 275. per qr., but total November ship- 

 ments were 216,000 qrs. from North America, 595,000 qrs. from South 

 America, 94,000 qrs. from Russia, and 158,000 qrs. from Roumania, Bulgaria 

 and Salonica, and these totals are much below requirements. Imports of 

 maize for the first three months of the present cereal year are estimated at 

 about 2,225,000 qrs. only as compared with nearly 3,500,000 qrs. last 

 season. The large shipments which North America is committed to in 

 January and February therefore may already be discounted to the important 

 extent of over 1,000,000 qrs., for that quantity will be absorbed in the 

 operation of filling up depleted stores. The demand for maize flour 

 (cornflour) at 24.?. per sack of 280 lb. is steady and there are good sales of 

 English-ground maize meal at £7 to £7 7s. per ton. 



Pulse. — Some remarkably fine Dari from Persia has been fetching 36s. 

 per 480 lb., and a good demand for like quality can be foreseen if India 

 could grow it. There seems little reason to doubt the ability, and India 

 might assure to Mark Lane that regularity of supply, in the absence of 

 which, trade in Persian grain is never important. The sales of Beans have 

 been rather good, and the dry weather has enabled growers to send to 

 market samples which are not rejected because they do not attain " splitting 

 • quality." Peas are rather cheaper on the month. At 38^. 6d. for White 

 Canadian and at 33s. 6d. for new English maple peas the purchaser should 

 not do ill. 



Oil Seeds. — The prices of the leading oil seeds do not vary much from 

 \the terms of a month ago, but one may note that Russian linseed at 47s. per 

 416 lb. is of high percentage of purity. Calcutta at 47s. is also worthy of 

 attention, but the buyer should see that at this price he secures 416 lb. ; the 

 cargoes come over on a 410 lb. basis, and there are apt to be mistakes in 

 the more retail trade. Argentine linseed is always sold per 416 lb., and is 

 now in fair supply at 45^. or thereabouts. Morocco linseed is held for full 

 fifty shillings ; it is of such fine natural quality, and the country of growth is 

 so near England as compared with Argentina and India, that the linseed 

 merchants of those countries may well fear its competition. 



Farm Seeds. — English Red Clover seed is offered by farmers at 30s. per 

 cwt. less money than was asked a year ago. The cultivator can alone judge 

 whether his surplus is so large as to justify this great reduction in the price 

 which is 70s. for best against 100s. in 1907. White Clover seed makes 80s. 

 per cwt. for best German, the sort for the moment most in evidence. English 

 Fescue seed is in request at 95^. per cwt. or thereabouts. Foreign is so 

 frequently rich in — dockseed ! — that great care has to be taken in purchasing 

 it. The high prices of farm seeds must be considered in connection with 

 their small size and the small quantity required to sow an acre. 



Minor Staples. — Ground linseed cake being a rapidly fattening food in 

 convenient form sells steadily. The first grade makes £8 1 $s. per ton, the 

 rsecond £8 10s. Other minor articles for which November has seen a certain 

 iinquiry include Potato Flour at ^11 to £12 per ton, Split Lentils at 14^. per 

 .cental, Malt Screenings at three guineas per ton, and Sorghum at 24^. per 

 416 .lb. The last named staple had been for several weeks unobtainable. 



