1909.] The Corn Markets in January. 



883 



not as great as was expected. It is the peculiarity of the maize crop 

 to be unshippable for two months after the cob is severed from the 

 stalk, and thus there is a long interval between a surplus being 

 secured and its being exported. The United States were probably 

 expected by many to ship as freely as in January, 1905, when 

 2,423,000 qrs. were sent off, but the actual exports were only 870,000 qrs. 

 Maize has not yet gone below 26s. per 480 lb., and the better kinds make 

 285. per qr. There is a very useful supply of small round corn which 

 has many feeding excellencies. The imports of maize since the 

 beginning of the cereal year have been a good deal below the average, 

 and the stocks in granary on the last day of January are very 

 small. The chief expectation of cheap maize appears now to reside 

 in the Argentine offers to ship a crop still two months from harvest, 

 and requiring another two months to mature. The price asked is 

 235. 6d. per 480 lb. for shipment before 30 June. This maize could 

 not influence our spot markets before August. 



Pulse. — A good sale of beans has marked the month. English have 

 made up to 375. per 532 lb., but more ordinary transactions have been 

 at about 335. per 504 lb. The buyer now very often prefers to buy 

 beans already split, and pays about 11s. per 160 lb. bag for them in that 

 form. Foreign beans are not appreciably underselling the home product. 

 Peas are in fair request at 485. per 504 lb. for fine English white, 805. 

 for best blue. The foreign sorts are lower both in price and quality. 

 Split lentils at 13s. per cental, and hand-picked haricots from Rangoon 

 at 38s. per 504 lb. are articles in some request. 



Oil Seeds. — The demand for oil seeds keeps at a high level, and 

 cotton seed, despite 64,000 tons on passage, has advanced from seven 

 guineas per ton on the first day of January to eight pounds on the last. 

 This is for fine Egyptian. The inferior produce of India and Brazil 

 is obtainable for about £6 10s. per ton. Linseed makes 47s. per qr., 

 or thereabouts, for Indian and Argentine, but the latter with large 

 new crop shipments is expected to be obtainable at a decidedly lower 

 price before long. The price of rapeseed is steady at £3 per 416 lb. 

 for English, and that of poppyseed at 505. per 377 lb. for Indian. 



Farm Seeds. — There is a good trade doing in English red clover 

 seed; the supply is also good, so that prices are decidedly more 

 moderate than a year ago ; 68s. per cwt. is hardly exceeded, whereas 

 five guineas was paid at this date in 1908. High prices rule for the 

 fescues and for lucerne, but trefoil and trifolium are at a moderate 

 level. Good white mustard seed makes 115. per bushel, and brown is at 

 nearly the same price. Canary seed is in increased request, and prices 

 are a little higher than a month ago for all the chief sorts. 



Minor Staples. — A good business is being done in miscellaneous 

 staples, including feeding rice (js. 3a. per cwt. Rangoon cargoes), 

 beet sugar (105. 2d. per cwt. German), dried ale grains (about 6s. 

 per cwt.), and in the " condimental " foods, such as locust beans (about 

 five guineas per ton) and carraways (at two guineas per cwt.). Much 

 wholesome food which live stock reject for want of flavour may be 

 made appetising by judicious mixtures of safe condiments, some of 

 which are genuine foods as well as appetisers. 



