I909-] 



The Corn Markets in Aprtl. 



161 



North America, 1,703,000 qr. from South America, 545,000 qr. from 

 Russia, 79,000 qr. from Roumania, 70,000 qr. from India, and 475,000 

 qr. from Australasia. Despite an important net advance in prices, 

 and the establishment of a thoroughly remunerative level, every one of 

 these countries except India sent off less wheat in April than in March. 

 The five countries (all save India) despatched in March 4,846,000 qr., 

 in April 3,192,000 qr., and, to meet this striking deficiency of 1,654,000 

 qr. India only sent 70,000 qr. A net falling off of 1,584,000 qr. has, 

 therefore, to be recorded. The chances of cheap wheat in Great 

 Britain during the remaining weeks of the cereal year to August 31st 

 would appear to be slight. 



Flour. — The flour market has developed no original movement, but 

 has followed in the wake of wheat. London has continued to be 

 rather well supplied with country flour containing a large admixture of 

 English wheat. It will be worth noting how long this good supply, 

 mainly from East Anglia, continues, now that English wheat locally 

 has become both scarce and dear. The top price has advanced 3s. on 

 the month, from 365. to 39s. per sack. Town Whites and Town House- 

 holds have each advanced by a like sum ; Household flour now stands 

 at 345. per sack. What is called a "good suburban loaf," made half 

 of Town Whites and half of Town Households, would cost 355. 6d. per 

 sack, a price which, according to the ordinary reckonings, would warrant 

 a charge of 6d. for the quartern loaf. There is a frequent charge of 

 6§d., which was fully justified during the brief period of highest prices, 

 but does not now seem to be requisite. The prices of American flour 

 include 355. for the best produce of the famous north western mills, and 

 305. for Iron Duke. The latter shows 2s. 6d. net advance on the month. 

 North America during April shipped only 331,000 sacks, and there were 

 on the 30th only 140,000 sacks on passage, against 180,000 a month 

 previously, and average expectations of not less than a quarter of a 

 million sacks. 



Barley. — There has been a very small sale of malting and brewing 

 barley during the past month, but a few good malting samples at Mark 

 Lane have fetched 345. to 355. for Californian, and 355. to 365. for 

 English. Feeding barley^ has sold steadily at 265. to 275. for "bold" 

 English, 23s. or thereabouts for Russian, Indian, and Persian. Prices 

 did not gain much in firmness from the strength of other staples, for, 

 as Russian shipments for April were 1,175,000 qr., a considerable 

 quantity, the impression created was one of approaching good supply. 

 There may, however, be some change in this respect shortly, for the 

 actual receipts from abroad up to the end of the month proved to have 

 been below the average, and the quantity on passage, 300,000 qr., was 

 decidedly small, perhaps 40 per cent, below the mean. The Continental 

 purchasing of the Russian exportation must have been large and 

 sustained. 



Oats. — Before the close of April there were markets quoting British 

 produce at an average price of over a sovereign per quarter. Among 

 Ihese it will suffice to name such prominent trade centres as Mark 

 Lane, Cambridge, Peterborough, and Reading. During the month 

 Argentina sent off 455,000 qr., and Russia 700,000 qr., but the demand 

 for light oats at low prices rose steadily, and the advance on the month 

 from the lowest rates of March was as much as eighteen pence per 



