248 



The Corn Markets in May. [June, 



340,000 qrs., and Australasia 353,000 qrs. There were on the last day 

 of May 2,878,000 qrs. on passage, as compared with 3,244,000 qrs. on 

 the last day of April. 



Flour. — The price of Town Households is quite stationary at 34s. 

 per sack, and Whites of town make are at 375., or from the country 

 at 335. per sack. The production of a good quartern loaf at 6d. should 

 present no difficulties. American sorts have fetched 355. 6d. for the 

 very finest, 295. for the poorest. Kansas patents have been priced at 

 335. 6d. to 345., and Iron Duke at 305. to 305. 6d. per sack. Australian 

 flour is quoted at 345. on Mark Lane, but 335. is accepted for parcels 

 on passage. The market for Hungarian is dearer than ever, and trade 

 is almost at a standstill. North America in May shipped 289,000 sacks, 

 or 42,000 sacks less than in April. The higher prices in England, 

 therefore, have completely failed to increase American competition on 

 our flour markets. There are now 156,000 sacks on passage. 



Barley. — Averages on sales of British barley are now difficult to 

 strike owing to the small quantities brought to market. At Mark 

 Lane only two averages in the month were returnable ; these would 

 give an average of 26s. yd. per qr. The ordinary buyer found no 

 English produce offering at that price, 275. to 305. being ±he range. 

 But there is always a certain sale of inferior feeding barley for grinding 

 and other purposes, and these sales have, of course, to be returned. 

 The few barley samples showing on the Old Corn Exchange have 

 been mostly discoloured; coarse skinned lots, but robust grain, weighing 

 448 lb. These make good poultry food. Foreign barley has included a 

 liberal supply of Russian, for which 22s. 6d. has been asked and 

 obtained throughout the month. Rarer offerings have been of Persian 

 at about a guinea, of Karachi at 225., of North African at 245. to 28s., 

 and of Californian Barley at about 345. per quarter. The scarcity of 

 Anatolian, which is useful for steeping, &c, has been an inconvenience 

 all this season. Barley shipments from Russia for May were 1,825,000 

 qrs. No other country shipped as much as a hundred thousand qrs. 

 The quantity on passage on the last day of the month was only 350,000 

 qrs., Russia's large exports having been absorbed by buying for the 

 Continent to an extent unusual in the trade. 



Oats. — The average price made for British oats in London during 

 May has been decidedly higher than in April, and from 1st of Jan. to the 

 end of March there was a slow but progressive advance, with 

 the exception of a decline at the end of February. The London 

 market in the great majority of years shows this movement, and oats, 

 for which 18s. is accepted on New Year's Day, may normally be 

 regarded as saleable at Midsummer for a guinea. It ought to pay to 

 hold the staple, but not in the expensive port warehouses. There is 

 now in June, with the great Horse Show at Olympia, a special demand 

 for seasoned 336 lb. to 352 lb. oats, and very good prices, 225. to 26s., 

 are offered. A cargo of the splendid heavy New Zealand oats which 

 steadily command 245. to 24s. 6d. at Mark Lane would be a most 

 timely arrival at the end of any May. The quantities of light oats 

 from Argentina recently received have been rather large, but after a 

 dull fortnight the market has rallied, even for this inferior stuff. Even 

 304 lb. oats command fully 185. per qr. May shipments were 491,000 

 qrs. from South America and 900,000 qrs. from Russia. 



