512 



The Corn Markets in August. 



[SEPT., 



Maize.— In round numbers the cereal year which ended on 31st 

 ult. imported nine million quarters of Indian corn, and as reserves are 

 known to be remarkably small, it may be premised that the standard 

 of our import wants considerably exceeds that total. A great increase 

 in maize imports is predicted for 1909-10, as the American surplus is 

 expected to be a record one, and the belief is the sounder because based 

 not on any hope of a record yield per acre (which an untoward September 

 might dissipate), but on anticipation of an average yield on a record 

 area sown. There have been free buyers of this new crop all through 

 August at 245. or thereabouts, the price bid going up at times to 255. 

 if shipment by fast steamer could be guaranteed for December, and 

 falling to 235. where only sailing ships for February were offered. 

 The spot business (at 26s. or thereabouts for any f.a.q. maize) has been 

 quite dwarfed. The August shipments were 37,000 qrs. from North 

 America, 1,535,000 qrs. from South America, 237,000 qrs. from Russia, 

 and 197,000 qrs. from Roumania and Bulgaria. The 900,000 qrs. on 

 passage on 31st was mainly Argentine, but included some South African 

 as well as Russian and Roumanian maize. 



Pulse. — There were few changes during August. Despite civil war 

 a fair supply of beans from Morocco was received and sold at 325. 6d. 

 per 480 lb. or thereabouts. Manchurian peas at 32s. 6d. per 504 lb. also 

 found a steady sale. The long voyage is rendered practicable by the 

 extraordinary cheapness of freights. There is an increasing sale of all 

 pulse in the split form at Mark Lane. 



Oilseeds. — The price has declined a little for all descriptions. New 

 English linseed is offered at 545. per 416 lb., and new rapeseed at 60s. 

 per 424 lb., but the quantities available are meagre. The Indian linseed 

 offered at 475. or thereabouts commands a fair sale. The fall in cotton- 

 seed to ^7 10s. per ton has attracted buyers, and while this used to be 

 called a good price, the demand is so steadily augmenting, the produc- 

 tion so dubiously keeping pace with it, that those who take fairly long 

 views incline more and more to advise buying at anything under 8s. 

 per cwt. for best Egyptian and at lower prices, in proportion, for 

 grades inferior to the best. August shipments of linseed were 

 290,000 qrs. from South America and 103,000 qrs. from India. On the 

 last day of the month there were on passage 160,000 qrs. of linseed, 

 10,000 qrs. of rapeseed, and 13,000 tons of cottonseed, all under-average 

 expectations. 



Farm Seeds and Minor Staples. — Canary seed, which has been in- 

 creasing of late in general use as a feeding-stuff, does not look like 

 being cheap, at all events in the near future. Nothing is to be had 

 under 50s. per 464 lb., and the price of good Turkish, Morocco, and 

 Argentine goes up to 55.9. per qr. New Rye Grass Seed has been 

 selling at about 25s., and other prices for farm seeds of English growth 

 include choice red cloverseed at 62s., cowgrass seed at Jos., fine white 

 cloverseed at 645., fine alsyke at four guineas, early trifolium at 405.; 

 all per cwt. Foreign seeds fetch 60s. for best red cloverseed, 28s. 

 for good trefoil, and 78s. for best Lucerne. A fair inquiry exists for 

 Lincolnshire and West Norfolk mustard seed at 225. per cwt. for best, 

 and iSs. for f.a.q. Lentils, at 40s. per 504 lb. for Egyptian, are quite 

 above ordinary ideas for feeding purposes. 



