864 



The Corn Markets in December. 



[JAN., 



such men was quite sufficient. A correspondent in the Devizes Union 

 states that men for permanent situations are less difficult to obtain than 

 formerly. Employment for day labourers was somewhat slack in 

 Dorset and Somerset, where a moderate demand for this class of men 

 was met by an adequate supply. Similar reports came from Hereford- 

 shire. Day labourers were generally in small demand in Gloucester- 

 shire ; there was a plentiful supply of such men, but some scarcity of 

 men for permanent situations was still reported. Threshing, hedging, 

 and other work provided fairly regular employment in Devonshire and 

 Cornwall, but some time, was lost by day labourers in certain districts 

 through bad weather. 



THE CORN MARKETS IN DECEMBER. 

 C. Kains-Jackson. 



Very mild Christmas weather caused the year to finish with a slow 

 trade, but the total sales of British wheat for the month showed 

 a brisker business as compared with November. The speculation 

 in grain for shipment in 1910 was never very active, but considerable 

 excitement characterised two trades closely connected with Mark Lane. 

 These were the oilseed and the sugar trades, in both of which much 

 difficulty was experienced in obtaining contracts for 19 10 delivery at 

 anything like a moderate price. The effect of this rise in oilseeds and 

 sugar during the last weeks of 1909 is likely to have a strengthening 

 influence on the feeding-stuffs regularly sold on the corn exchanges. 



Wheat.- — Extremely little change occurred in the mean value of 

 British wheat, thus Mark Lane, at the end of November, was averaging 

 345. id. and quoted 34s. ^d. at Christmastide. Ipswich moved from 

 335. 5^. on 23rd November to 335. 3d. on the 21st December. Other 

 markets showed similarly trivial changes. The mean price for all the 

 markets was a trifle better for December than for November, and the 

 condition of deliveries in the days following Christmas showed a welcome 

 improvement. The total sales for the first four months of the cereal 

 year lead to the supposition that the proportion of wheat fit only for 

 feeding use is even larger than at first imagined. But the figures 

 of an entire and undivided cereal year are alone of much value as a clue 

 to production and use. Thus, in the cereal year ended 31st August, a 

 very striking difference between its two halves was presented, and very 

 erroneous conclusions would have been drawn if at the six months an 

 attempt had been made to forecast the whole supply. The price of 

 British wheat for December was practically what it was for January, but 

 in reality, there was a rise on the year ; the samples which were fetching 

 335. in January last would in December have fetched 365., if not more. 

 The farmer, therefore, has thus far escaped the loss usually involved in 

 a falling off in quality and condition. The miller, however, is bound to 

 use an increased proportion of foreign wheat, for its superior dryness 

 and strength in gluten. This augmented inquiry for imported produce 

 has prevented the weekly average of 568,000 qrs. of wheat and 

 flour from abroad during the present cereal year depressing the 

 exchanges. As, however, it is a supply showing 67,000 qrs. 

 mean weekly increase on last season, it has naturally been 

 a barrier to material advance. At the end of December, fine 



