I9 io.] Imports of the Cereal Year. ,473 



IMPORTS OF THE CEREAL YEAR. 



During the past cereal year (September ist, 1909, to 

 August 31st, 1910) the price of the three leading cereals, 

 wheat, barley, and oats, has been lower than in the preceding 

 year, though except for three weeks in June and one week in 

 July the average price of British wheat, as ascertained under 

 the Corn Returns Act, has kept above the 305. level through 

 the year. It has not, however, approximated to anything like 

 the high figures reached in the preceding year, when the price 

 was maintained at over 40s. per qr. for about four months. 

 'The' average for the harvest year 1909-10 was 32s. 6d. per qr., 

 or 45. 'less than in 1908-9. The price of imported wheat, 

 as indicated by the declared values, was 37s. 5<i. per qr., as 

 against 395. id. in 1908-9. Imported wheat always stands 

 at a somewhat higher level than the British average, and, as 

 will be seen, the past year was no exception to this rule. 

 This is probably due to the fact that the wheat on which 

 the British average price is based contains a proportion of 

 tail wheat, which is chiefly used for poultry, whereas the 

 bulk of the imported wheat is of milling quality. 



English barley averaged 235. lod. per qr., and oats lys. 8d. 

 per qr., both figures being below those of 1908-9. 



The table below shows the average prices of British wheat, 

 barley, and oats per quarter, as ascertained under the Corn 

 Returns Act in each of the harvest years ending August 31st 

 since 1898. The quantities given in the table are the quanti- 

 ties returned as sold, from which the averages are 

 calculated : — 



Harvest 

 years. 



Prices per quarter. 



Quantities sold at certain 

 markets. 



Sept. i-Aug. 31 



Wheat. 



Barley. 



Oats., 



Wheat. 



Barley. 



-. Oats.- 



1898- 99 ... 



1 899- 1900... 



1900- OI ... 



1901- 02 ... 



1902- 03 ... 



1903- 04 ... 



1904- 05 ... 



1905- C6 ... 



1906- 07 .. 



1907- 08 ... 



1908- 09 ... 



1909- IO ... 



s. d. 

 26 0 



26 4 



27 1 



28 4 



26 5 



27 2 



30 7 



28 9 

 28 1 

 32 9 

 36 6 

 32 6 



s. d. 

 26 1 

 25 2 

 25 0 

 25 11 



23 4 

 21 10 



24 6 

 24 2 



24 5 



25 8 



26 11 

 23 10 



s. d. 



17 3 



17 4 



18 1 

 20 4 

 17 8 



16 4 



17 0 



18 5 

 18 4 

 18 2 

 18 10 

 17 8 



Quarters. 

 3,498,515 

 3>255>654 

 2,463o4i 

 2,451,275 

 2,386,017 

 2,129,448 

 1,746,927 

 2,940,263 

 2,830,991 

 2,944,256 

 2,962,825 

 3,H4,873 



Quarters. 

 3,629,760 

 3,355,241 

 3,i°9,i49 

 3,176,599 

 3,15.1,337 

 2,78o,473 

 3, J 4i,o58 

 3,202,613 

 3,376,615 

 3,564,9o8 

 2,972,889 

 2,988,483 



Quarters. 

 777,676 

 722,859 

 684,956 

 698,840 

 1,104,660 

 1,132,086 



1,178,154 

 940,015 

 1,219,419 

 ■1,530,848 

 1,054,318 

 795,824 



L L 



