191 1.] The Corn Markets in December. 



867 



to 375. for American, 365. to 375. for Argentine, 375. to 385. for Aus- 

 tralian, 295. to 365. per 496 lb. for Russian. 



Flour. — Though the imports for the period September 1st to Decem- 

 ber 31st were smaller than for the like four months of 1909, prices 

 showed little sign of hardening for foreign types. London mills 

 lowered their pretensions to 325. for top-price flour, and from the 16th 

 to 23rd December accepted 26s, gd. cash for Town Households. On 

 the 30th the price for Household flour was "a firm 275.," and other 

 London sorts, such as Town Whites, No. 2, &c, were held for 3d. to 

 6d. advance. Country flour has not been a good sale, nor have the 

 by-products of the mill moved off at all well. The latter circumstance 

 is attributed to the open character of the weather. The shipments of 

 flour from North America in December were 604,000 sacks, the Canadian 

 contribution being larger than usual. There were 240,000 sacks on 

 passage on 31st ult., Canada and the Adriatic being well represented, 

 the U.S.A. showing rather under an average figure, while Argentina 

 and Russia were scarcely contributories. Oversea competition with 

 British mills in 1910 showed no increase of pressure. 



Barley. — A large trade has been done in medium qualities of British 

 and in inferior Russian grinding corn, but maltsters have been inactive, 

 and the business done in the two sorts indicated has been induced 

 only by the offer of the grain at depressed prices. British is, on the 

 four completed months of the cereal season, 2s. 2d. down, and 185. 3d. 

 to 185. gd. per 400 lb. for Russian is not much over a halfpenny per lb., 

 a quotation which for any ordinary feeding stuff seems nowadays to 

 attract an immediate demand. Shipments of barley for December 

 included 2,178,000 qrs. from Russia, 416,000 from Europe S.E., and 

 214,000 from the U.S.A. The supply on passage on 31st ult., 775,000 

 qrs., comprised 600,000 qrs. Californian brewing; 125,000 qrs. Russian 

 and S.E. European grinding; and 40,000 qrs. Anatolian, mainly brewing 

 and steeping barley. The price asking for fine malting at the end of 

 the year was about 365. for good English, but special lots from Hungary 

 touched two sovereigns per quarter. 



Oats. — Imports have not been heavy, and home supplies have been 

 light, so that the depression in this staple is commonly attributed to 

 the superior attractions of cheap maize. The markets made a net 

 advance of 2d. per qr. during December, but 145. still commanded Rus- 

 sian and Argentine f.a.q., iSs. British and Prussian. The December 

 shipments included 1,643,000 qrs. from Russia, and 154,000 from Argen- 

 tina; the last-named country was doing on the 29th, 30th, and 31st a 

 good business in new crop for direct shipment to London in February at 

 13s. per qr., a price which, while not depressing spot values, obviously 

 opposed an obstacle to material advance. 



Maize. — Argentina in December sent off 1,416,000 qrs., but the price 

 asked, 215. to 21s, 3d., proved attractively low, and the month closed 

 with 22s. 6d., obtained off stands. America shipped 150,000 qrs. of her 

 new crop in the few trading days between Christmas and the New 

 Year. About a halfpenny per lb. has been the price for large cargoes 

 of the new American, and there is for the first few months of 191 1 at 

 all events, a fair promise of sound feeding maize of the flat and mixed 

 kinds at three shillings per bushel to the smaller buyers. This quotation 

 should be helpful to farmers, horse and stock, and also poultry owners. 



