i 7 8 



The Corn Markets in April. 



[may, 



and we hear of bakers making an increased use of " London-made 

 by Hungarian process," the price of which is 32s. per sack. North 

 American shipments for April were 609,000 sacks, and 180,000 sacks 

 were on passage on the last day of the month. 



Barley. — The price of British showed little improvement on the 

 month, but the closing markets were in sellers' favour, and a definite 

 advance in May was regarded as not improbable. From the 24th to 

 the 29th Russian barley led the way with fully is. rise, and the trade 

 in 448 lb. kinds showed 6d. to gd. improvement. Closing prices were 

 30s. to 325. for Californian brewing; 325. to 34s. for screened Anato- 

 lian ; 275. for Roumanian, all per 448 lb. ; 22s. to 22s. 6d. for Russian ; 

 21s. 6d. to 22s. for Persian, each per 400 lb. Barley shipments in April 

 were 1,745,000 qr. from Russia, 279,000 qr. from Europe S.E., and 

 9,000 qr. from California. There were on the 30th 330,000 qr. on 

 passage, viz., 25,000 Russian, 25,000 Anatolian, and 280,000 Californian. 

 Average expectations include a much larger proportion of feeding 

 barley. 



Oats. — British oats, as usual in April, showed a tendency to advance 

 in price, especially at Mark Lane, to which fine and heavy samples have 

 a tendency to gravitate. The New Zealand oats arriving during April 

 also sold increasingly well. The total supply of oats on passage is very 

 heavy, but includes singularly little heavy corn ; indeed, 90 per cent, 

 of the expected arrivals are regarded as likely to weigh 304 lb. only 

 to the quarter. The rise on the month in Russian was is., and in 

 Argentine 6d., these types closing at 155. 6d. and 155. for f.a.q. The 

 Russian sort has appreciated more than the Argentine for quality 

 reasons ; it is in most cases the better sample at the same weight. 

 The chief rival shippers in April sent off: Russia, 928,000 qr., Argen- 

 tine, 792,000 qr. 



Maize. — Reference was made a month ago to the exceptional cheap- 

 ness of this staple, to the moderate quantity on passage, and to the small 

 reserves in the port warehouses. Those who drew conclusions from 

 these facts and had capital enabling them to act are now more for- 

 tunately placed than those who have maize to buy on a risen and 

 rising market. At the close of April 22s. 6d. to 23s. ruled for 

 American, 245. to 245. 6d. for Roumanian, 235. 6d. to 235. gd. for 

 South Russian, 255. to 255. 3d. for Argentine, and 26s. to 275. for 

 South African, a sort which at present is in more demand than supply. 

 April shipments were 788,000 qr. from North America, 24,000 from 

 South America, 422,000 from Russia, 509,000 from Europe S.E., and 

 25,000 from South Africa. Small quantities were also shipped by 

 India and Burma. On the 30th only 260,000 qr. were on passage. 

 The Argentine harvest was estimated by a leading trade firm as having 

 yielded 2,350,000 qr., available for export, against 11,743,000 qr. 

 actually exported in 19 10. The market naturally closed with especial 

 firmness for the yellow sort, for which we principally depend on the 

 River Plate. 



Oilseeds. — Egypt from September 1st, 1910, to April 30th, 191 1, 

 shipped 416,000 tons of cottonseed, against 182,000 tons last season, 

 yet on the 30th £8 35. qd. per ton was paid in London. An excep- 

 tionally vigorous demand is thus disclosed. Indian seed made £6 

 per ton, which, as the two sorts are averaged at £2 per ton quality 



