I9II.] 



The Corn Markets in July. 



439 



(Cheshire), Barrow (Leicestershire), and Pershore (Worcestershire) rural 

 districts. 



Eastern Counties. — Employment was regular throughout the month. 

 Day labourers were generally in good demand for hoeing roots and 

 haymaking, although in some districts the supply was somewhat in 

 excess of requirements. 



Southern and South-Western Counties. — Owing to the dry weather 

 the growth of weeds was checked, and consequently the root crops did 

 not require so much hoeing as usual. The hay crop being hght and 

 easily cut, there was no great demand for extra labour, the supply in 

 most cases being quite sufficient. Some scarcity of day labourers was, 

 however, reported from the Wantage (Berks), Wells (Somerset), and 

 West Penwith (Cormuall) rural districts. Men for permanent situations 

 were in demand in the Chippenham and Devizes (Wilts), Dursley (Glos.), 

 and Liskeard (Cornwall) rural districts. 



THE CORN MARKETS IN JULY. 

 C. Kains-Jackson. 



During the season just before harvest the weather is the leading 

 influence, but it is seldom that all other influences are so completely 

 eclipsed as they have been for the past thirty-one days. The forcing 

 heat had brought the prospective date of new crop deliveries well 

 forward by the end of the month, and thereby checked advancing 

 tendencies; but the general opinion that production, while of over- 

 average quality, would be lacking in bulk and quantity except in the 

 case of wheat, made itself felt, and holders of grain at Lammas were 

 confident of values both for old crops and new. 



Wheat. — The statute markets during July seldom included a 335. 

 average from any leading centre for British wheat, while an average 

 below 305. was even more rare. Value, therefore, was unusually 

 level for the old crop towards the close of the season. New wheat was 

 offered at Mark Lane on the 31st, and 335. to 34s. per 504 lb. was about 

 the price; 15. to 15. 6d. above this would have been paid if the grower 

 could have promised delivery before the Bank Holiday. At Norwich on 

 the 29th rubbed-out samples were shown, and a price of 325. for delivery 

 to local mills on or before August 12th was obtained. The majority of 

 farms, however, declined to " sell forward," and the tone of trade was 

 quite firm. Prices ruling at the close of the month for imported produce 

 were about as follows, the mean values on July 31st, 1910, being given, 

 for the sake of comparison, in brackets. Best Russian, 365. 6d. per 

 496 lb. (40^.); No. I Northern Manitoba, none (43^^. gd.); No. 2, 375. gd. 

 per 480 lb. (43s.) ; Australian, -365. per 480 lb. (405.) ; Argentine, 35s. 

 per 480 lb. (none); No. 2 White Calcutta, 345. 9^. per 496 lb. (385. 6d.), 

 and Red Karachi, 336. 9^. per 496 lb. (375. 6d.). Durum was in fair 

 supply a year ago at 375. to 38s. per 480 lb., but is not now on offer. 



Sales of British wheat for eleven months of the cereal year have been 

 smaller than anticipated, but an unusually large quantity is believed to 

 have been used on ihe farm, largely for poultry purposes. Imports for 

 tlie eleven months have been decidedly less than last season. The 



