1801 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
187 
Market Review, Weather Notes, etc. 
American Agriculturist Office, I 
New-York, Monday Morning, May 20, 1861. j 
The general opening of river and canal navigation, 
since our last report, has largely increased the receipts 
of breadstuffs at the head of tide-water at Albany. The 
receipts at that point, for the first and second week in 
May, were 659,128 bushels of wheat, against only 177,378 
for the same time lastyear—an increase of 481,750 bushels. 
The receipts of flour however were 11,437 bbls. this year 
against 38,753 bbls. last year—a decrease of 26,316 
bbls. equivalent to 131,580 bushels of wheat, but still leav¬ 
ing an excess of 350,000 bushels this year. Though the 
canals opened five days later last year, and half a month 
later than in 1859, yet the receipts by water, and by the 
Erie and Central railroads, have far exceeded those of 
anv previous season for many years past. Of Barley the 
receipts show a falling off from last month of 35,000 
bushels, but the season for the sale of barley is drawing 
to a close. But notwithstanding the increased receipts 
of Breadstuffs, the sales have been less than during the 
previous month. The difficulty of selling foreign exchange, 
that is bills drawn against produce shipped abroad, which 
was noted at the close of our last report, has continued 
to operate against transactions here. The rate of ex¬ 
change has been so low, as to continue the bringing over 
of specie, and foreign gold is constantly arriving. This 
is not an unhealthy indication in one respect. Our ex¬ 
ports of produce are usually paid for by foreign goods 
imported. Now we are importing and using less, and by 
so much adding to our wealth by economizing in con¬ 
sumption. Lack of ship room,and consequent high freights, 
also hindered the exports of our produce. Recently, the 
blockade of southern ports has stopped the employment 
of vessels in the Southern trade, Increasing the number 
here available for foreign trade, and causing a decline in 
freight. This has, within the past few days, decidedly 
enlivened the transaction in com and wheat for export. 
Hut the demands have been promptly met by the incom¬ 
ing receipts, and there is still a decline in prices, especi¬ 
ally for common and medium qualities of flour and grain. 
An unusually large lot of unsound wheat and corn is 
oming forward, which is being sold very low and at irreg¬ 
ular prices ; it is so poor and rotten, that none but distil¬ 
lers buy it—and generally on their own terms. Some of 
*he better lots of grain, when not too damp, or otherwise 
injured, are taken for export in steam vessels with a view 
of getting them into foreign markets, before they become 
“ heated”.As shown by the tables below, the total 
Shipments of Breadstuffs from tills port, since January 1. 
have been far ahead of the same period last year, and, 
indeed, unprecedentedly large, at least as far as regards 
Flour, Wheat, and Corn. The value of the increase in 
the exports of these three articles, as compared with Jan. 
1 . to May 15., last year, can be safely estimated, at ten 
millions of dollars, which is a vast addition to the volume 
of our export trade, for a period of only four and a half 
months—equivalent to a gain of nearly two and a half mil¬ 
lions of dollars every month of the current year.... .The 
transations in Cotton have been light, owing to the high 
prices claimed by holders, in view of the blockade of the 
ports in the states, south of Maryland, and the consequent 
dimunition of supplies here.The Rice market has 
been very active and a large advance has been establish¬ 
ed. Stocks in first hands are now reduced to a very small 
amount, and coastwise supplies can not be looked for at 
present.The Provision trade has not been active ; 
the demand has been mainly for home use, and to fill 
government orders ; and prices of pork and lard have 
declined.As the demand for Hay from the South has 
ceased, and shipments thither cannot be made during the 
blockade, supplies in this market are increased, and prices 
have fallen. The local consumption is the main reliance 
of sellers.The movements in other branches of busi¬ 
ness have been unusually limited. Considerable changes 
in the price of some market commodities, as Potatoes, 
eggs, poultry etc., will be noticed in the table of current 
prices, below. Early vegetables, are high and scarce, 
owing to the cutting off of the usual large supplies from 
Southern Ports. 
TRANSACTIONS AT THE NEW-YORK MARKETS. 
Receipts. Flour. Vfheat. Corn. Eye. Barley. Oats. 
25 days this month 334,000 1,122,000 755,000 19.&50 93,000 317,000 
26 days last month 236,500 331,500 335,000 6,800 128,000 146,000 
Sales. Flour. 
Wheat. 
Corn. 
Eye. Barley. 
25 daysl/iismon., 424,000 
2,399,000 
1,555,000 
73,450 84,750 
26 clays tot mon., 407,000 
2,479,000 
1,660,000 
39,000 96,000 
Exports from New-York, January l, to May 15. 
1860. 
1861. 
Wheat Flour, bbls. 
..281,511 
843,585 
Rye Flour, bbls. 
4,665 
Corn Meal, bbls. 
.. 36,386 
32,285 
Wheat, bushels. 
4,415,825 
Corn, bushels. 
..299,701 
3,651,053 
Rye, bushels .. 
100 
46,081 
Barley, bushels_.... 
1,000 
Oat.?, bushels..... 
765 
43,024 
Receipts of Breadstuffs at Chicago, Jan. 1. to May 7. 
1859. 
Flour, bbls ....117,623 
Wheat, bushels..685,872 
Corn, bushels___... 938,762 
Oats, bushels... 166,528 
Rye, bushels. 16,114 
Barley, bushels...... 92,377 
The receipts at the head of tide-water, Hudson River, 
of the principle articles of Produce, from the opening of 
the Canals to, and including the 15th of May, have been 
as follows: 
1859. 
1860. 
1861. 
117,623 
150,559 
378,940 
.685,872 
1,100,916 
2,143,459 
938,762 
3,888,749 
3,664,849 
166,528 
419,140 
191,065 
16,114 
149,310 
108,045 
92,377 
100,571 
276,812 
1859. 
1860. 
1861. 
• April 15. 
April 25. 
May 1. 
... 40,469 
43,893 
31,400 
... 82,918 
199,173 
726,361 
402,498 
332,828 
.. 77 800 
41,052 
38,047 
380,053 
334,057 
16760 
1,251 
Barley, bushels 
Oats, bushel... 
Rye, bushel.... 
Current Wholesale Prices. 
April 19. May 20. 
Flour—S uper to Extra State $5 05 @ 5 40 $5 00 @ 5 35 
Superfine Western. 5 05 @ 5 15 4 95 @ 5 10 
Extra Western.... 5 20 @ 7 25 5 15 @ 7 50 
Fancy to Extra Genesee. 5 45 @ 7 25 5 40 @ 7 50 
Super, to Extra Southern. 5 20 @ 7 25 5 <5 @ 8 la 
Rye Flour—F ine and Super. 3 30 @ 4 10 3 00 @4 00 
Corn Meal. 2 80 @ 3 15 2 85 @ 3 25 
Wheat—C anada White. 145 @ 1 GO 138 @1 57% 
Western White.. 1 42%@ 1 65 1 35 @ 1 (5 
Southern White. 1 47%@ 1 G8 1 45 @ 1 ji8 
All kinds of Red. 
Corn—Y ellow- . 
White. 
Mixed. 
Oats—W estern. 
State... 
Southern. 
Rye. 
Barley. 
Hay, in bales, per 100 lbs .. 
Cotton—M iddlings, per lb.. 
Rice, per 100 lbs.. . 
Hops, crop of 1860, per lb. 15 
Feathers, Live Geese, p. lb.. 
Seed—C lover, per lb. 
Timothy, per bushel.. 3 00 @3 50 
Sugar—B rown, per lb. 4 @ 6% 
Molasses,N ew-Orleans, p.gl.. 32 ® 38 
Coffee, Rio, per lb. 11 @ 14 
•Tobacco—K entucky,&c,p.lb„ 2 %© 13 
Seed Leaf, per lb. 4 @ 25 
Wool—D omestic fleece, p. lb.. 28 ® 55 
Domestic, pulled, per lb. 22 @ 40 
Tallow, per lb. 9%@ 
Oil Cake, per tun. 30 00 @36 00 
Pork—N ew Mess, per bbl. 17 50 @17 75 
Prime, new, per bbl. 13 00 @ 
Beef—R epacked mess. 8 75 @10 25 
Lard, in bbls., per lb . 9%@ 10% 
Butter—W estern, per lb. 10 @ 
State,'per lb. 14 @ 
CnEESE. 6 @ 
Eggs—F resh, per dozen... 13%@ 
Poultry—F owls, per lb. 14 @ 
Chickens, Spring, per pair. 
Turkeys, per lb.. .. 12 @ 
Wild Pigeons, per doz. 50 @ 
1 20 
@ 1 40 
1 14 @ 1 32 
CO 
® 
70 
56 @ 
62 
65 
@ 
73 
53 @ 
61 
@ 
68 
53 © 
55% 
84 
© 
35 
31 %@ 
82% 
85 
36 
32%@ 
33% 
80 
® 
S3 
29 @ 
31 
68 
@ 
69 
66 ® 
67% 
60 
@ 
75 
55 © 
70 
70 
@ 1 00 
55 @ 
90 
12%@ 
13% 
13%@ 
14% 
8 50 
© 5 00 
5 50 ® 6 50 
15 
® 
25 
14 @ 
24 
37 
@ 
43 
None selling. 
751© 
8% 
8 @ 
8% 
3 00 
@ 3 50 
Hone selling. 
< 5 % 
35 
13 % 
15 
25 
55 
SS 
9% 
4 @ 
30 @ 
10 %@ 
3 @ 
4 @ 
28 @ 
22 @ 
9 @ 
Nominal. 
17 25 @ 
13 00 @ 
10 00 @11 00 
9 @ 9% 
11 @ 15 
13 @ 17 
4 %@ 9 
8 @ 9% 
@ 14 
@ 1 00 
@ 14 
@ 1 25 
@ 2 50 
@ 1 75 
@ 3 00 
@ 3 
® 12 
@ 11 
@ 11 
2 25 @ 2 62% 
75 @ 80 
1 87 @ 2 00 
@ 2 25 
© 4 50 
@ 2 50 
@ 63 
@ 
© 2 50 
@ 
12 
75 
12 
1 00 
2 00 
1 50 
2 50 
2 
10 
10 
10 
2 00 
4 00 
2 25 
50 
50 
1 25 
2 00 
Apples, Prime, per bbl. 1 50 @ 1 75 
Medium, & bbl. 1 25 @ 1 50 
Extra Dessert Apples . 2 00 @ 2 75 
Dried Apples, per lb. 2 @ 3 
Dried Peaches, per lb., peeled 8 @ 13 
Dried Cherries, pitted,per lb. 12 @ 13 
Dried Raspberries, per lb— 12 @ 13 
Potatoes— Mercers, per bbl.. 1 75 @ 2 25 
Nova Scotias, per bushel. 62 @ 65 
Dykeman and Buckeye, p. bhl 1 75 @ 2 00 
Peacli Blows, 17 bbl. ...... 1 75 @ 2 00 
Bermuda, new. per bush. 
Onions, Red, per bbl. 1 75 @ 
Turnips, per bbl. . 50 © 6 
Tomatoes, Bermuda, p. 4-qt. 
Asparagus, per doz. bunches 
Rhubarb, per 100 bunches.... 
N. Y. Live Stock. Markets.— The Cattle 
Markets have been well supplied with beeves during the 
past month, the total receipts being 16,440, or a weekly 
average of 4,110. The increased demand for city con¬ 
sumption, while so many soldiers are quartered or passing 
through here, with considerable purchases by country 
graziers, and especially the demand for army supplies at 
Washington, through government agents, have conspired 
to advance prices about 1 c. per lb. during the month. Beef 
Cattle now range at 9c.®9%c. ft, estimated dressed 
weight of the four quarters, for prime grades ; 8c.®8%c. 
for fair to good; 7I£c.®7%c. for poor ; with an average 
of 8%c. for all sold. Appearances indicate good markets 
for June. 
Veal Calves.— Receipts have been very abundant 
during the past month, amounting to 4,064, or 1,016 per 
week. There has been a glut each market day, and good 
calves have sold very low. It is difficult to give a regu¬ 
lar quotation, as, after the first sales each weekly market 
day, prices fall, and closing rates are just what buyers 
choose to pay—frequently less than half what they 
brought in the morning. A medium quotation for prime 
veal calves is 5c.®5>£c. ^ ib, live weight; fair calves 4c., 
and thin animals 3c.®3%c. Young calves of a few days 
old, called “bobs,” sell for $1®$2 per head. All of this 
class, and many of tire good ones, should be reared upon 
the farm, as stock of all kinds will doubtless be in 'better 
demand for a year or more to come, and at improved rates. 
Sheep and Lambs.— Receipts about as last month, or 
an average of 6,352 per week. The demand has increased, 
and prices advanced %c.®Xe. 'P lb, live weight, and all 
the stock was early sold at the last market, leaving a large 
want unsupplied. A few are taken from this city to feed 
the army, while large numbers which would otherwise 
come nere, are turned to Washington. All the sheep arc 
now shorn, and prices ruled: May 15th, at5c.®5Xc. ! l’’ lb, 
live weight for fat stock, and 4%c. for thin. Good lambs 
are in demand at $4®$5 per head—poor ones sell slowly. 
Live Hogs. —Receipts were in keeping with the demand 
during the first half of the month, but for two weeks past 
we have had about 19,000, which is largely in excess of 
present wants, the weather being too warm to pack. At 
the last market prices were 4Jc.®5%c. per lb. live weight, 
for corn fed hogs, and 4c.®4%c. for distillery fed,or nearly 
J£c. lower than one month ago. Fully 3,000 remained un¬ 
sold. The weekly receipts for 4 weeks average 8,374. 
Tlie Weather has been cold and wet of late, mak¬ 
ing the season unusually backward. Many farmers have 
not finished planting corn, rightly concluding that seed is 
as well off out of ground, as in, until the soil is warm 
enough for it to vegetate quickly. There have been 
several hard frosts, and, in some localities, fruit is doubt¬ 
less injured. The very cold weather in February, sud¬ 
denly following a mild term, injured the fruit buds, so 
that a light bloom was the result.— Our Daily Weather 
Notes, condensed, read thus : April 20, to 23, clear, fine, 
warm—24, hot, showers at night, (Stuyvesant Pear Tree, 
of this city, now near 200 years old, beginning to bloom, 
which is the same date it opened last season)—25 to 27, 
clear, fine, growing weather—28, cloudy, with rain—29, 
30, clear, cold— —May, 1, showers, cold, windy—2, clear, 
cold, ice formed—3, cold, mercury 30°, and ground frozen, 
cherry, peach, plum and pear blooms probably injured, 
rained P. M.—4, cold rain, A. M.; clear P. M.—5, hard 
frost, rain at night—6, heavy, soaking rain—7, cool, rain 
squalls—8, 9, fine but cool—10, clear A. M. ; cloudy 
P. M.; rain at night—11, cloudy—12, clear, warm—13, 
rain—14, cloudy A, M.; clear and warm P. M.—15, 16, 
clear and fine—17, 18, cool, but pleasant. 
--—-■*---- 
Thermometer at 6 A. M., New-York. 
[Observations carefully made upon a standard Ther¬ 
mometer (Fahrenheit.)— r indicates rain, s, snow.] 
APRIL. 
1. 
....34s 
7..... 
.40 
13. 
.51r 
19... 
...49 
25. 
....53 
2. 
... 32 
8. 
.40 
14. 
.....49 
20... 
...41 
26. 
...52 
3. 
....33 
9. 
.36 
15. 
.46 
21... 
...45 
27. 
....50 
4. 
....32 
10. 
.34 
16. 
.40r 
22... 
...47 
28. 
... 54r 
5. 
....38 
11..... 
.37 
17. 
.35s 
23... 
...51 
29. 
... 52 
6 . 
... 41 
12. 
.40 
18. 
.38r 
24... 
...Sir 
30. 
....54 
Average. 
.43 
MAY. 
1. 
... .47r 
4. 
38r 
7. 
.50 
10... 
...47r 
13. 
....55r 
2. 
....34 
5. 
.39 
8. 
.....54 
11 ... 
...46 
14 
_54r 
3. 
...,36r 
6..... 
9. 
.47 
12... 
...50 
15. 
....55 
Our 
Exhibition Tables. 
As announced some months since, when taking posses¬ 
sion of our new office, we have conveniently arranged 
tables for the exhibition of agricultural and horticultural 
novelties, specimens of flowers, fruits, etc. These have 
been a very attractive feature of the establishment, and 
have been visited by thousands. Our location being on 
one of the great thoroughfares in this City, no better point 
can be found for such purposes, and we invite all who 
choose to avail themselves of the privilege, to do so freely. 
Visitors will also usuaily find enough to repay them for a 
call. The Winter and early Spring months do not afford 
mucti in the way of flowers, but as the season advances, 
there will be a good show of fruit and flowers, from nur¬ 
series, private individuals, and from the grounds of the 
proprietor. Since the last list published, the following 
articles, not noticed before, have been received. 
California Wheat, exhibited by Alexander W. Mabee, 
Rockland Co., N. Y_Union Corn—A curious specimen 
of two ears of pop-corn united in one ; Wm. B. Westcott, 
New-York City_Chili Potatoes ; E. B. Spooner, Kings 
Co., N. Y., and Wm. Bigelow, Hartford Co., Conn_ 
Prince Albert and Peach Blow Potatoes, fine specimens ; 
G. Williams, Essex Co., N. J-Long White French 
Turnip, by the same... Northern Spy, Baldwin, English 
Russet, Rambo, and Talman Sweeting apples; George 
A. Wilson, Madison Co., N. Y — Fomwalder Apples ; A, 
Lydecker, Englewood, N. J.....Algoa Squash, imported 
from Algoa Bay, West Coast of Africa; W. S. Carpenter 
New-York_Manzanneta stems and flowers; PhMip Reiz 
Corvalles, Oregon. ..Variegated plants, Caladiums and 
Coleus, also fine Lycopodium ; S. B. Parsons <fc Co., 
Queens Co., N. Y.... .Century Plant (Agave Americana), 
about 30 years old, noticed on page 181 ; D. Bidwell, Ncw- 
Orleans, La.Brazilian Ivory Nuts; Wm. B. Westcott, 
New-York City_A pair of fine Grey Eagles, presented 
to the proprietor by P. T. Barnum... Star Mole, a mis¬ 
chievous little animal, with a singular star shaped forma¬ 
tion at the end of the nose ; C. E. Wheeler, Essex Co., 
N. J_Hand Glasses for protecting garden plants; W. 
V. Bloor, Kings Co., N. Y — Hog-Catcher, a simple and 
effective implement for taking and holding swine; Jacob 
Sherwood, Westchester Co., N. Y. 
