The Express.
London, England, 1851-03-11 00:00:00

REVIEW OF THE BRITISH CORN TRADE

DURING THE PAST WEEK.

(Prom the inrigatime Exprvas.)

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The weather hos, daring the last fortnight, been
highly auspicious for all kinds of out-door labour, and
farmers have been enabled to make considerable progress
with ploughing, &e. The work has thus far proceeded very
favourably, and the seed which has been committed to the
soil has been well got in. Large breadths of land have
already been prepared for barley and oats, and bean and
pea planting has advanced materially in many parts of the
kingdom. With regard to the aspect of the autumn-sown
wheat, the reports arc generally of a satisfactory character;
the plant, though strung and healthy, is not too forward nir
the time of the year, and notwithstanding the unusually
mild and open weather experienced during the winter, we
hear of few cases of premature luxuriance.
The deliveries of grain from the growers have been very ,
small of late, and are likely to be moderate the remainder
of this and during part of next month, as the seeding of
the land can scarcely be expected to be finished till the mid-
dle of April. The falling off in the home supplies has not
as yet led to any improvement in pri es, but sellers have
certainly mattift•sted more firmness at many of the markets
in the agricultural districts, and we are rather disposed to
think that the value of English wheat has for the present
touched the lowest point.
The last weekly average for the kingdom, published on
Thursday (365. Ild. per qr.) is probably the lowest return
we shall have for some time, the improvement which the
dry weather lately experienced has wrought in the condition
haring had the effect of raising the intrinsic value suffi-
ciently to enable farmers to obtain somewhat better prices.
Meanwhile there seems little prospect of any immediate
rally in quotations of foreign Wheat, the recent large arri-
vals from eastern and southern ports having caused consi-
, derable pressure on most of the large consuming markets.
I Within a period of less than three weeks, about two hun•
dred vessels, laden with Wheat and Indian Corn, have
I arrived off Fahnouth and Queenstown from the Black Sea,
the Mediterranean, and the Sea of Axof, mostly large ships,
carrying teen 1,500 to 2,500 qrs. each. Of this supply only
a comparatively small proportion will come to London ;_
still the effect must be felt, inasmuch as the necessity of
resorting to the metropolis for supplies of foreign wheat is
diminished, stocks being held at various points on the coast.
A considerable part of the wheat, and nearly the whole of
the Indian corn, is destined for Ireland, and these direct
supplies will naturally check any demand from thence in
our markets. We are theredine not sanguine respecting
any material advance on present rates, but at the same time
we see no reason to expect any further immediate fall.
The supplies of flour from France have been on a mode-
rate scale this week, Liverpool being nearly the only port
at which any quantity of importance has arrived.
The somerluit firmer tone of the Mark-lane advices ap-
pears to have had very little influence on the wheat trade
in Scotland, mid business was decidedly heavy for that
article, both at Edinburgh and Glasgow, on Wednesday.
The shipments of oats from the ports on the east coast were
beginning to fall off, owing to an increased seed demand,
and prices of that grain, as well as those of barley, had
rather improved.
The accounts from Ireland describe the wheat trade as
nearly paralysed by the extent of the foreign receipts, and
fur the present mist of the markets in that part of the king-
dom are overdone with wheat and Indian corn. Oats of
native growth had come forward rather sparingly, and had
commanded quite as much money us before. The shipments
of the latter article fur England had not been important.
Prices of grain have nut varied much at Mark-lane since
our last. Holders have, on the whole, displayed rather
more firmness; but this has not been responded to by pur-
chasers, who love manifested no inclination to buy beyond
what they have needed fur immediate use.
The arrivals of Wheat coastwise into the port of London
have been small, only 2,473 qrs. having come to hand up to
this (Saturday) evening. The quantity brought forward
by land-carriage samples from the neighbouring counties
has meanwhile been trifling, and but few offers have been
made from Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, and that neigh-
, bourhoud.

Oa Wednesday the Essex, Kent, and Suffolk stands were
almost bare, and, iu the absence of sales, quotations re-
mained nominally unaltered. Matters continued in much
the same position up to the close of the week, the only
difference being a slight increase of confidence, on Friday,
on the part of factors. This market has been less abun-
dantly supplied of late with foreign wheat than several of
the leading ports on the coast. The arrivals this week
have consisted of only 11,2 W qrs. Stocks in granary are,
however, still rather heavy, and the display of samples was
large, both on Wednesday and Friday. The country de-
mand has at no period of the week been active, and the
towa millers have conducted their operations with a degree
of caution indicative of a want of confidence in the future.
The transactions have consequently been altogether of a re-
tail character, and prices have remained about the same as
before.

A fair extent of business has been done in floating car-
goes. Polish Odessa off the coast was offered freely in the
commencement of the week at 325. per qr., cost, freight,
and insurance, and some inferior sorts were sold even
cheaper: subsequently less anxiety to realise was shown,
and on Friday there were more buyers than sellers at the
price named. The arrivals off Falmouth and Queenstown
have not been nearly so large a., the preceding week, and
the prevailing ophoon appears to be that the receipt.' from
the Black Sea and Mediterranean ports will sow fall off
materially.

FOREIGN CORN TRADE.
The accounts from the Baltic do not report much change
in the position of the corn trade in that quarter. Notwith-
standing the continued dull advices from hence, holders at
the upper ports appear to have remained very firm.
Betters from Dantzie state that fine qualities of old wheat
in granary had been held firmly at previous prices, and that
the land supplies had not generally been offered lower than
before. A return of rather sharp frost would, it was ex-
pected, prevent shipments being made at so early a period
as had at one time been anticipated ; and we arc not likely
to receive supplies from thence sooner than in ordinary
years.
We have advices from Rostock of the 3rd of March. The
weather, which bad previously been mild and open, had
become rather severe, and it was feared that the frost might
perhaps do some mischief to the young wheat plant ; this
had tended to increase the firmness of holders, and full
terms had been asked for granaried samples. The supplies
from the farmers had not been large, hut the export demand
having been very slow, fine dry 621ba. qualities had been
offered at 365. per qr. free on board. In spring corn hardly
any business had been done. Barley was quoted 17s. 6d.,
and peas 245. 6d. per qr. free on board.
From Stettin we learn that few bargains had been closed
during the week, but that holders had refused to accept
lower terms than before; and the accounts from most of the
other Baltic ports are to the same effect. Meanwhile stocks
in warehouse were accumulating, sad we have no doubt
that sellers will sooner or later have to give way, if orders
should not be sent out from hence.

Hamburg advice, of Tuesday are devoid of interest :
holders bad rather raised their pretensions, which had
checked business ; for 601bs. wheat from Pomerania 3511.6 d.
to 355. 9d. per qr. free on board had been asked, and
34. 9d. per qr. had, it was said, been offered.