The Express.
London, England, 1867-12-26 00:00:00

THE BRITISH .41VD FOREIGN CORN TRADE,
..y....

(From the Mark-tau Lemma
The weather during the past week has been
moderate, with but little rain, though at the close with
renewal of frost. In France tbspi have had it wild and
winterly, so as to obstruct navigation on the canals and
interfere with the internal traffic. In North America there
have been striking extremes also, first closing, then par-
tially opening the canals, while the lakes have been ea
encumbered with ice as to detain about 1,200 boatloads
of grain, with little chance of these being extricated.
Our own markets have ruled dull, but with little change
of value, the difference being rather in favour of sellers.
The damp has seriously affected the condition of samples ;
and though this circumstance ought to have brought on
a large demand for foreign, which hes been arriving
freely, it has only gone off, as millers were forced to buy.
Fenian aggression has added to the stagnation of com-
merce and want of confidence, for bread riots might thus
easily be made to assume a political aspect. The more
deeply the corn question is probed the loss satisfactory its
results appear. We were slow to believe that Germany,
that long-established European emporium, could ever fail
to feed less productive countries ; but in spite of the pre-
sent dulness, it now turns out that the attention of nearly
all the continent is directed to Hungary as the only store-
house of grain ; and in anticipation of its abundance
being all required for foreign wants, America is anxiously
remembered as having promised much in the opening spring,
but the maize has failed ; and though the other crops have
been well reported, there may be a drain upon them
this winter for the fattening of hogs and other cattle,
and thus leave but a small chance of heavy arrivals
from the far west. The Paris flour trade has given
way slightly, as have the country markets, tor wheat, ex-
cepting in the south, where the wants are most felt ; but
in America prices have recovered smartly. The arrivals
off the coast since December 13 were 45 cargoes, of which
34 cargoes were wheat, 2 oats 5 barley, 2 rye, 2 peas.
Balinese was transacted as follows :—Wheat, 28 cargoes
in all, viz. Don Chick& and Ghirka at 58s. to 695. 6d.
Berdianskifffis., Kalafat 64.. 6d., new Danubian 595. 6ce.
to 625., Wallachian 62m, Enos 58.. 181., Sakti 54a. 641. to
555., spring American 64.. 6cL to 675. 6a., Banat 63.. 6d.,
Polish Odessa 665. lid. Maize, 1 cargo, at 46a. Gd. Barley,
5 cargoes, at 335. to 345. The sales of English wheat
noted last week were 60,756 qrs., at 675. 3d., against
71,062 qrs. in 1866. The London averages were 68e. 10d.
on 4,361 cps. The imports into the kingdom for the week
ending December 14, were 1,018,945 cwts. wheat ;
153,519 awls. flour.

Monday in Mark-lane commenced on moderate
arrivals of English wheat, with very large supply of
foreign, more than half of which was from America.
The show of fresh samples on the Essex and Kentish
stands during the morning was very small, and the bulk of
it in very poor condition. The portion that was fine and
dry went off steadily at the rates of the previous Monday,
but the remainder was unsold. The very mild weather
and heavy arrivals influenced the foreign trade so as to
make it heavy ; but the prices of really fine qualities, both
white and red, were fully maintained, there being some
buyers from the country, where markets were dearer. The
floating trade was dull. On Wednesday there were 360
qrs. per coast, 13,310 qrs. foreign. The same quiet trade
then obtained, the beat dry samples only being in request,
at the previous rates. There was no change in foreign ;
extra tine qualities remaining scarce were fully as dear ; '
but the demand for inferior being only retail,
many cargoes were ordered to granary. Friday's
returns were 1,130 qrs. cosatwise, 34,310 qrs.
foreign. The return of sharp frost gave no sti.
mains to the market, there being with it so much fog
that samples could only be imperfectly seen. Some of
Monday's inferior lots then hung on hand. Holders of
foreign were firm, but buyers still stood aloof. There was
an unusually large supply of country flour on Monday, and
very heavy arrivals in American barrels. Tho quantity
on offer made the market very dull, and the tendency of
prices was downwanis, though Norfolk were generally heldl
at former rates. Some importers of American were willing
to make sales at a reduction of Gd. per barrel, but foreign '
sacks not being abundant were unaltered in value, and so
were town-made qualities. On Wednesday there were
720 seeks per coast, 470 sacks 8,980 barrels foreign. With
such liberal supplies buyers kept to their immediate wants
in the expectation of easier rates, this being the case both
with respect to country sorts and all descriptions of
foreign. Friday's returns were 1,020 sacks coastwise,
470 sacks 22,260 barrels foreign. The return of
frost was welcomed by holders, as giving more firm-
ness to prices. Still, very little was passing, the
fog being against business. There being very small arrivals
of maize on Monday, the market was fully as dear, but the
demand was very limited, with 3,180 qrs. as the week's
arrivals. On Friday prices were steady. There was bat
a moderate supply of British barley on Monday, but the
foreign arrivals were larger than for some time put. Malt-
ing qualities, unless very flue, were rather in buyers'favour.
Medium qualities were rather lower, and so were foreign
sorts for grinding. On Wednesday there were 770 qrs.
per coast, 1,010 qrs. foreign. The short supply did not
nun the value of malting sorts, which remained dull, and
so did secondary and the lower qualities. Friday's returns
were 1,170 qrs. oustwise, 2,661/ qrs. foreign. More firm-
ness was then evinced in malting soda, and buyers could
not better themselves on the purchase of inferior de-
scriptions. The malt trade on Monday continued very dull,
but no lower rates were quoted. Almost nothing wasdoing
through the entire week, and in the abseuce of trade prices
remained nominally the same. There was a good supply
of English oats on Monday, and very large foreign supplies
very many ports. The demand not being equal to
the quantity on offer, prices gave way generally fully 6d.
per qr., and at this reduction there was only a partial
clearance. On Wednesday there were no arrivali per
oust, 650 qrs. Irish, 31,4n0 qrs. foreign. This further in-
crease in the foreign supply made a still duller market,
and sales could only be made by accepting a further de-
cline of 6d. per qr. Friday's arrivals were 650 qrs. from
Ireland, 53,210 qrs. foreign. The trade remained de-
pressed, but not worse than on the previous day. There
was a fair supply of English beans, but very few foreign.
Tho trade was very slow, and rather in buyers favour from
the excessive mildness of the weather. With frost on Fri-
day, prices were firm. The supply of home-grown peas was
limited, but there were large arrivals from America of white
boilers. Hog peas were very little altered is value ; but
boilers, both from the almost warm weather and liberal sup-
plies, were fully 2s. per qr. down. There was more tone
is Friday's trade. There was but a limited supply of lin-
seed, prices of which, as well as of cakes, were fully main-
tained. 1n cloverseed rather more business had pseud,
some fine English having appeared and been taken for the
season ; but tares, mustard, and other seeds were much
the same. The wheat trade in the country this week was
chiefly to be noted in the reduced supplies, which were
soon sent off to the large foreign imports. Several markets
were Is. per qr. higher; among them were Boston, Bourn,
Sleaford, Rotherham, and Gloucester ; hot the general re- I
ports left prices at their previous range, with little doing.
In spring corn but little change has taken place. Wheat
at Glasgow was down Gd, per boll, and beans, peas, and
maize were lower 3d. to 641• per boll. At Edinburgh
little difference was noted. Dublin noted no change in
wheat or barley. At Cork, wheat was quoted 12s. to 16s.
per cwt., barley 9s. to 10a, oats Bs. to 9s. 4d.
The Paris flour market during the past week has rather
given way under the influence of the country wheat trade.
The six marks closed at 91f. per 157 kilos. (;AL sd. Per
2801b5.), for January and February they were 89f. (575. 2d.),
for the first four months 88f. 50e. (465. 91), for March
and April 813 f. (565. 7d.). Type Paris had been dull, and
no sales were possible unless at some reduction; the quo-
tation for December was 54f. 50e. per 100 kilos. (36.. 6d.
per 2801b5.), for January and February 51f. Tic. (56a. 3d.),
for the first four months 54f. (55a.). The offers of flour
for consumption exceeding the demand prices were easier
--eay 92f. per 157 kilos. (595. per 2)431ba.) for extra euali-
ties, first marks 91f. (58a. bd.), good 901. (575. 101),
ordinary to 891. (57e. 2d.). Rye flour was
quoted 42f. to 43f. per 100 kilos. (435. to 445. per
2/401ba.). Wheat had also given way 1 franc per 120 kilos.,
with some quantity in surplus going to granary. The best
Richelle white was still held at 521.500. per 120 kilos. (795.
ld. per qr.); but white from the neighbourhood was 50f.
500. (76a.), red to 49f. (735. Bd.), ordinary 46f. (n9s. 2d.)
Many samples were offering from Marseilles, hut gene-
rally of inh nor quality, and not in demand. Salonica to
49f. 50c. (745. Gd.), Varna 47f. (70e. Bd.), Hungarian the
same, American 49f. 50a. (745. 6d.) Rye was in limited
request, at former prices-say to 33f. per 115 kilos.
(46e. fled. per qr.) Choice Champagne barley 261. per
100 kilos. (41s. per qr.) Oats were rather cheaper,
ranging from 23f. 50e. per 100 kilos. (225. per qr.)
for light qualities, to 261. 50c. (335. bd.) for
heavy. Cloverseed remained in calm, and was expected
to continue so till February. Heavy seed to 1221. per
100 kilos. Trefoil to 36f. per bale. The wheat trade in the
country varied, being dearer in the South and cheaper else.
where ; but a decline prevailed from 25 centimes to If. 500.
per hest. (7d. to Is. 21. per qr.). Bordeaux was without
change ; Marseilles rather lower. Between the sth and
10th of December 30 vessels had passed the Dardanelles
for Marseilles, and 18 for England. In Belgium, also, the
tendency of prre:thaddbezindoawtnwafds. There had been
a mix.ture of
ppoorrttas 13,0170 qrs. wheat, 2,000 qrs. rye, '2750 (Imre..
barle With some briskness at first for wheat, the de-
mand fell off. Native red to 735. 9d. ; Baltic, 74a. 9d. per
qr. Rye was very firm, and freely sold ; native to 53... 6d.
Barley steady, with 3.55. Gd. paid for Danube. Russian
oats 275. lid. Offers exceeded the demand at Courtrai, and
wheat was scarcely so dear, the top price being 745. 6d.
Liege had given way 9d. per qr., and rye was dull. Wheat
to 70s. Linseed also was very well provided, and former rates
were difficult to realise. Wheat to 71s. par qr. It was
the same at Brussels. There being a large supply
of white Zealand wheat at Rotterdam, prices
gave way 3s. to ss. per quarter, rates closing at
675. Gd. to 71:a. Oti. Though more foreign red was offered,
there was no change of values. Rye was down Is., the top
price being 38s. 6d. Barley fell Is. to 2s. ; winter to
38s. 91. ; summer to 365. 9d. Oats were more in demand,
at former rates. Beans down Is., and peas 2a. Hambro'
prices were rather lower, wheat on the spot being quoted
157 e. ; for January, 61e. 61 per qr. ; native rye, 50s. ;
Mecklenburg wheat, 68s. 15d. ; Seale, 68a. Wheat at
Cologne was quoted 665. per qr. on the spot ; for all De-
cember, 625. ; March, 62a. eid. • May, 6.35. ; Rye on the
spot, 50s. ; Marsh, 495. ; May, 495. 6d. There was a dul-
ness in the wheat trade at Frankfort •, native was quoted
64.. to 675. Gd. ; for April and May, G4s. Bd. ; rye, 50s. ;
oats, this. per qr. Though supplies were rather larger at
Mageane, and prime rather firmer, it was expected the