The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-11 00:00:00

REVIEW OF THE BRITISH CORN

TRADE.
(From the Mark-line Express.)
Though there is now no 1 anger anything new in pur-
cha-es of English wheat for shiptn, nt to France, small
quantities having from time tit time been taken in our
markets by French buyers for several months past, still,
a good deal of sensation has been caused this week by
the extent of the purchases for that country. What
had been previously done had been on a comparatively
retail scale. but latterly a large proportion of the supply
hrought forward at the shipping orts on the east coast,
has been bought for export ; and, should the demand
continue on the same scale, cur own in Hers will have to
bestir themselves to (Inaba the quantity needed to keep
their mills going. The wheat trade is certainly in a
very singular po, ition at present. Countries from
which we are in the habit, in ordinary years, of
receiving supplies, are not only unable to afford us
assistance, but actually look to England for aid. On
the east coast, as already stated, wheat has been rather
largely bought this week for the continent; whilst our
western ports have, for months past, b( en shipping ex-
tensively to Ireland. Under these circumstances, it is
not surprising that stocks should have diminished
rapidly; and we feel tolerably certain that less wheat is,
at this moment, held by farmers than has been the case
for some years at the corresponding time. There may
be, and probably are, exceptions in particular localities;
but, taking the kingdom collectively, there must, we
think, be a considerable deficiency. At no time since
the harvest have the growers held back supplies; this is
proved by the quantities returned as sold at those towns
where the returns are made up for computing the
averages, and by the generally liberal manner in
which all the markets in the agricultural districts
have been supplied. It follows, therefore, that
if the last crop did not exceed an average
(and that it did not is now universally admitted), irn-
tnense inroads must have been made in farmers stocks.
There was, it is true, a fair quantity of old wheat on
hand when the new crop was harvested, particularly in
the western counties, but not more, we believe, than in
ordinary times. The fact is that the consumption of
wheat has, in consequence of the want of potatoes, been
enormously great, in evidence of which we have merely
to draw attention to the almost total exhaustion of the
foreign stocks in warehouse. Taking London, for ex-
ample, when the new corn-laws were passed, duty was
paid here on upwards of 600,000 quarters ; of this
large quantity there are at present not more than
80 000 to 10(,000 quarters left on hand. We have not
the means at command for ascertaining whether the
drain has been equally great at the outports, but, from
all we can collect on the subject, we can come to no
other conclusion than that stocks are decidedly short in
all parts of the kingdom, and that, however liberal the
American supplies may prove, they will hardly suffice
to place us in a safe position. The present value of
wheat being deemed hazardous :or investments, very
few speculative purchases have of late been made.
[knee there has been less animation in the trade than
might have been expected ; indeed, had it not been for
the French demand, prices would probably have under-
gone a slight depression. The inquiry for export and
purchases for actual consumption have, however, sufficed
to take off the supplies ; and, so far from any reaction
having occurred, the tendency has been decidedly up
wards.

2%
1%
19%
If P
37,4

In the Scotch markets, no change appears to have
taken place in prices of wheat; for whilst the lively tone
of the advicei from the south had induced sellers to re-
main firm, an unwillingness on the part of the millers to
buy had rendered it impossible to establish an advance.
From Ireland, the reports are of a similar character
as before; the sufferings of the people had, in some
localities, been partially alleviated; in other districts
the distress is stated to be as great as ever, and
there can be no doubt that shipments of food, on an ex-
tensive scale, will have to be mode from hence through-
out the summer.

Flour, of town manuraeture, has not sold freely ; hut
the millers have manife..te,i no anxiety to press the
article, and its previous !lulu, has been firmly souported.
For ship flour, former terms have likewise been cl.-
manded, and the best brands of American have been
,old at slightly enhanced rates.

The arrivals of barley have not been very large, (lly
9,615 qrs. having been n ported up to this (S iturday)
evening, including. 6,667 qrs. from abroad. This grain
,qls, nevertheless, been very dull of sale, and even the
:inert malting qualities have rather fallen in value.
whilst diliding and grinding; stir: s, which are more
likely to be influenced by the expected supplies from thk
Baltic, have been almost unsaleatle.

The brewers have bought tunic with extreme cauthl.
throughout the week, which, tozeti.er with the very (Jul
state of the barley market, has caused a :light decline in
prices of the article.
The supply of oats from our coast has amounted to
5,032 gni., whilst frimi Scotland 3,119 qrs. and from
Ireiand only 539 qrs. have been received ; upwards t)
26,000 qrs. having, however, come to hand from the
near continental ports in the course of the is eck, thz-re
has been no scarcity of this grain. The principal dealers
being fully aware that importers will, if possible, avoid
incurring landing expenses, have acted on the reserve,
their object being to wait for the expiration of the lyi,tg
days, and thus force down prices. The transactions
have, consequently, been On quite a restricted scale, and
the turn has been decidedly in favour of the buyer.
Beans have met with very little attention, and no va-
riation requiring notice has occurred in quotations.
Peas have been taken off in retail, at touch the same
rates as before.

There have been fewer offers of Indian corn to arrive,
and fur cargoes near at hand full prices might have
been realised.

TO THE PUBLIC.

Unfler the present awfid calamity of famine, accom-
panied with fearffil loss of human lif., it is the bounden
luty of every individual to aid and assist his fellow men,
without regard to sect or creed; and more especially
:toes it behove each in his rearective station and calling,
to second the measures of the Government of his country,
irrespective of ad political feeling, in husbanding and
lessening the consumption of flour, and thus forestalling
the means of subsistence for the forth-coming season ;
a season which, it is to be feared, will be most severely
Celt by the labouring class of this kingdom, a hose pri-
vations and wants are, from the high price of provisions,
and the almost annihilation of the potato-crop, (which
constitutes about five-sixths of their food) increasing
with fearful and rapid steps. In the hope of being useful
fOr effectuating the above desirable end, the following
-ugeestions are strongly and repectfully submittt d to the
attention of the rich, that by their practical bounty and
example, they may incite and aff IA to the poor the
means of adopting them, which, under the blessing of
God, will greatly tend to decrease their sufferings, and
supply them with nutritious food.
The following receipt for making bread, has been tried
and adopted, not only in the writer's family, but by
many others, who have been sueplied with it, with the
! most marked and decided stvecas ; and it is in its If so
simple in its preparation, tleit it can be made available
by the poorest person, simply by their dividing it : thus
tor example-131b:, of flour, wiih 11lbs. of fresh coarse
iiran, well boiled in one gallon of wart r, and strained off
aith the u6tril proaortions f y east :norisalt, will give an
arcrease in weight to the ',real of 3;1,- be. beyond the ex-
eess made in the usual way, and the bran, although de•
privet! of its nutritive preperti. s, does not lose its drastic
or cooling ones, but is rather increased thereby, and may
oe given to horses, tor those purposes, with good effict.
Remove only the coat se flake bran (rota the flour. of
this take five pounds, and boil it in rather more than four
gallons of water, so that, when perfectly strained, you
may have three gallons and three quarts of bran water
clear: with this knead 56 lbs. of the flour, adding salt
,rid yeast in the same way and proportions as fur other
bread.
11 hen randy to bake, divide it into loaves, and bulte
them two hours and a half. Thus made, float- will im-
bibe three quarts more of bran water than of plain, so
that it nut only produces amore nutritious and substan-
tial food, but makes an increase of one-fifth of the usual
quantity of bread, which is a
m
saving of one day's con-
su
ntien out of six; and if this were adopted through-
out the kingdom, it would make a saving of some millions
sterling throughout the year,. reckoning the consumpt4
(f
to be 200,000 bnsliels a ay. The same quantity of flour,
which, kneaded with water, produces 691bs. Boz. of bread,
will in the above way make 831bs. Boz., and gain 14ibs.
At thu ordinary price of flour, four millions would be
saved.

When ten days' old, if put into the oven for twenty
tninutes, this bread will appear quite new again.
'I his being the season for sowing parsnips, no time
should be lost in preparing the ground, which only re-
quires to be dug to the extent of twenty-two hclies, if
possible, and well pulverixd. As it grows will a tap
root, whatever manure is applied should be placed at the
bottom of the ground, so as to supply the root with
nourishment. Four pennyworth of seed well sown and
trodden in, will produce more meals than four sacks of
potatoes, and, what is still more important, for that
quantity it will not require more ground than is suffi-
cient to grow half a sack of potatoes. There are three
sorts of parsnips, all or French extraction, and respec-
tively adapted for the depth of, and different soils. The
seed may be procured of any respectable seedsman,
which, independent of its being recommended as a
sub-
stitute for the potato, it will be found extremely nourish-
ing, if well boiled, and of inestimable benefit to thel eof
poor
possessing gardens, or field allotments, h
which wilt be greatly enhanced by their respective vctivaeuland-
II
lords reducing the rents. H..
March 5, 1847.