The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1873-01-04
The Bread s,uiis Trade.

The Bread Slufia Trade.
Inland navigation has closed upon
q smaller stock of Wheat in New
York, as winter reserve, than for
several years. The quantity is re-
presented to be about two millions
OF bushels, or less than half the
stock at the corresponding period
last year. The stock of Flour is
also below the average at this peri
cd OF the year, but this is in conse-
quence, because the coastwise mar
kets are no longer SO largely de-
pendent upon New York as they
were before the days of universal
railroads OF Corn, the stock is
more than twice as large as at the
corresponding period last year,
while the supply of Oats, Rye and
Barley is considerably less. There
is great scarcity of Winter Wheat
not only here but throughout the
Atlantic States, an evidence of
which is offered by the fact that
prices of this description have re-
Gently advanced materially, while
Spring has been tending the other
way. Millers apprehend much diff
ficulty in obtaining adequate sup
plies of winter grown Wheat, and
it seems probable that the high
grades of Flour made from this
Wheat must, for many months to
come, bear higher relative values
than Spring Wheat Flour.
With our extended system of
railroads, it is of course possible to
bring forward large supplies of
Flour and Wheat during the winter,
but the transportation charges are
80 high during the close of naviga
ton that considerable quantities are
not usually shipped from the pri-
mary markets, unless prices at the
seaboard rule unusually high. :,
The export trade in Flour and
Grain has been very slow of late,
owing to lack of sufficient ship
ping margins, the scarcity of ton
age facilities being one great OBJ
stacle, and the fullness of supplies
Of foreign grown grain in Great
Britain, together with the dull state
of trade there, being another-for
our market is almost invariably gov
verned by Liverpool.
This being the case, it is well to
get the bearings of the English
market from such recognized agri-
cultural authorities as jackson and
Card The latter has lately con-
tributed to an English publication
q paper full of interesting informa-
ton. He has great fears for the
harvest of 1873, owing to the wet
seed time, expressing the opinion
that unless circumstances prove IA
vorable, the harvest of 1873 may
prove as unproductive as that OF
1853, which was the worst expert
enced by the United Kingdom since
the repeal of the Corn Laws, and
was the consequence of the wet au-
trmn and winter of 1852. The
weather the past Summer is pro-
nounced by Mr.. Card the worst for
the Potato crop experienced since
1916, 1847 and 1848, and he has nc
doubt that the crop was million
and half tons deficient He points
out with great force, that the failure
of the Potato is at all times a very
serious question in Ireland, where
the area under Potatoes million
acres-is double the extent in Eng
land. But Cards communication
is chiefly valuable for the informa
ton it conveys in reference to the
probable requirements of foreign
Wheat by the United Kingdom du
ring<the harvest year, from Sep
tember 1, 1872, to September 1
1873. His estimate, based upor
a careful survey of the whole field
is II, 0O0,O0 quarters, or $4,000,
900 bushels-the largest quantit,
ever imported into the Kingdom il
q single year. But notwithstand
ing this heavy requirement, he doe
not look for anything like extrem,
prices, for the reason that France
instead of being a competitor as i
sometimes the case, is a contribute
to Briton's food necessities. Tn
prices ruling during the last tw,
months have brought into the Uni
ted Kingdom the unprecedente,
supply Of 1851, 900 quarters, or a
the rate of more than $4,000, 90,
quarters within the year, an impor
considerably greater than seem
likely to be required. And, as MI
Card goes on to point out, it shout,
not be left out of calculation tina
the great bulk of the Wheat crop il
England was harvested in fine con
dition, albeit the deliveries have s,
far been comparatively small, be
cause of the unpropitious weathe
for thrashing.
The closing of our canals and TIL
Russian and Baltic ports will great
~ lessen the imports of Grain du
| ring the winter; but-M Card feel
confident that the home supply, wit
the reserve stock of foreign, vii
suffice till Spring; when the import
may be renewed to any extent re
| quired. On the whole, he does not sc
any good reason to apprehend eithe
great scarcity or much, if any, &C
vance in price. Finally, be deal
with the estimated deficiency of /
SOC, 900 tons in the Potato crop, an
the embarrassments of the Fall see
time. AS to the former matter, b
sees no difficulty. The foreign in
] ports of Potatoes, which in October
4 1870 and 1871, were ITO and 8
900 tons respectively, sprang up g