Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1884-01-02
LIMITED DExAND FOB -FOUR.
ls9ee,a. Telegram to the a:Jbe.l

CHICAGO, Jan. l.-doWRro, Wnite O Oo''
in their daily Commercial Bulletin, sum
marlze the flour business Cor the year as
follows: The -four trade in this citT. has
not been as satisfactory az to point OF
volume as ls~s year. Still q very far ag-
gregats ira has been transacted and
dealers genera 2 feel satisfied with the
wears business. Had the export demand
been as general az during the year 1882,
trade would have basn highly satisfactory,
but this has been lacking more or
less throughout the entire year, and mer-
chants have beeu compelled to rely
upon home trade to considerable extent
which has been good. The Canadian trade
relieved the duiIness to some extent; still
tha market on the whole has lacked life
and activity. OF course there were spas
modic spurts of activity when Indications
seemed favorable for continued good
trade, but for some reason the market
would relapse into duilness without de-
veloping any life, and while there has been
more or less demand al the while, trade
has been mostly of slow ana
dragging nature. The reason for
this has been that European markets have
been well stocked with -four throughout the
year. At the close of the year 1882 the
foreign markets all carried pretty liberal
stocks, and these, instead OF decreasing,
have increased so that the European CONT
mental trade has been drawing on lts own
supplies more than former years. The
export orders received have been mainly
for special grades and brands well known
to the trade in foreign markets. For in
stance, merchants abroad having an estab-
lished trade for a certain class OF
choice flour possessing strength and
good colo-, would send special orders cal
ling for this or that grade Or brand Ill
rect. and such orders would occasionally
comprise large lots. Russian, Msditeran-
can and India wheat have been so much
cheaper than formerly, owing to abundant
sup pp!ies, that European millers have been
able to supply the English and continen-
tai trade during large portion OF the
year with -four at lower prices than Amer
ican -four could be sold at without
loss to milIers, thus excluding
American competition for the time being.
But the improved machinery for milling
and the fine wheat to be had enables
American millers to produce quality of
-four which cannot be surpassed and which
commends itself to the world even
though the price may be higher than Eu-
rope makes, and a certain amount always
finds sale inAll foreign markets. In fact,
some of the mills have built up regular
trade by educating themselves to
the wants of the Europeans and
are making flour especially adapt
ed to their particular wants.
AS a rule, however, there has been less en-
oouragement the past year to ship abroad,
and vet the amount of consigned flour he's
been large. This mode of shipping pro-
miscuously to foreign markets has in
some instances proved rather unsa tisfac-
tory. One reason for this is that wheat in
the Chicago market is kept above ship
pir margin by excessive speculation, and
when above its legitimate value for ship
ment to other points, it naturally Is too
high for the milling interest. When wheat
is held high in the Chicago
market it is also generally high at all
points tributary to Chicago. The Cana
dian trade has been better end promises
favorsbly during the balance OF the season.
This is owing to the partial failure Of the
Canadian wheat crop, and Notwithstanding
there is an import tax OF sos On every
barrel of -four imported into Canada, tbe
trade has been good. The demand has
been good for the lower grades, though
some good stock was also taken, in
Guiding choice spring wheat
bakers -four. The southern trade
has been smaller than usual, although this
trade with Chicago has been on the de-
crease for several years, other sources evil
IDENTIFY having developed from which to
draw supplies. The local trade was very
good, steady demand coming from this
source. Jobbers have complained some
what of doing less busines, Ibut this was
only in exceptional cases, and can be at
tribused to an increased number of
firms entering the jobbing trade
besides other channels of
d1StrIDpElOn tnuS causing mOro ochLtoIoo
business. The family trade has centered
in spring wheat patents, winter wheat pat
ents and winter wheat straights. The diff
ference in cost between spring wheat
patents and winter wheat straights have
varied from 50c@S1 per barrel, and as
winter wheat straights have been the
cheaper of the two, the local family trade
has catered chiefly to these.
The city milling interest forms very
important feature of this market. There
are now two mills running in this city
day and night whose aggregate production
for the past year was about $4,000 barrels.
A large share of this manufacture has
found market IN foreign lands, por-
tion has been taken for home consump
tion. And while speaking of the city mills
it would not be out of place to state that
another mill is now in course of erection,
the daily capacity of which will be 500
barrels. This mill like the others
will also be supplied with all
the new and improved machinery, thus
giving Chicago milling capacity of about
1900 to 1000 barrels per day, if taxed to
their full capacity.