Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-05-06
FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL.
The GRAIN TRADE. CROPS. &C.


AS was to be expec ted there has been some
fluctuations In the prices OF wheat, owing in
| great part to the action OF spectators in the
| great centres of trade, as at Chicago. In speak,
ing OF the crop prospects the Cincinnati Price
Current of April SOth says: g.
1.-THE past week has been very favorable fol
agricultural interests in the West and North.
west. The high promise of winter wheat has
bcea maintained. and the outlook for spring
grain is more assuring. Conditions have been
| helpful to the late sown oats, but as whole
| this crop is deficient In promise in the Contra
| Vest, both as to condition and acreage, while
some gain in area Is probable in the North
west, and the situation favorable for q good
start to the crop in that region.
Since early in the week the tendency o.
wheat values has bsen downward, and at the
close the Chicago market shows a decline Of 81!
cts on May and nc on July. compared with q
week ago. In comparison with the highest
point during the preceding week the decline i,
1013c on May and 94c on July. This Is very
decided shifting of position.
| While the recent advance has had some In
| fuence in getting surplus wheat into shippin&
channels, a feature OF the situation is the rela.
| lively high price paid in the interior by loca
mills, indicating that the extent of scarcity or
exhaustion of supplies probably more thar
| balances the excess in regions where ther g II
still marketable supply. n the West There
fore there is little on which to base sentime NJ
| favorable to depression in values other than
the encouraging OUTLOOK for the incoming cror
which can not be available until reserves o.
| wheat in the country undoubtedly reach 8
point lower than in any year for a long per iod
But 1t is probably wise policy for the whea
n n of int kat Mt
tory values now current.
Farmers have been too busy with delayed
work to do much at moving corn even under
inducement Of the recent high prices-but the
situation has improved the past week with ref
erence to start for the crop. aud quite like
ly more liberal marketing OF the old grain
may soon occur.
Wheat receipts at primary markets were
1.92O 900 bushels for the week, against 10000
the preceding week, and l, 752y 600 last year.
Corn receipts were 1884, 900 bushels, against
$50 900 the preceding week, and 100000 last
year."
PROSPECTS IN THE NOR THwEsT.
The Chicago correspondent Of the New Yor
Journal of Commerce under date of April 9th
says:-
1.-The early oats are coming up. We shall
probably have no oats on the market before
the last week of July or the first week OF
August, at which time the country will have
been very thoroughly cleaned up of this cereal
and farmers will get good prices for what they
have to sell. Grain-dealsrs are making con-
tracts now for n ew oats deliverable in August
at 40 cents bushel.
We have done very little comparatively
speaking yet with seeding sprlpg-wheat in
Minnesota or the Dakotas. The present week.
however. promises to see in those States seed
ing very actively progressing.
AS to corn in the southern portion of the
belt, Kansas an d Missouri there will be some
corn planted this week. But it will be a week
or ten days yet before in the northern portion
any corn will go into the ground. The lands
in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska
are still cold. and particularly in the first
named States very wet
The same flattering prospects which have
followed winter-wheat up to date still con-
tinue. The wet weather has forced along
winter wheat very rapidly, so much 30 that
the change now to dry weather is just what
was needed to check its rapid growth. We
have every prospect of an excellent grass-crop.
which Is greatly needed. 1 feel quite en-
couraged at this writing with regard to the
general favorable agricultural outlook of the
whole country"