The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-01-25
CEREAL EXPORTS LESS
G3fAT DEMAND TOR IRON PRODUCTS
Falling Of il the Number of Business Failures
Manufacturing Works Better Employed
and Prospects More Encouraging than
Years of Same Definite Records.

morrow will say:
large. measure of activity in busl-
ne and industrial lines, with, in some
...t,u,as ur.yi0uc records surpassed
md very general steadlness III prices OF
sfauIes. rs perhaps the most notable feat
,re of the trade situation tins week.
Gunr,tauS Of cereals show the most
III :ggrseSivc strength, while those of some
I'll makes Of pig iron brtray rather more
decided weakness than they did Il week
ago. Mild weather Is frequently men
toned Hs an influence tending to check
retail distribution Of SeaSonable goods
chiefly because Of the effect on country
. roads. Spring trade opens slowly as rs
j nal ut this time Of the year. but conf
delrr is still unimpaifod. As already
i intiuattt. the Immense current produc-
tion of pig iron. amounting to fully 1.
/ GOU tons per month, has Gbgun to eXer-
Csc an influence upon the price of that
STABLE but decreases reported are still
only fractional. The outlook in the steel
rail trade is reported as tiattering one.
Large orders for railroad account al
ready booked have been increased within
she week. an example of this being fur
niShcd hy sales of $1,000 tons reported
from Chicago at full prices. . Higher
prices for wool abroad, based partly on
short yield reports. are reflected III the
tirmneSs of domestic quotations. although
demand while comparing we'll with most
preceding years. is smaller than 1t was
ut this time in 1897. when tariff changes
were being anticipated. The industrial
situation. with the single exception of
the cotton industry is one Of exceptional
d strength. n vet the strikes in this
branch of trade. are largely confined to
Massachusetts.
Mems wear wooIens are moving fairly
we'll. At the west diStributive trade s
slowly improving. while at the Soutn
n fair January trade is reported. partl"-
uIarIy in the Mississippi valley. Good
returns from last years Louisiana sugar
crop find expression in higher prices for
sugar lands. The good export demand
for cotton precludfS too heavy accumu-
& Eltions at primary points in spite of the
crop movement. Mild weather i'll the
Northwest affects trade to some extent.
\ point of interest. however. is the re-
port that fur goods manufacturers usual
~ shut down at this season, are running
full time on Alaskan orders.
business is active on the Pacific coast
California crop prospects have been IN
proved by the recent rains. and ship
and boat building are very active along
Puget Sound and at Portland.
! Ouite a shrinka@e in cereal exports j.
4 indicated by reports to Rradstreets this
week. Total shipments of wheat. flour
included. from the United States and
Canada, amounted tn only 3,926.o00
bushels. against 5,229.O0O bushels last
week. 2.016.OOG bushels in this week 4
year ago. 3.S49.0O0 bushels in 1896 and
2S4O.O0O bushels in the third week Of
January. 1899. INDIAN corn exports
also show a heavy falling off. amounting
& TO only 3.4S6.00O bushels this week. n
gainst 4.4G1. 600 bushels last week. 3
10000 bushels last year. and 3.192O,00D
bushels in the corresponding week Of
1896.
\ further falling off in the number of
business failures is REPORTED in the Uni
ted States this week, the total being only
300. against 323 last week. 429 in this
week a year ago. 314 in his week of
1896. 3t2 in 1895 and 33S I'M 1894.
Failures in the Dominion of Canada
show Il further falling off. amounting
this week to only 46, against IS last
week, ~ IN 1897. - i'll s Q and 4S
in 1894. hut slightly exceeding this of
1890, which numbered IS.
DUN'S REVIEW.
New York. Jan. Pr. G.. Dun &
Co.'S weekly review of trade will say
tomorrow:
With a volume Of business remarkable
for the time of year, 3S per cent. larger
than 4 year ago. and 1914 per cent.
Jargtr than in 1892 in payments through
clearing houses, it is not discouraging
that one or two industries are tagging.
The demand for most goods is more
heavy for the season. manufacturing
works are better employed and orders
hooked and prospects for the future are
more encouraging than at this season
in any other year, of which equally
definite records exist. Exports of pro-
ducts continue surprisingly heavy. in
spite Of some rise in prices. Treasury
receipts from customs were larger in
twenty days Of January than in the en-
tire month Of October or November.
and apprehension regarding the none
tary future is no longer felt outside of
speculative circles. Failures are con
siderably smaller than were ever known
at this season. both manufacturing and
trading are less than half Of last year
Railroad earnings in january thus fan
reported have been 11.G per cent. larger
than last year, and 1913 per cent. larger
than i'll 1892.
The rise of wheat above a dollar II
regular sales was not accompanied by
signs Of speculative excitement. In fact
the continuance Of extraordinary exports
2.943,1o5 bushels, flour included, for the
week, from Atlantic ports. against 1913,
10 last year, and for three weeks 3,
UO-,tt} bushels. against 90 G52 last
year, BESIDES 4.O36.94O from Pacific
ports for three weeks. would give excuse
for high prices, even if the corn export,
were not enough to suggest great foreign
need, amounting to 9.210.1S3 bushels
( INST lo,''!.ZIi for three weeks. The
fact that cargOcS of com We're Skinned
during the week to Egypt and Russia
the very countries upon which Europf
most relies for brcalstufrs next to the
United States, affected trade not I'M.
reasonably.