Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-03-24
GRAIN REVIEW OF
THE PAST WEEK

l
THE PAST WEEK
Rains in Argentina the first Of the
past week nterfered with the market
| ing Of grain. Corn has ripened without
damage of Importance: gathering IN
delayed by lack of labor. Shipments Of
corn, it Is expected, will be heavy IN
| May. Weather conditions in this coun-
try during the week just closed were
| generally regarded as favorable. Tenn
peratures over the principal producing
| sections We're seasonable with light
| rains in parts and fall-sown grain Is
supposed to be in very good condition.
| Advices from the southwest district;
We're as a whole very satisfactory, and
| while scattered claims Of winter-k killing
were forwarded from the west, the
area affected Is generally supposed to
be small in the aggregate. A good ram
would no doubt prove very benet1clal.
Many farmers have allowed their cattle
to Craze it down very close. Acreage OF
corn will be reduced in northern and
western Oklahoma, as everything
seems to be in wheat and oats. Flowing
for corn is well advanced south and
southwest, and oats seeding made good
progress. Reports from the Pacific
northwest indicate an exceptionally
; fine outlook, and moisture has been
abundant in California. with prospects
| the best in years. Advices regarding
the conditions of live stock continue
favorable.
! The movement Of grain from the
farms and country elevators during the
week just past was again quite lberal
in the aggregate. Receipts at the lead
ing terminals in the northwest made a
good showing, but reports from that
! t,.fn n q
| line indicate that the wheat crop is
now very closely marketed.
The great bulk Of the business early
! in the week was local and profession
I al. Statistical news, too, mainly Favored
lower prices. Worlds shipments were
large, the visible supply Increased
| slightly, against a very large decrease
the same period year ago, and the
primary receipts, while much smaller
than last years, were larger than usual
at this season. Prices declined moder-
ately all around. when scattered cover
ing by shorts" brought about fair
| rally in values. France reported some
winter killing and reseeding In conse-
quence. Good wheat Is being firmly
held off the English coast as well as IN
other positions, which served to offset
the increase in the European visible
supply. Market, too, was helped by the
corn bulge Corn was steady early and
| strong later in the week, with the spec
ulative trade Of very large proportions
The trade in cash grain the past
week was reported of moderate vol
ume. Consignments were somewhat
smaller and purchases to arrive more
moderate, as growers are busy III the
fields. Demand for wheat was moderate
and sales not up to the rect 1T average
Offerings fair. Prices easy early ano
firm later In the week. Corn In very
fair demand and offerings were more
moderate Prices were Irregular, fol
!. lowing futures. Oats were little I'M
settled Demand was fair and supplies
moderate.
WHEAT--In winter wheat the mar
ket ruled rather steady during the past
week, within a slightly lower average
change developed. A fair business was
transacted on domeNic milling account
with no business on export account
The demand was not urgent. but just
in a quiet, steady way, and buyers
wants were easily supplied.
In spring wheat the market ruled
comparatively steady the past week
and not much Of any change occurred
in prices The receipts were II ght ano
there has been q fair demand. Inc
trading was entirely to supply domes-
grades, but mostly choice northern
Stock in store, that is public elevators
Increased $1,000 blu, but this was most
Ily wheat taken out Of private an6
placed in public houses. All receipts
were taken up readily by either specu-
lators to sell against or mtllers. Re-
ceipts for the week aggregated 50 cars
against 60 cars for the preceding week
While more or less irregularity was
4t,S wiz at weak
price changes on the whole were mar
row and advances were seen of " "a 70 c
It was market Of nervousness, witt
the volume Of business small. The av.
erage professional was in the trade
only in small or scalping way. 1t wa:
popular to sell the May and buy the
: July early in the week, but later there
were many transactions In which ths
position Of the speculator was reversed
\ One of the features Of the week was
the heavy selling of the May futures b,
longs in various parts Of the country
This selling was led by longs In New
York and other eastern centers-
"longs" with losses. who were unable t
change their position froms the. long
: to the "short" side OF the market with
y out more or less maneuvering. Senti.
) ment, while divided favored the bear
:. or "short" side nearly the entire week
as there was little on which to accum
ulate holdings with any assurance
that a profit would be secured. There
were many favorable crop reports from
nearly all sections of the winter Whea'
country. There were few claims Of
unfavorable conditions, but these were
in scattered sections of the grea
southwest and were given only passing
attention. Nebraska furnished the un.
favorable reports.
There was an increase in the visible
, supply of 5000 bu to 56,3S4,0OO blu, com.
pared with a decrease Of $4,000 bu t
62,24S, 900 Blu one year ago. Chicago
! stocks decreased $4,000 blu for las
!. week to 5,a47,OO0 against 7,011,000 b,
one year ago. Stocks afloat in Chicago
harbor are now 302, 900 blu, against 472,.
900 bu one week ago and none one year
ago. Worlds shipments for the weel
were 13,4OS,O00 blu, compared with 49,.
336, 900 the previous week and 10. 472 ,00(
a wear ago. Russia and the Danube
shipped 4,Oso,o Blu, and in addition t.
this they shipped 100000 bu barley
and 100000 bu oats.
|a,,, hipher NOT pair1S bo