19th September 1812: The Leeds Mercury reports good harvests & the falling price of staple foodstuffs

The Leeds Mercury of Saturday 19th September carried various items reporting the declining cost of staple food items and also abundant harvests:

A letter dated the 16th inst. from one of the first landed proprietors in Norfolk, was shewn to us yesterday, from which we make the following very grateful and interesting extract:—“Corn is falling with us; new wheat is £5. a quarter, or 12s. 6d. a bushel, and I have no doubt will soon be lower. My own crops yield more than double what they did last year.”

We congratulate our readers on the great decline in the price of corn in every part of the kingdom. So great was the influx of new wheat in our market on Saturday, that a reduction of 18s. per load took place; and meal was reduced, on the same day, from 6s. 4d. per stone to 4s. 8d. A further reduction of 8d. has since taken place.—Doncaster Gazette.

CORN HARVEST.—There is every prospect of the harvest, throughout this country, being got in extremely well, and proving very productive.—Last year there was a considerable failure in the crops throughout Europe; this year the case is entirely the reverse, for in addition to the pleasing prospect in this country, accounts have been received from various parts of the continent (Russia, Prussia, Sicily, the shores of the Mediterranean, &c.) which leads to expect an unusually productive harvest in every quarter. If, therefore, we consider the goodness of our crops; the opening of our trade with the Baltic; and the strong probability of a pacification with America: we think we may rationally anticipate a speedy and very material reduction in the price of corn.

From the 3d to the 10th of September, there were imported into the Port of London, 19,896 quarters of Wheat, 1140 quarters of Rye, 600 quarters of Oats, and 10,000 quarters of Barley.

It is said that 7,500 barrels of flour have lately been brought into Plymouth, in American bottoms. A contract has been made there, with the Navy Board, for 500 sacks of flour, at the reduced price of 84s. per sack; plus contract was at 111s. per sack