Business is stagnant and the outlook is far from hopeful owing to the poor prospects of the crops this season. It is reported that Kaiyuan, the most important centre for beans in this province, holds considerable stocks, most of which are hypothecated to the banks. Reports from Sangchengtze, one of the largest bean growing districts, indicate that there will be a serious shortage in the crop this year owing to the drought. This will probably result in an advance in prices.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.