15,018. Is it generally one kind of meal that is kept by each merchant for ordinary retail purposes?-So far as I know, it is.
15,019. Do you generally have only one quality of oatmeal in stock at a time?-Yes.
15,020. Is it the same with Indian meal?-We have not been in the habit of selling Indian meal.
15,021. Can you tell me the price of oatmeal on 21st April 1868?-It was 26s. 6d. per boll of 140 lbs. is the credit price; for cash it would be 6d. less.
15,022. How much would that be for 24 lbs.?-About 4s. 6d., or about 1s. 7d. per peck.
15,023. Would is 7d. per peck be your selling price at that time?- Yes.
15,024. Would 1s. 9d. per peck have been a high price for it in Lerwick then?-It would have been much higher than we would get for it.
15,025. Would you be surprised to find that at that date it was selling in the country districts at is. 9d.?-I would.
15,026. Was the price in a fluctuating condition about that time?- I see that a month later it was 1s. less, and two months later it was 2s. less per boll. The market was falling in April.
15,027. Did it continue to fall during the rest of the year?-I see that a month later than the last quotation I have given it was just about the same price.