CHICAGO (Dow Jones)--Soybean futures on the Chicago Board of Trade ended a
 two-sided session moderately higher Tuesday, extending their price recovery in
 quiet trade, with talk of Chinese buying interest and crop uncertainties
 underpinning prices, traders said. 
  
   November soybeans ended 3 1/4 cents higher at $6.20 1/2 a bushel, December
 soymeal settled $0.50 higher at $192.80 a short ton, while December soyoil
 ended 7 points higher at 22.81 cent a pound. 
  
   "With just a bit of crop uncertainty in the market, rumors that China may be
 in for U.S. soybean supplies enabled futures to find some legs," said John
 Kleist of Kleist Agricultural Consulting. 
  
   The market experienced two-sided price action in thin trade, with demand talk
 and lower-than-expected crop ratings providing modest support, while spillover
 weakness from faltering corn and wheat futures attracted local selling, traders
 said. 
  
   Technically motivated activity was a featured attraction in early trade, with
 participants satisfying an objective of filling a chart gap basis November
 before setting back on its failure to challenge resistance at its 10-day moving
 average. 
  
   However, after aggressive selling failed to emerge once the most-active
 November future penetrated underlying support near the $6.16 area, local short
 covering surfaced to lift prices heading down the stretch, traders said. 
  
   Smaller-than-expected improvements in crop ratings from U.S. Department of
 Agriculture provide underlying support to prices, as did talk of Chinese
 buying. However, the China buying should be taken with a grain of salt, amid
 reports of China being fully stocked with supplies, added Kleist. 
  
   Tour scouts on the eastern leg of the John Deere/Pro Farmer crop tour had
 favorable comments for corn and soybeans in Indiana, based on what they had
 seen Tuesday. The crop looks better than what was seen Monday in Ohio, they
 said. 
  
   Meanwhile, the DTN Meteorlogix weather forecast said some showers are in
 store for the Midwest during the last half of this week. Temperatures will be
 normal to a few degrees below normal before rise to near- to above-normal
 values during the balance of the week. 
  
   In pit trades, ABN Amro bought 400 September and 200 November, Cargill
 Investor Services and UBS Securities each bought 200 November, and Fimat and
 Refco each bought 500 November. 
  
   On the sell side, Bunge Chicago sold 400 November, Man Financial sold 500
 November, Cargill Investor Services and Citigroup each sold 300 November, and
 ABN Amro sold 200 January. 
  
   South American soybean futures ended higher. The September futures settled 1
 cent higher at $6.47. 
  
  
    Soy Products 
  
  
   Soy-product futures ended higher, following the lead of soybeans in quiet
 trade. A thinly traded two-sided session was seen in both markets, with the
 absence of any fresh market-moving news keeping futures following the lead of
 soybeans. 
  
   December oil share ended at 37.17%, and the November/December crush was at 54
 1/2 cents. 
  
   In soymeal trades, Fimat, Man Financial, Prudential Financial, Refco and
 Tenco were light early buyers. Cargill Investor Services, Fimat and Goldenberg
 Hehmeyer were each light sellers. 
  
   In soyoil trades, Cargill Investor Services bought 300 December, and ADM
 Investor Services, ABN Amro, Fimat and Man Financial were light buyers. Cargill
 sold 300 December, Refco sold 400 December, and Bunge Chicago, Merrill Lynch
 and ADM Investor Services were light sellers.