CHICAGO (Dow Jones)--In a continuation of Wednesday's late stumble, soybean
 futures on the Chicago Board of Trade fell to nearly five-month lows Thursday,
 with the most-active November futures plowing below the psychological
 $6.00-per-bushel level. 
  
   November soybeans ended 15 cents lower at $5.97 3/4, December soymeal settled
 $4.30 lower at $186.20 a short ton, and December soyoil ended 44 points lower
 at 22.32 cent a pound. 
  
   Speculative and technically based selling were keynote features in the day's
 slide, with favorable near-term weather for pod-filling soybeans and
 better-than-expected crop conditions reported from the John Deere/Pro Farmer 
 Midwest crop tour increasing yield prospects for the 2005 crop, analysts said.
  
   The defensive theme was consistent from outset, with bearish yield and
 production potential shaking the foundation of the market. As the session
 unfolded, technically based selling became a featured attraction, with selling
 accelerating once key support levels were penetrated. 
  
   Traders said speculative long liquidation and outright selling kept pressure
 on prices, with sell-stops triggered at the $6.04 and the $6.00 levels basis
 November futures. The market has priced in improved yield potential and
 effectively erased all of crop-scare gains held since late May. 
  
   In fact, the November futures dropped to their lowest levels since April 18
 and settled below the $6.00 level for the first time since April 1. 
  
   In pit trades, ADM Investor Services bought 1,000 November and Cargill bought
 500 November. 
  
   On the sell side, ADM Investor Services, Calyon Financial and Rand Financial
 each sold 500 November, ABN Amro sold 600 November, Cargill Investor Services
 sold 3,000 November, Refco sold 2,000 November and Iowa Grain sold 400
 November. 
  
   Commodity funds were estimated sellers of between 9,000 and 10,000 tons. 
  
   South American soybean futures ended lower across the board. The September
 futures settled 16 1/2 cents lower at $6.26. 
  
  
    Soy Products 
  
  
   Soymeal futures fell to nearly five-month lows along with soybeans.
 Speculative selling was featured, with the bearish influence of a higher-than-
 expected stocks figure from the July Census crush report adding to the
 defensive tone filtering through the market. 
  
   Soyoil futures fell to three-month lows, retreating to areas of support on
 technical charts, with spillover weakness from the slide in soybeans and a
 much-higher-than-anticipated stocks figure from the Census Bureau's crush
 report weighing on prices. 
  
   December oil share improved to 37.47%, and the November/December crush was at
 57 1/2 cents. 
  
   In soymeal trades, Bunge Chicago bought 700 December, Fimat bought 400
 December and Cargill bought 200 September and 200 December. Calyon Financial
 sold 600 September and 700 December, ABN Amro sold 300 December, and Cargill
 Investor Services sold 300 September and 800 December. Speculative fund selling
 was pegged between 2,000 and 3,000 contracts. 
  
   In soyoil trades, Calyon Financial bought 300 December, Bunge Chicago and
 Citigroup each bought 300 September, and Refco bought 1,300 December. Cargill
 sold 600 October, Calyon Financial sold 300 September, Cargill Investor
 Services sold 400 December, Goldenberg Hehmeyer sold 500 December, Man
 Financial sold 300 December and Refco sold 400 December. Commodity fund selling
 was estimated at 2,000 lots.