The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-10-23
PRODUCE VERY HIGH
OFT MANY STAPLE
~ ARTICLES
80 PER cENTABovE LAST YEAR
Poor Crops in Many Sections of the
Country Cause Advance in Prices
of Apples, Eggs and other
Necessities.

Prices for produce are considerably
higher this year than they have been for
long time. The main cause OF this gen
eral advance in prices Is the poor crops
III many sections of the country While
nc section has suffered a complete failure,
yet many localities have so suffered from
the poor crops that they are compelled
to go into the market to purchase things
for home consumption which they have
placed on the market in other years. The
advance in prices over last year ranges
from 10 to 80 per cent.
Apples are a failure in many sections
| of the country this year. Especially is
this true in the New England states and
IN all the Northern states. The Northern
apple crop this year, taken as whole, Is
failure. New York and Michigan are
both in the market to purchase apples
for their own consumption, while last
year they placed thousands of barrels on
the market. While the crop in the North
has been poor, the South has made up
for the shortage, and Southern Missouri
and Arkansas have a. large supply. But
the South cannot keep The prices from
advancing, and apples that last year sold
for $3.50 per barrel this year find ready
market at $3.50. There is no prospect of
a decrease in prices on apples before an
other crop is harvested and those who
buy will be compelled to pay high prices
for them
Not only in those articles which are
raised by the farmer, and which are SUBJ
Ject to climatic conditions, is there
marked increase in price, but the increase
seems to be general in all lines of prod
uce. Eggs are higher than they have
been for years, and never has the storage
supply been opened so early in the sea-
son as has been the case this year. Sew
eral different reasons have been suggest
ed for this condition, but they are sub
stantially the same. Some think that
the high price of meat which obtained
throughout the summer months caused
an unusual demand for live poultry, and
this in turn caused large numbers of hens
to be sold for market instead of being
Kept for laying purposes. Whether this
is true or not is of little moment 1t re-
mains fact that prices for eggs are high
for this season of the year. and the indi-
cations are for still further advances
The California fruit which is on the
market is also high, lemons and oranges
having materially advanced in the last
few days. The first of the California
Walnuts will be on the market this morn
ing, carload having just arrived. They
VIII be sold. for more money than could
have been secured for them at this time
last year.
While prices are high for all kinds of
produce, yet the quality of that which is
on the market is fully up to the standard
OF previous years, and there is no danger
o. shortage. The conditions that are
now in existence have been in effect all
summer, and yet there has not been a
time when any of the local Wholesale
men We're compelled to back order their
goods
There is one exception to the general
run of high prices this year. That ex-
ceptlon is sweet potatoes. They have
sold ever since they came on the market
Tor less than were the current prices
last year. The reason for this condition
lies in the fact that they are a Southern
crop, and in the South crops have been
good this year. They were advanced so
cents a barrel yesterday, and still fur
Their advances are in sight.