Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1901-08-10
LOCAL FARMERS HAPPY.
usually High--Result of Droufh
IN the West

I
The present state Of the vegetable
and fruit crops in this section and ~
the Middle West is such that the LOCAL
farmers are benefiting greatly through
+ he advance in prices in nearly all
the food staples. The continued
drought in the latter section has had
Its effect on the early crops of pota
toes and tomatoes, and in conse-
quence the price Of these commodl-
ties has rapidly risen, until Saturday
potatoes were bringing almost twice
what they were at this season last
year. This is also true OF tomatoes.
| While the local output has been
unusually plentiful the scarcity in
the Middle West has induced local
truckers TO ship their product in large
| quantities, and this has tended to
keep the price up ali over the country
These prices apply only to the early
crops as it is impossible 10 determine
what effect the recent rain, which
have relieved the large area in the
Middle States FROM which we draw
most Of our late pota oes, have bad
Usually at this season the local far
mers are called upon to supply only
the current demand in their own sec
ton Shipments from the West do
not commence TO arrive until later III
the fall. This wear, however, the
East has been called upon to make
good the deficiency caused by the
drought which blasted the early crops
in the usually prolific Middle West.
and it is still an open question to
what extent the latter section can
respond to regular fall and winter de-
mands o. the East.
The wet, soggy weather of spring
and the dry, scorching summer
mon his have greatly impaired the po
tato crops III this vicinity and have
practically ruined the early crops in
the West. The crop III the States is
fairly good. but there is such de-
mand for potatoes in New York
where they are quoted at 81. 30 bar
rel, and in Philadelphia. where they
are quoted at 81, that shippers from
these places go out upon the roads
leading to Washington and stop buck
sters headed for this city. The farm
ers are getting better pr1l es for their
products both locally and from out
side points, than ever before.
In addition to this raiding of the
roads, there are shippers who traverse
the markets and buy up all the surplus
stock left over from the days sales. |
The shippers freight the barrels to
New York, but even with that supply |
there the market continues TO adj |
vance. and as a result the farmers pre-
fer to ship their goods in place of |
offering them forsale to the local deaf |
ers. Up to a week ago potatoes could
be purchased from the retainers for
50 a barrel, which is the normal price. |
The drought III the Middle West
has practically killed the production |
of tomatoes in that section, and the |
of tomato catsup and |
canned goods are forced to buy where
the supply exists. regardless of cost.
1t is the general opinion, however |
that the prices of other vegetables
VIII remain the same as i'll former
years. Onions, for which there are
almost no demand they being WIN
ter food are quoted even lower than
at this time last ear. String beans are
also cheap, but the lima and butter
varieties are bringing higher prices. |
The lima bean is quoted at 80 cents IA
quart, shelled, which Is about 10 cents |
higher than usual. Butter beans
bring IA few cents a quart less, but |
quoted higher than customary. |
String beans are selling from 81 to
50. so a barrel, which is normal at
this time OF year.
The local dealers, both retail and
wholesale, are not handling potatoes
at All so scarce are they.