The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-04-16
WEATHER IS BAD
FOR FRUIT TRADE
STRAWBERRIES AND sNOWBALLs
NOT IN FAVOR TOGETHER.
Butter Is Weak on Tops, but Low
Grades Are Firm-Eggs Are Active,
but Threaten to Go Lower-Cheese
Is on a Dull Basis.

The weather man is putting up an
article that Is very unsatisfactory to the
fruit and produce district. People do
not consume much fruit In cool seasons
as compared with warm weather and es
pecldlly cut down their requirements In
that line when the weather is so rankly
unreasonable as has been the case this
week. 1t has been enough to make even
Texas strawberry homesick, and their
reception here has not been at all satisfac
tory to the trade who advanced the money
to pay their mileage here. The price was
very reasonable to the consumer, and
good sunshiny weather would have made
the strawberry shortcake a staple article
of diet Other lines of fruit have felt the
influence of the general neglect, and the
total movement out for the week has been
under the average for the middle OF April.
The butter market has been in a rather
peculiar condition all the week on top
grades. The local market has been quot.
ably higher on extras than New York, and
the movement out very satisfactory, all
things considered. Receipts have shown
some increase on creamy makes, a good
many makers finding the local market
paying them more than the extreme
east, with a big difference In favor
Of Minneapolis in regard to freights.
Diaries are fine sellers when good enough
for table use, but grades running between
tops and packing stock quality are slow.
Renovators and ladders are after sweet
low grades actively, and this quality
seems fully as likely to advance as best
creamery makes are to decline. Why the
east Is so depressed on butter is still I'M
eXplainabe, as no grass butter is as yet
being marketed
Eggs are active and showed a slight
bulge in price the middle of the week. but
are again settling back to former figures.
More stock is going into storage this
week than last. but the amount seeking
hot ntn will h. 1ir,l,E
than for April last year, as the price is
too high to be attractive to all Wno would
like to mix in. On basis of to-day's
quotation, eggs out of storage next fall
will cost from 1872 to 10 cents per dozen,
around 81 per case above last years
figures. Large buyers will undoubtedly
hold back, but there is no doubt that a
larger number of large restaurants and
hotels will put up their own goods, re-
membering too well the high prices they
had to pay during the past winter.
Large holders of cheese are listening
for prices to strike bottom. The situa-
ton is unusual this year, in that retailers
generally loaded up heavily early and still
have more or less to clean up which cost
them more than the present market price
This leaves no jobbing outlet for the
maker, and they are cutting prices fright
fully In order to get the goods out of
their hands. New brick is again coming
in freely, and quotations show a decline
Of III cents for the week. Swiss makes
are virtually cleaned up.
The poultry market Is somewhat dull
and very heavy receipts would put values
on the decline. Consumers are not buy
Ing freely, and generally preferring frozen
stock, as. the favor is considered better.
Dressed stock Is beginning to be neglected
as weather Is expected to turn warmer
each day. The shipping of live is prefer
able from now on, as they will carry better
than dressed. A considerable shrinkage
can be prevented by not overlooking
coops. A great many are smothered in
transit from this cause.
The meat list is steady. Veal declined
early in the week, but shows fairly good
tone to-day on desirable carcasses. Low