Los Angeles herald., 1905-02-09
CHEAP TOMATOES
ARE CLEANED UP
CONTRACTS FOR NEW CORN
BEING MADE
Eggs Are steady-Cheese Well Sup
ported-Faney Potatoes Scarce.
Vegetables Wanted-Game
Scarce

I
prices and as an inducement thev Of
tered for tobbers to buy freely in the
| shape OF opening prices 2ta cents less
on corn and cents lower on succotash
! than those that were made last season.
and . cents to ~ cents under the inf-
| tial quotations of 1903. The trade was
not unprepared for the prices of Csc
on 1905 fancy Maine corn and 81 on
succotash that have been announced.
for notwithstanding the discouragng
experiences of the past three years it
has been generally understood that the
packers were disposed to make the
most reasonable prices possible. From
number OF sources i'm touch with
| leading packing interests it has been
repeatedly stated of late that when
prices were opened it would be found
that they would be no higher than
those of last year and that they might
be lower.
Buyers appear to be well satisfied
with the prices as announced and are
reported by packers to be placing con-
tracts freely. According to a state
ment made by a leading broker late
yesterday, the business booked for the
day was much greater than that
done In the same length of
time following the announcement
OF prices last year. Owing to
thC uhNCl ldlllllJ DIS W l0c size OF Lne
crop, contracts are being taken only
subject to the quantity ordered being
packed. None of the packers, 1t Is
said, would care to guarantee more
than rs per cent delivery at the most
CHICAGO TOMATOES GONE-Ac-
cording to C. w. Baker of Aberdeen,
Mo-, the end of the Chicago tomato
season is approaching. In an inter-
view. this broker says:
There were a number of reasons
for the existence of cheap tomatoes
this season aside from those generally
ascribed. In not a few instances pack
ers finding they had to face loss on
their goods became discouraged and
hurried them onto the market to get
through with the disagreeable circum-
stance as soon as possible. Another
cause of forced sales was the fear of
deterioration or loss of stock through
freezing. This was a condition con-
fronting country packers who, after
their experience with frozen tomatoes
last year, had no desire to go through
it again.
The low prices seem to have moved
the weak holdings into consumption
and the end of the cheap goods,
think, is in sight l do not say that
tomatoes are going to advance ma
terially, but L believe we will not see
any weaker market for them. Many
of the Baltimore packers will not sell
below 65 cents and they have all along
been firmer in their views than the
country Gamers. While standard two
pound tomatoes have been offered from
Baltimore at 60 cents, the stock has
come mostly from country factories.
"As to the future, it is too soon to
offer a definite opinion. One thing
seems to be certain and that is that
there will be fewer factories operated
this year, and those that are operated
Will pack fewer tomatoes than they
did last season. This is not only a
result of the unsatisfactory experience
the packers have been passing through
in connection with the marketing of
their product but is due to the attitude
Of the farmer on the question of sup
plying the raw material"
EGGS UNCHANGED-On the pro-
duce exchange yesterday the egg quo
tation committee again fixed the SELL
ing price of California ranch eggs at
q cents, the price that has obtained
for nearly two weeks. Receipts were
larger and dealers think the time for
active laying is at hand. Whether this
will send prices down soon is not eX-
pressed, as there are many who think
that a real low price for local eggs will
not come.
BUTTER IS FIRM-Owing to the
butter steamer Bonita being late and
overdue two days. the quantity of
coast creamery is short and a scram-
BILE is on for supplies. Some dealers
are holding at 50@55 cents roll. The
demand for valley is active and all
receipts are taken. In fact, the in
dependents are reported supplying the
butter board people with stock. The
last storage butter is reported gone,
thus cleaning up the market.
Cheese remains also active and sup
plies of local are short, as 1850 pounds
came in yesterday Demand on ship
ping account is good.
POTATOES STEAD1'-No change is
noted in potatoes. Demand is active
and stocks are going rapidly into mar
ket. The entire southern country is
out of supplies and the receipts, while
heavy do not show surplus.
In onions the market is unchanged
and the fancy rule active at $S00m3.25
Poor goods are as low as $3.50 and
choice $2.75.
POULTRY SCARCE-Owing to the
active laying season raisers are not
sending live poultry to market. Old
stocks have long been sent out. The
demand is active and prices should
attract some shipments. Eastern
poultry is also short in chilled stock,
and few arrivals are noted, as the east
now is taking from storage.
No fish came in and storage was on
hand. Demand is good.
Crabs came in, but Holsters were
out of market.
VEGETABLES SCARCE-Owing to |
the rains and Chinese holiday, the Of |
ferings of vegetables are light. Egg
plant is jobbing at Is cents, peas, 4Gp5 |
cents beans, 7@9 cents. Cabbage is |
7Oc@$100 a sack and tomatoes run |
from $1.15 to $1.25 for choice to $1.5OQ |
lis for fancy. Stocks are small.
Apples are good property as the de-
mand is active. Belleheurs lead in
point of interest, from $135 to $3.50 in
4 and Az tier boxes.
Bananas are firm at cents, the
average, but stocks are not large, ow-
ing to delayed shipments by desert
storms.
Strawberries are more plentiful and
run from 12@15 cents for choice to
1920 cents for fancy Mammoth
Oranges are slow lemons go beg
ging and tangerines and grape fruit
sell on orders only.
Receipts of Produce
The following articles were received !