Los Angeles herald., 1905-02-16
SPOT CORN
CLEANED UP
NONE CARRIED BY J0BBEdS
AND SURPLUS LIGHT
Eggs 3teady-5utter In Large supply
and Active Demand-FIsh Are
Searce-Rabbits Wanted.
Bananas Firm

heavy pack Of corn in the middle west
the stock in first hands there at the
present time is closely cleaned up. Ac-
cording the #. L. Dutton of Grafton
Junction, Ia, who is visiting the trade
here, the situation in spot corn in that
section is good. I'VE, as the largest
packers in the country" he said on
Saturday, haven't case of standard
corn, nor have we had for several
months. The holdings of good STAN
dard corn in first hands throughout
the west are very light. We are un-
able to learn that any is being carried
by the packers. What there may be
in jobbers and speculators' hands is
matter for conjecture, but L do not
think that 1t is excessive. The situation
as to prices Is different in the east.
We in the west are we'll cleaned up
on tomatoes and peas as well as corn,
and the low prices named on those
commodities here do not prevail there.
There are two or three lots of Off
standard corn, aggregating number
Of thousand cases, which are offering
in the west very low. 1t is mixed with
field corn and contains a good many
hard, yellow kernels. Yet buyers in the
Missouri river section stand ready to
buy 1t at 55c a dozen.
$50 far as future western corn is
concerned it is my firm belief" said
Mr.. Dutton, that the present price of
621a cents f. o. b. factory will look
cheap to jobbers sixty to ninety days
from now. There Is little or no profit
in it for packers on that basis. When
you consider that the packer can take
his invested capital and put it on
safe proposition there Is no inducement
for him to risk it on corn. We are
having the same trouble with farmers
that we have every year in getting
them to grow sweet corn for canning.
They are getting such good prices for
field corn, which requires little culti-
waiting, that they do not care to plant
the other kind, which requires much
attention and yields less satisfactory
returns. Grafton Junction has made
a price of 65 cents for standard corn,
but we are not pushing sales, as we
believe that by holding off we will get
more money. The Iowa packers were
the first to make the low price on 1905
pack and we had to follow suit to pro-
tect our trade in the middle and fur
ther west"
There has been a good deal of talk
about the quality of western corn, but
Mr.. Dutton showed a large number of
letters from jobbers from all sections
of the country expressing complete
satisfaction with the quality of the
goods delivered this season. "These
show" he said, "that the quality of
western corn of the 1904 pack is the
reverse of poor. Improvement in quail
ity of the product of our factories is
making further progress by the intro
duction of the calcium process, which
insures perfect uniformity in the pro-
cessing of corn"
BUTTER IN LARGE LOTS-Yester-
day the receipts of butter from the
north reached 45,04O pounds, and this
is to be augmented possibly today by
the arrival of two steamers, the Coos
Bay and the Santa Cruz, that are
overdue three days. The cargoes of
butter are reported in excess of 200
cases. Demand still is active and
shipping is large to territorial points
and southern stations, where stocks
are small. All talk of a reduction of
prices is not seriously considered now,
so the trade says, and will not follow
so long as the favorable prices shall
continue. Valley stock is increasing,
and so is local, as feed conditions are
more favorable, owing to the abundant
and slow-falling rains. 1t is true that
both the Independent and the butter
board operators are carrying large
stocks, still it is said that the demand
is so active that cooking butter and
cut are nelQ at 70 cents.
EGGS UNCHANGED-The reports
from country points show that stocks
of eggs are not large and that this
cold weather has temporarily stopped
egg laying. Taking this view of the
situation, the egg quotation committee
yesterday morning on the produce ex-
change fixed the selling price of Cali
fornia ranch eggs again at 26 cents.
The candled article and the case-lot
oil fzrr
is handling the market with rare
judgment. Not in years has so salts
factory market prevailed for both
shipper and jobber. That prices may
decline as soon as the weather be-
comes warmer and the output of eggs
greater is not denied, but many incline
to the opinion that real low priced
eggs will not be so largely in evidence.
Cheese is as firm as the most active
jobber could request and at present
the demand is taking the receipts full
up. Few large stocks are found on
the floors untouched.
ONINOS RULE FIRMER-In the
onion market the condition is firmer
than in weeks. OF course sprouting is
evident, but the process of sorting
still leaves a good supply of fancy that
are firm at $3.25@9.5O hundred. Com
mon on concessions are from 25 cents
to so cents less
Potatoes that are classed fancy still
remain scarce. 1t seems that Colorados
are not coming here in large lots. De-
mand for the best Is active on ship
ping demand.
FISH AND PRODUCE-Frost has
hurt vegetables and sent prices up.
Fresh peas are 4@6 cents a pound.
string beans 9Q10 cents, cabbage 90c0
$1.00 Il sack for fancy shipping and
lettuce and spinach go cents a sack.
Oranges are limited in the jobbing
to culls that are plentiful from 75c6
$1.15 q box, and these serve to keep
the prices of fancy down.
Bananas are still 4D41a cents a
pound and ripening just as fast as the
trade needs the goods.
Apples for the 27 varieties offered
run from $1.25Q2.2O box on quality
and condition.
Strawberries are very scarce, being
hurt by frost The fancy are 15Q1S
cents and common S@12 cents a box.
In fish, halibut only was freely Of
fered. Other kinds, just enough to
meet trade requirements.
LObSterS were scarce hut crabs from