The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1909-01-09
LOOK FOR DROP IN PRICE
Dealers Expect Potatoes Eggs and Fruits
Butter to Stay up.

Dealers Expect Potatoes. Eggs and Fruits
Butter to Stay up.
You can watch for a decrease rath-
er than an increase In the price Of po-
tatoes from now until spring. said a
local fruit and produce expert who has
control of the largest business in this
line in northern Wisconsin..and Michi-
gan. 'You can also look for decrease
in the price Of eggs within the next
several weeks. also in oranges. fruit of
all kinds and probably hay and grains.
Butter. however. will remain at its
present price until the spring crops of
fodder and spIing pasturing increase
the yield Of butter fat in the cattle
and decrease the cost of feeding.
Potatoes this year. according TO the
above authority, have had rather err
ratic flight up ana down the range of
market prices but will end with food
OF the market with the product and
general break in prices He explains
his assertions in this way. Last fall
number of the farm magazines printed
bear stories OF heavy shortage in
crop. when, in fact, the crop was fully
as good as it was the year preceding
They advised the farmers TO hold the
stocks of potatoes and not TO part with
Them under any conditions until the
following spring The big warehouse
men located in Waupaca and other po-
tato centers, who have warehouse room
for millions OF bushels. were thus un-
able TO obtain potatoes from the farm
ers to ill the warehouses AS a result.
potatoes have been high, as the farmers
would not sell and the warehouse men
have had none 20 relieve the situation
with This fact has developed an un-
usual situation and the farmers. with
only a short time between now and the
time when the.crop from the south and
from Europe must come in. have
seventy-fiye per cent Of last season s
yield still on their hands. whereas last
year they only had twenty i've per
cent of the yield on hand at this time
The Daily Trade Bulletin shows that
on December 2Sth Of this year potatoes
In Chicago were quoted at from GO TO
10 cents, this scale Of prices taking in
all grades. Last year on the same day
the prices were from 40 10 50 cents.
The government crop report shows
that the potato crop in the south will
come up to the average percentage of
the last ten years and the reports also
show heavy European yield. As soon
as the potato price reaches seventy
cents, the European shippers will Hood
the seaboard towns with stock and
this, together with the southern yield,
will keep the price down. The ulti-
mate result will be general dumping
Of potatoes on the market from all
sides aud as the market is regulated
only by supply and demand. the prices
will DO shattered aud the parties who
have held their potatoes until the last
minute will feel the blow heaviest
Butter on December 2sth was quoted
in the Trade Bulletin at 81 cents for
what IS known as etxra. Last year
the same butter could be found ON the
quotation sheet az 20 cents The week
following this date last year showed
decrease OF seven cents and il may be
that similar decrease will take place
this year The price will probably
stay firm, however. until spring
Eggs. known as Prime Firsts, were
quoted on December 2sth in the Bulle-
tin at 81 cents Last year the same
stock was quoted at % cents The fall
ing in price Of eggs will come during
the next few weeks
Hay was quoted In the Bulletin on
December 2sth at from 1 TO i2 dollars
per ton for No | timothy. Last year
'on the same day the same stock was
quoted at 10 and "a dollars per ton.
Oranges on Decebmer 2Sth were
quoted at from 81 10 80 25 per case
while latt year the same stock sold on
the same date at ST. 70 per case. The
apparent increase in oranges and fruit
is caused by the better times that ex-
ist this year over last and which have
a tendency TO increase the demand and
likewise the price.