Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-08-31
PRODUCE PRICES DROP
As CROP IS MARKETED
Strawberries Alone Held Up; To-
matoes Rotting on the Vines;
No Glut, is Report.
From Today's Bal timore Sun.

From Today's Baltimore Sun.
Though the Maryland crops have been
only slightly, if any, larger this year than
last, there has been a considerable drop in
prices in all commodities, figures of the
Maryland, Delaware and Virginia and
Baltimore, Chesapeake and Atlantic rail-
way lines for the months of June, July and
August indicate. With the crops of several
vegetables almost entirely IN, general
drop in price has been shown, though it did
not come until late in the season. There
has been no glut of produce, they show. !.
II. III. Soulsby, general freight agent of
the lines, said yesterday that about 300
carloads of cucumbers and 600 of cam
taloupes had been handled, which was
about the same last year The market on
both held good until about so per cent of
the crop was in, when it took sudden
drop. As result the farmers are not
bothering about these products now and
are letting some of the crop go to waste.
Mr.. Soulsby and his assistants have
been trying to estimate what the line will
do in the handling of tomatoes, but condi-
tions are so uncertain, he said, that no one
can tell what will be done. The Gamers.
he said, have large stocks of canned
tomatoes left over from last year, which
must be sold at high price to bring a
profit. If they buy many tomatoes for
canning this year there will be an over
supply, and they will be forced to sell the
present stocks at a loss. They, therefore,
want to pay the farmers as low price for
the 1920 crop as possible. The farmers
say that if they cannot sell at profit, they
will nofsell at all They want from 40 to
so cents basket. The Gamers are willing
to pay only 20 and % cents.
EASTERN SHORE ACREAGE SMALLER.
Reports from the Eastern Shore, said
Mr.. Soulsby, indicate that smaller
acreage than ever was planted this year,
despite the fact that prices now are lower
than they have been for several years.
Mr.. Soulsby believes that the yield per
acre is larger than formerly, and that
unless the farmers let the tomatoes rot
there will be as large crop as before.
So far, the boats of the line have handled
few tomatoes. The daily freight reports
show very few coming In, and those that
are arriving are for domestic consump-
tion. The local canning houses are ap-
parently waiting until there is some con-
crete development in the situation.
STRAWBERRIES ALONE GOOD.
About the only crop that maintained
a price good for the farmer was the straw
berry crop. MIR. Soulsby has found. The
price of berries started at about 35 cents
q box and remained that high all season.
Records OF the line show, too, that re-
ceipts were as nigh as ever. There was no
glut, but the berries came steadily and sold
at price high enough to encourage the
farmer to pi. all his crop.
Watermelons, whi>h now are at the
peak of the season, are not doing so well,
a lcording to the figures of the line. Last
wear $50 carloads of melons were received.
To date only $50 carloads have come in,
and from present prospects the total re-
ccipts will be about 800. The melons are
smaller than before and are not of so good
a quality, due, probably to bad weather
The weight for good melons should be
40 pounds, Mr.. Soulsby said; this year
they weigh 20 or 25 pounds. The price,
therefore, is correspondingly low.
The heavy, rains, which lowered quality
are responsible for low prices, |
believes Mr.. Souisby, and not glut on,
the markets. There have been no gluts |
he SAID and will be none unless the can
ners refuse 10 put up any more tomatoes |
until they dispose of their present stocks.