Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-10-07
Price of Holiday Turkey to
Be Considerably Lower,
Huge Poundage Already Is
in Storage
BY j. C. ROYLE
(Leased Wire Service to The Journal.)
Copyright, 1929


NEW YORK, Oct. 5. - Foreign
producers have invaded what for
centuries has been a strictly Ameri-
can field. The turkey always has
been regarded as typical American
bird, indigenous to this soil, and the
Thanksgiving turkey is a national
institution. But South American,
Australian and New Zealand poultry
men are prepared to compete with
American growers for the place of
honor on the American dinner table
on Thanksgiving, Christmas and
New Years.
AS a result of this and other fac
tors, the American family probably
will pay less for it's Thanksgiving
turkey this year than for the last
five years. A drop of nearly 10 per
cent seems indicated by reports
throughout the country received to-
day.
Shipments of turkeys already have
been received here from PerAam-
buco, the river Platte ports and Aus
tralia, and sold at prices well under
the scale obtaining here during the
holiday season Of 1921, in spite of
the tariff provided in the Fordney
law. Under that regulation, dressed
fowls are taxed SO cents each for
birds valued up toss, and 20 per
cent ad Vaiorem above SIS. The for
eign birds arrived in excellent con-
dition, the Australian fowls being
especially fine large specimens.
1t is still somewhat early to fore
cast definitely the price trend of do
mestic birds at Thanksgiving, but
Geographic reports from producing
and marketing centers received in
the last twenty-four hours indicate
there will be no shortage CT birds to
meet the invasion of foreign fowls.
Weather Favorable
The wee Their has been distinctly
: vorable Cor the delicate young
birds this year except in sections
where the rainfall has been excess
sive. Feed supplies have been large
and of excellent quality. FloCks of
this years birds in Illinois, Iowa,
Indiana, MINI sota, Missouri, Tex
as, Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio and
Tennessee have passed the more
precarious stage of their develop
ment in good shape. They have
their growth alG rom w until
November 80 will put on weight. .
The quality of the Thanksgiving
birds, growers from Cuero and Tenn
pie, Texas, asserted today, will be
Letter thar ever before as the late
ness of Thanksgiving will give the
birds an extra week of conditioning.
This will be of special Lenefit to
northern growers whose flocks have
come on less rapidly than those of
the south.
Minnesota birIs as usual will be
in t ; best demand in this city at
Thanksgiving, as large bj g are at
a premiu l on that holiday when
clan gatherings are the custom. On
Christmas, hown"er, when individ-
ual household usually celebrate,
alone, the smaller southern and mid
'estern birds are Il. premium.
In addition to this years supply,
figures compiled today show that
there are nearly 100000 pounds of
turE-J in storage throughout the
country as against an average for
five years of 2,150,000 pounds.
About 1,250,CG pounds a"e located
in this district alone. Much of this
stock represents birds bought by
dealers last year at 40 to As cents a
pounds to retail at so o So cents
which the public declined to pay.
Movement Heavy
Tie movement of all dressed poul-
try to market throughout the coun-
try in the last two months has
been the heaviest ever known, ex-
ceeding 1911 shipments by so per
cent. Last week New York received
203, 1928 pounds of dressed poultry of
various kinds and had on hand on
Monday 10,211,4 Ala pounds. Bostun
received 1O3,S92.
Dealers in these cities report that
while prices have held up remark
ably we'll under these shipments, a
break in price NIGH be expected at
any time. Such q break might re-
suit in a decided lowering of the
holiday price levels for turkeys as
| well as other fowls.
Tie final and decisive factor in
the turkey price, as in many other
commoditi, S, may be railroad equip
N mt and transportation. A rail
road tie-up crisis after November 1
would Iusc. present stocks of poul-
in storage to be depleted With.
three weeks. The best prices usu-
ally are obtained only for turkeys
Ihich arrive at their markets about
q eek before the holiday. If they
| arrive sooner, demand has not de-
| veloped and if later there is danger
| of a glutted market.
Takir these factors into consid
GRAFTON a price of between AZ and
| 40 cents a pound for Thanksgiving
| birds would seem to be indicated in
n ~ of the markets this. year.
MIXING BUSINESS
is REPORTED GOOD
BY A. u. WeItOn
Leased Wire Service to The Journal.)
Copyright. 1927
CHICAGO, Oct. 5.-Reports made