The St. Mary banner., 1922-07-22
LA. STRAWBERRY
CROP NOT GOOD
Financial Returns Prove Dis
appointing. Tennessee Led
In Car Shipments.

In contrast with the results expert
enced in recent shipping seasons, says
department of agriculture bulletin
issued at Hammond, La, the 1922
Louisiana strawberry return generally
proved disappointing, with shipments
only slightly in excess of those Of
1921, while the acreage was nearly
double
Acreage during the past season was
estimated at approximately 11,160, as
against 7700 last year. Shipments to
May 10, however, were only 1875 cars,
compared with 1454 last season.
Killing frosts during the second
week In March prevented all prospects
Of an active early movement, while
heavy rains at the end of the month
caused an additional reduction in the
quantity of berries available for ship
ment at that time Heavy shipments
to Northern markets from Tennessee
and Arkansas points resulted in price
declines, which caused Louisiana ship
pers to withdraw.
Until March Is, the bulletin contin-
ues, the movement was largely of
small express shipments, purchased
locally and in Chicago. On that date
several solid cars were sold at $4.75
Q crate Of "a pints.
Active bidding on a car of best
quality resulted in a price of $500,
said to be the highest ever paid in the
district.
Rains again delayed shipping and
were responsible for poor fruit, which
condition caused price declines. By
the end of March the +. o. b. market
had fallen to $3.50, but with improved
quality it recovered and by April
was ranging around $4.25 when rains
again set in. BY the 7th prices had
fallen to range of So.
Daily shipments averaged more than
sixty cars from April 8 to 20, reach
ing a peak on the 18th, when eighty
cars were shipped. Cold weather in
Northern markets and slow local de-
mand lowered prices to range
around 81.
The end Of the season and an i'm
proved condition of the crop sent
prices above So for a short time.
North Carolina shipments and Arkan-
sas and Tennessee prospects killed the
market and there was no recovery.
The local market remained dull and
weak.
Distribution was wider than ever
before, eighty-seven cities in thirty
two states and four Canadian prov
inces receiving Louisiana fruit, with
three joint shipments to Portland,
Me-, and Portland, Ore, the extremi-
ties of great triangle with Hammond |
as its center. The 1921 distribution
was to sixty-seven cities.
with improved quality and better
inspection of grade, says the bulletin,
there is no reason why Louisiana ber-
ries cannot be distributed to a larger
number of markets in future years.
Competition from other producing Sec
tions has not been serious during the
month of April in the past, but it is
not improbable that. Florida will
lengthen her shipping season in the
next few years. Therefore 1t is es..
sential that the Louisiana pack and
grade be improved still further If the
state is to uphold its reputation for
high quality fruit, properly packed"
Independence led In car shipments.
according to q table included in the
bulletin. loading total of 41S cars.
Other loadings were as follows: Ham.
nond, BIZ; Ponchatoula, 267; Amite.
LIS; Albany, 147; Woodhaven, ITO:
rickfaw. IS; Denham Springs, 43:
Doyle, IL.
Tennessee led all states in car shin.
nents. loading 1904. Arkansas was
'econd, with 2064, Missouri third, with
1854. and Louisiana fourth, with 1908.
Total shipments for all states were
lS,172.