Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-07-26
SPUD PRICES
TAKE TUMBLE
Rapid Recovery Indicated
By Curtailed Shipments
From Producing Area
Especial to The HeraId.)

prices declined sharply last week,
due to heavy supplies in terminal
markets, but a rapid recovery is in
dicated by greatly curtailed ship
mentS from producing centerS, says
M. G. Gregory, local representative
OF the market news service, United
STATES department of agriculture, in
In weekly review Of fruits and veg
etAbles.
Produce markets we're in a some
what confused position the third
week of July" he says, and explains:
shipments of many products re-
Gently have been quite heavy, and
the liberal supply in terminal mar
kets made it difficult for prices TO
rebound and rise again under the
lighter shipments of last week. Po-
tatoes from eastern producing sec
tions dropped fully $1.00 per bar
rel at shipping points and in some
consuming centers, with c~orresOnd-
ing declines on midwestern stock.
But the sudden decrease Of about
40 per cent in carlot shipments CT
potatoes during the past week
should aid the price situation con-
siderably. Supplies of watermelons,
lettuce and tomatoes also decreased
rather sharply, SO that the COM
bined movement of tWenty-nlne
fruits and vegetables was only 49,
$50 cars, compared with 1880 the
preceding week and 29,4OO during
the same period last year.
Markets were unsettled for can
taloupes, watermelons and tomatoes,
but good peaches, onions and ley-
tuce held rather firmly in most dis
tribution centerS. Lettuce was lower
at California shipping points, be
cause of inferior quality. WatermeI-
ons tended upward in producing dis
tricts."
Potatoes Declined Sharply
Apparently the terminal markets
are temporarily over-supplied with
potatoes. Buyers were holding off at
eastern shipping points, and the
fob. price of the best CobblerS on
the Eastern Shore declined rapidly
last week to $500 per barrel. High
est level of the season was reached
on Monday, July Is, when the fob.
market on barrels was ~S5.15-S5.25,
and on 100 ID. sacks $3.50. However,
with the sudden decrease in ship
ments of new potatoes and the scar
city Of old stock a recovery Of prices
would not be unexpected. Eastern
shore of Virginia shipments dropped
to 1855 cars for the week n Mary
land decreased slightly to 800. Nor
folk section shipped only 10 cars.
Kansas increased to 685, Kentucky
to $50. and Missouri to IS cars. Cal
ifornia, also, was making somewhat
heavier shipments. The potato sea-
son opened in such important sec
tions as New Jersey, Long Island,
West Virginia, Minnesota, North Da-
kota and Nebraska. Total output
last week was $50 cars, compared
with about $500 the preceding week.
Colorado expects to ship about LOCO
cars between now and September.
Tomato Spplies Decrease
Tennessee was still the leading
source of carlot supplies for toma-
toes. though the season in the west
ern part of that state is now nearly
finished. HOMEGROWN tomatoes Will
soAn be adequate for local needs IN
many markets. CarlOt movement
last week decreased to $50 cars, OF
which Tennessee was credited WIN
$40, Arkassas with 40 and Virginia
with 90. Movement from Maryland
increased to 10, and from 20
e. cars. California shipment only
about 70. Chicago wholesalers were
getting ~$1.O0-O1.25 per four-basket
crate of Tennessee stock, and lug
boxes from Tennessee and Arkansas
were jobbing in several markets at
Al 75-S2.75. Illinois tours brought 5Oc
FL S1OO in Chicago. Pittsburgh oeal-
ers quoted 12-quart climax baskets
nf hest Ohio tomatoes at $1.35-Sl.5U.
MARYLAND and Virginia slx-basket
crates sold generally at S1.OO-Sl.7o
in eastern cities, while the 2O-quart
boxes from New Jersey ranged Sl.5O
to $500. Carlot shipments began n
New Jersey and Indiana.
Onion Prices Holding Well
Movement Of onions was slowly
gaining, as shipments became more
active IN Walla Wal!a district OF
washington and as the season
ouened with a large number Of cars
from Iowa, Massachusetts, Pennsyl-
vania, and Illinois. Washington
shiuped 2O5 cars, California held
steady with 100 for the week; New
Jersey originated IS but Virginia
dropped to 35. Combined output
was about 600 cars, or $50 rlCre
than during the same period last
SIMMER. About 20 additional car
loads arrived from Spain and this
imported stocked jobbad IN several
markets at $~2.00-S2.40 per crate.
Domestic onions ruled generally
firm to higher. Washington yellow
varieties were jobbing at S 300-S3.50
sacked per 100 lbs, Just about the
same as arrivals from the Stockton
district of California, Kentuck stock
of variable quality, ruled ~S2.25-3.75
hut early shipments from MaSsachu-
setts sold at $3.O0-$3.25 in eastern
cities. California white onions,
hacked in crates we're bringing
mostly $500 on the Chicago market
while 1OO-lb. sacks sold in other
consuming centers at $4.75-S5.00.
White onions from New Jersey were
ffrra in New York City at 1925
sacked per 100 lbs, compared with
busAel hampers Of yellow stock at
s~1.75-$2O0. Virginia yellowS brought
o1ly $1.50-$1.60 per bushel.
Lettuce Acreage Increased
Reports on the intended acreage
of fall lettuce point to a Is per cent
increase over paintings Of last year.
California which grows nine-tenths