Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-23
FARM PRICES SHOW
MORE STEAD|NESS.
Slight Declines Occur During
Week, but Market Tone
Is Better.

Prices Of some farm products were
still slanting downward near the end
of the year, but the losses were mostly
not severe, compared with the sharp
declines near the middle Of the month,
says the United States Department OF
Agriculture, Bureau of Agricultural
Economics, Market News Service. Grain
markets were fairly steady the third
week of December. Cotton prices gained
q little. Livestock sold higher under
reduced supply. Fruit and vegetable
markets were dull, without much
change. Butter prices fell away sharp
ly, ana the egg position continued weak
under liberal supplies from storage ana
increasing fresh receipts. =.
Trading in cheese continued slow IN
producing sections. Business was hard
ly sufficient to move current receipts.
The third week of December proved
continuation of the light trading OF the
last three months. Up to that time, the
trade output Of Wisconsin warehouses
for 1880 exceeded that during the same
period of 1929 by over 100000 pounds,
while the trade output up to the week
ended December Is, 1880, was approx
mately that much lighter than in 1928
smaller volume of cheese moved during
the past three months in 1880 than In
1929 No material changes were noted
on any Of the more important consum-
ing markets, except New York, where
quotations were reduced around l cent
on state" goods on account OF one
lower replacement costs OF Wisconsin
cheese. Even though price reductions
were ii1lfnaterial, dealers were pushing
A. NJ yNnaCihiu
prices.
Butter Production Increasing.
Butter receivers on all markets re-
port slight increases in the number
Of tubs received from their regular
shippers. Many reported shipments
from factories that for some time nave
creases, while not large, were .suf1clent
to indicate the upward trend or pro-
duction. The larger milk-consuming
ceratets are amply supplied with mud
milk and cream and some surplus
cream is being churned, Many con-
denseries are oversupp1ed with raw
material, and this surplus in most In
stances is being made into butter.
although some milk from condenserieS
has gone into cheese. Holdings OF
butter in the 10 markets on Decem-
Der 10 were in the neighborhood OF
tan million pounds less than year
AFRO. but were more than eleven million
pounds heavier than the corresponding
date In 1928.
Egg Market Doing Better.
Receipts of eggs at the principal
markets were slightly less after the
middle Of the month, although ex-
ceeding by a substantial margin re-
ceipts for the corresponding time
wear ago. The slight restriction OF cur
rent supplies, especially from the MID
west and nearby Eastern areas, COM
bined with q stronger consumption
demand as :. result Of the recent low
ering of res.'l prices, caused the mar
ket to :tea"y me first part Of the week
and tovaru the latter part OF the
week grin bcc' some Of the losses suS-
tanned curing lcte November ana early
December. Some Of the large cnam
stores in Eastern cities are now retail
ing storage eggs at 70 cents per qo1 ~.
They report substantial trace ~ ''ilS
The market on poultry is relatively
nuist Receipts of Western chickens
are exceptionally liberal, but as there
was a good demand for top-grades for
current consumption and With tend
ency to store q large proportion OF tne
remainder, the market closed larry
steady. The movement OF turkeys 70
market from the large turkey producing
states has been relatively light and
should consumption demand develop as
Anticipated year-end prices Will De
several cents per pound higher than at
THANKSGIVING. A firm market for tur-
KEYS at Christmas will have Its erect
in causing higher prices for fancy poul-
try OF other kinds.
live Stack Sells HlEheF.
sliehter receipts after the middle of
December helped to lift the Chicago
cattle market out of o To-day period OF
depression. High-grade yearlings suit
able for the special Christmas trade
reached the highest point OF the season
and well finished mature steers came
close to the top. The general run OF
fed steers and yearlings closed 70 70
so cents higher. Dizziness in the dressed
beef market continued, but with re-
ceipts held down to limited numbers
some Improvement In the dressed mar
ket was expected after the holidays.
Demand for hogs was restricted, re-
fiecting an unsatisfactory fresh pork
outlet, but prices gained slightly.
Lighter weights continued to top the
discount heavyweights, particularly
those above 2e0 pounds. Top for the
week was 1925, the bulk Of hogs SELL
Ing below So for the third week Of De-
The lamb top for the week at Chi
caRo was $3.50, the bulk of the better
GRADES closing from SO to $S.25. The
comparatively small supply OF range
lambs sold promptly. Prices were con-
sales Of wool on the Boston market
were limited, and prices fairly steady.
Grain Markets Unsettled.
Domestic grain markets continued
unsettled after the middle Of December.
Wheat futures for old crop grain were
fairly steady, but increased offerings
of cash wheat lowered premiums ct
several markets. Corn declined rather
sharply rs marketing increased and
demand remained of only moderate
volume. Oats and barley markets weak
etled with corn. Rye declined with feed
grains and fax was slightly lower, in
fiuenced by further declines in Argen-
tine prices and o slow crusEer demand
for domestic seed. -
Prices Of wheat feeds declined sharp
" at Middlewestern and Eastern mar
kets. Mild weather conditions and En"
eral grain feeding Of wheat on farm
were restricting inquiry from consumers
and the approaching holiday and inveri-
tory period was tending to limit pur-
cl1ases by dealers, jobbers and manu-
factiirers. Lirlseed meal prices were
about 81 lower In some markets. Linseed
meal was quoted at Chicago soon after
the middle of the month at $3.50, or 81
under the Minneapolis quotation.
Since the beginning of the season,
production of cottonSeed meal and ship
ments into consuming channels this