Milford chronicle., 1931-06-26
Produce Market Notes

With produce shipments now more
than 5000 cars daily, the movement
is fast approaching it's height of ac-
tivity in the mid-season region.
Northern produce becomes more and
more important in the market after
the middle of June. Carlot and mo-
tor truck shipments are increasing
in number and variety along the
line from New Jersey westward.
Potatoes are the market leader in
the countrywide sense. They fill
one car in three of the current out
put of fresh produce. Peaches and
melons are now prominent lines.
Early peas, string beans and cab
bage are coming from the Middle
Atlantic region and early apples
from the South. The strawberry
season has moved to northern ship
ping areas. Prices of most products
show the usual downward summer
trend. Potatoes and cabbage were
important exceptions at times dur
ing the second and third weeks of
June owing to temporary let-up in
shipments.
Strawberry Market Irregular
Although strawberry shipments
have been decreasing rapidly since
the middle of the month, prices have
not advanced in any general way
mainly because of the poorer quality
of the last end of the crop in some
important producing sections. The
best berries are now from northern
States. Prices showed an upward
tendency in Baltimore, ranging Z to
II cents, quart basis, on fruit from
Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey,
New York and Pennsylvania, but
several other markets quoted un-
changed or lower prices. General
range was to Is cents, quart basis.
Middle western markets showed
about the same general conditions.
Supplies are light to moderate near
ly everywhere but slow demand has
prevented any high range of prices.
Shipments are active in the region
from New Jersey westward to the
Great Lakes region and some lots
are moving from New York and New
England.
Shipments from the Eastern Shore
sections of Virginia, Maryland and
Delaware were a little below 700
carlots and were 1S0 cars short of
last seasons output. Greatest de-
crease was in the Delaware ship
ments. Maryland sent 354 cars, or
20 less than last season and Virginia
233 compared with 255 year ago.
The motor trucks have handled a
To, of
season. as compared with the rail-
roads and steamships. Truck ship
ments are reported at SS1 carlots
compared with S79 last season and
were estimated at about Sc per cent
of the market crop. The berry sea-
son was profitable to growers in Vir-
ginia and in the section including
Marion and Princess Anne counties,
Maryland. Growers farther north
encountered lower prices.
Peach Supply Increasing
Shipments of peaches are increas-
ing rapidly from Georgia and the
Car0linas. Early markets do not in
dictate a season of high prices, al
though there were a few tops of 81
to SIS per bushel in eastern cities.
The great bulk of fruit mostly of the
or medium size early vaTie-
ties has been selling around So. The
Georgia peach harvest has been
starting out rather slowly A period
of prolonged dry weather in mid
June caused the early varieties to
mature slowly and also to run heav
lily to small sizes. The small aver
age size of the southern fruit this
season accounts partly for the gen
orally low range of prices in north
ern markets. Quality is good and |
the fruit is rather free from damage
by insects and disease. Shipments
Of the larger and more desirable |