Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-22
VEGETABLE SUPPLY
SHOWS DECREASE
Moderate Shipment of Pc
tatoes, Peaches and Can
taIoupes Aids Prices.

Supplies Of fresh produce have been
coming In somewhat smaller quantities
this month. owing mainly to moderate
shipments Of potatoes and reduced car
lot movement Of peaches, cantaloupes
ana melons after the height Of the
Southern shipping season, says the
United States Department Of Agricui-
ture. Bureau Of Agricultural Economies,
Market News Service. Prices since the
middle OF August have held most Of the
gain made earlier In the month on Do
tatocs and onions. These important
products were selling fairly near the
prices of a year ago. Conspicuous for
high prices was the lettuce speciality,
with quotations about double those Of =
year ago but tending downward again
the third week Of August Unusually
low prices are reported on fruits, In
GLIDING melons and cantaloupes.
Potatoes Fairly Steady.
Carload shipments of potatoes have
shown o tendency 70 regain former
volume since the price advances earlier
In the month. Markets became frYegu-
lar the third week of August and there
were declines In some Of the consuming
centers East and West, although gen
eral level Of jobbing prices shows little
| change. Standard varieties sold mostly
$f.10 to $3.50 per 100 pounds. Shippers
in Eastern producing sections were re-
ceiying 81 to sl.lo. Long Island Irish
Cobblers ranged 81 as to Sl.70, with top
price in Pittsburgh. Maine potatoes Of
the same variety brought $50 in Bos-
ton. Some stock in barrels was still
coming from Eastern Shore producing
sections and selling In q dozen large
markets at s225 TO $2.7s. Producing
sections In New jersey and Long Island
with slow demand and prices 81 to clio
per 100 pounds. or IS cents . nushel.
Scattered reports from many districts
indicated farmers were selling much
stock around so cents, busi1el basis.
Sweet potato shipments have been
light % far this season. but began to
| increase after the middle Of August be-
cause Of activity from the Norfolk and
Eastern Shore sections. Arrivals are
still moderate in nearly all markets, bus
demand IL slow and prices tend down.
ward. showing declines OF Is cents per
| barrel on North Carolina and Virginia
stock In several large markets. A range
| OF 50 to 81 o barrel prevailed On Viz
gtnia sweets Of the Jersey type. Several
Western markets quoted "a TO $3.50 On
Eastern sweet potatoes.
Onion Shipments increase.
The carlot movement Of onions tends
to increase. with new shipping sections
under way and marketing encouraged
| by the much higher price level this
i month. Prices continued upward through
| the third week Of August, with further
gains Of to Is cents per 100 pounds In
| various Eastern markets and correspond
| ing sharp advances In the Middle West
New York yellow stock now sells ct 81
to ti.2S per so pounds IN city markets.
Eastern Shore stock dropped siightly
below 81. New Jersey yellow onions
vancing as cents this week. New York
quoted this stock at $1.t5 to e1.25.
Pennsylvania onions ranged 81 TO 9i.i0
In Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Fifty
| pound sacks sold slightly higher per
| pound than the 10O-pound package,
which Is now much less commonly used
than In previous seasons.
High Prices ON Lettuce.
Good lettuce, Eastern shipments and
Western, has been selling at prices
| highly satisfactory to producers this
month. The market has receded little
since the middle Of August. but Western
stock Is still quoted at S. to 81 per
crate In Eastern markets, and New York
| lettuce Of the Big Boston type brings
SITS to s2.25 per two-dozen crate, COM
pared with less than 81 q year ago. Tops
of $3.50 were reached this week In New
York, Boston and Philadelphia. Ro-
maine sold at 81 to $3.50.
New York state carrots are selling In
Eastern markets ct so cents to 81 per
bushel New York caulifiower was
quoted in New York City at 90 to $3.50
. crate. Celery from New York and
New Jersey sold at steady prices, rang
ing So to $2.50 per two-thirds crate.
Eastern peas OF fair quality ranged 81
to $50 per bushel in New York City.
Melon Prices Low.
Prices of melons seemed to have gone
about as low as they could when sales
ut cents upward were reported from
several of the large markets on the less
desirable sizes and grades Of stock.
Carlot sales by auction In New York
brought prices equivalent to to 30
cents each on various grades and varie-
ties, and similar price conditions pre-
vailed In Baltimore, Washington, st.
Louis and q few other cities. Georgia
is still heavy shipping section, but
considerable stock is on the market from
States farther North and from the Mid
die West.
Cantaloupes are reported in moderate
supply, with demand fairly good, but
price trend was irregular, with some
markets higher after the middle Of the
month. Maryland and Delaware can
taloupes advanced in New York. Boston
and Philadelphia, but showed little
change in Baltimore and Pittsburgh.
General jobbing range on this stock was
so cents to $l25 per standard crate.
Peach Market Strengthens.
Prices of peaches have shown an
upward tendency since the middle OF
August because Of lighter receipts. Most
Of the large Northern cities now report
supplies moderate and demand fairly
good. Maryland, Delaware and several
Midwestern shipping sections are be-
coming active. Maryland, Delaware and
Virginia Hileys sell In New York, Bal
timore and washington at IS cents to
81 per bushel North Carolina FL
bertas advanced IS cents in some mar
kets and sold ut 81 to 81 so per car
rier or per bushel Virginia and Mary
land Bellies brought top Of &2.25 per
carrier in New York, but general range
was 81 to $1.25 In buShel packs. Con-
siderable stock sold in washington and
Baltimore at so cents to 81 per bushel.
Virginia and Maryland EFbertas were
quoted at 81 TO S1.25 per bushel.
About O dozen States are shipping
early apples, but total movement Is still
rather light partly owing TO the low
prices and the severe competition with
peaches, melons and cantaioupes.
Standard varieties sell In the large
Eastern markets ut so cents to &1.2s
per bushel.
Reports from British markets indi-
cate that supplies of American early
apples were light In mid-August and
prices comparatively high, but larger
receipts were expected later IN the
month London quoted VIRGINIA VII