Evening star., 1931-12-22
VEGETABLE PRICES
. REMAIN UNSTABLE.
Market Shows Little Ten
dency to Move Upward.
T Shipments Light.

orally lower levels prevailing t!!s~ ---0
says the United States Departfnehe, o.
Agriculture. Bureauof Agricultural ECO
tl0n7ics, Market News Service. The
onion market shows almost the only eX-
ample Of q fl{p position and tendency
TO occasional further prlce advances
Still despite the low price leYelS OF
potatoes, sweet potatoes and apples
there are important lines selling as high
or higher than they sold last season,
these include onions, potatoes, cabbage,
celery lettuce and carrots. Potato ship
ments continue rather light. but the
supply seems to have no present effect
On prices. Cabbage sells at level
slightly below the top Of the advance
made in November and early December.
Apples Of sound quality move at gener-
ally unchanged prices. The main eX-
ceptions are the lower returns for COM
mon storage fruit that was not keeping
we'll Prices of fresh vegetables tend
downward at this time of year with the
increasing receipts from the South
Shipments of produce have continued
! for MANY weeks at the low level OF
about 5000 cars per day. Apples and
most of the vegetables have been NOV
ing this season in smaller volume than
for the season before, resulting IN
falling off of about one-Seventh IN the
seasons carlot output. Some kinds OF
Southern produce are beginning to IN
crease in volume, and shipments OF
oranges were fairly heavy for the holl-
dav market trade The December crop
.reportS make little change in the Sltua-
stion as compared with month ago.
Yield per acre of potatoes shows IN
crease over the November estimate,
owing to the long growing season TINS
year Acreage of the principal market
truck crops was increased only l per
cent this season, in contrast with heaVy
increases in most previous seasons, and
canning crops were reduced 8 per cent,
compared with the 1890 acreage.
Onion Market Firm.
The trend of the onion market has
continued upward and prices have been
well maintained since the middle of
the month. Shippers in Eastern pro-
ducing sections get as high as 81 per
5O-pound sack on best lots. Market
shipments are light and many of the
onions being shipped have been those
taken from common storage and also
because of purchases by city dealers IN
expectation of higher prices. City
markets have been holding gen
erally firm at a range of Sl.50 to s.
Der so pounds for good stock. There
were advances of 5 to Is cents In seV-
eral of the leading markets. Supplies
were reported moderate, although
holdings on track were considerably
larger near the middle of December as
,mpared with early in the month
n7and varied from slow to fairly &C
Not many imported onions were
ed. Conditions in producing sec
8 varied from steady to firm. Far
sSs m growers were reported hold
ste higher prices Growers and
fh also are disposed to await high
lerS in Western New York. Some
prices future delivery were as high
s for er 100 pounds for large sized
AIS st of the present shipments
a. Nc section are from common
o. that ndtionS are uncertain IN
aga. ca producing sections, owing
las sniGn-. nditions. The crop was
weatl ler &C hat as a result of dry
bved AomeW ting time and the mar
ther a, plan be later than usual II
season may iding a long time fol
ling, thus prov 'rthern crop.
bosal of tlle NJ 1tatoes continue ir
hipments OF p between 400 ano
moderate totak track holdings
cars dailN -Mh ndency compared
Nv decreasing A nth. The price
h early in the me 'intain the i'm
IL has failed 40 mt in December
vement recorded earn have sunk tc
fact, some nlaN<ets draggv trad
er levels because et tne Moderate
conditions prevA illne are the rule
plies and slow dem ana
Eastern markets. ere STEADY
faine Green Mountains baltimore
the East and firm IN 1 cts. The
shineton and Southern msIA Nents tt
her markets quoted FROM ~ pota.
q per 100 pounds New YorA ant
sagged a little in BaAtlmor wa!
tsburgh. Pennsylvania 49,, ~, cage
hdy at 80 to IS cents. TIN I'm the
rket declined to 10 cents near ii
idle of the month on w 'ScoiA y
lnd White varieties, but that lualh
firm on sales for January de- NeE
higher on March deliveries OF, MIC
stern stock. Prices at country mp
points varied from steady
Ehtlv lower during the third week VI
cember. Dealers in Western NA"
r'z were trying to buy from groWeIS
25 cents a bushel compared with ou
hts recently. New York potatoes have
In finolng desirable outlets in Wash
ton and Southern markets at prices
her than the general average Deal
in the Rochester district have been
ing Round White varieties at o5 10
cents per 100 pounds, compared WIN
to so cents in Western Michigan ana
Wisconsin, and 40 to 43 cents In
rthern Maine. Far Western markets
dull with little change IN position.
Sweet potatoes continue IN mooeIate
liberal supply, but the demand is
w, and prices show no gain from the
levels prevailing for long time.
tginia barreled stock sells at 81 to |
IS in New York and Boston. Ordl-
rv lots of buShel stock from Virginia |
North Carolina bring 25 to 40 cents |
various Eastern markets. New Jersey |
eets range from so to rs cents per
shel. Virginia white yams are little
yer per barrel at S1.25 to $l.35. Con-
cradle Maryland and Delaware stock
selling at 35 to so cents per buShel
the East, but reached top above 81
Mjdwestern markets.
Cabbage Loadings Liberal.
NEARLY 100 cars of cabbage were being
;nped out of storage in Western New
brk daily near the middle OF the
bnth. The dealers have lowered the
ices paid to growers, So to Slo per
a being the general range, Whne car.
S at shipping point bring sl2 10 Slo
r ton Storage holdings are oelng
pidly reduced. Some of the large city
hrkets quoted New York cabbage
tie lower, but the general Jooolng
nee is still SIS to $23 per ton IN the
ct Midwestern markets are variable,
t mostly rather firm. Trend OF prices
Southern cabbage is downward with
e increase in supply. Acreage is
inter this season in many Southern
ipping sections.
prices of celery have been main
ined at higher level than last sea-
n. owing to lighter production, but
any lots have sold at low prices be-
|use of inferior quality. Storage re-
brts indicate about 1000 carloads on
brd in Western New York. Ship
Ients are increasing from California
hd there are few cars coming from
orida. Besides the extra demand that
evelops near the Christmas season, it
generally believed that growers will
~ tn roove a large portion of the