Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-30
FRUIT SHIPMENTS
ARE MORE VARIED
Southern Vegetable and Cit
rus Supplies Become PIen-
tifuI at Markets.

Fruit and vegetable markets show
larger and more varied supplies with
the progressing of the season. says the
United States Department of Agricul-
ture. Bureau of Agricultural Economics,
Market News Service. Shipments are
heavier than they were year ago ana
are increasing week by week, especially
the Southern vegetables and citrus
fruits. Wholesale prices were mostly
declining through January, and on
many lines of produce the trend was
still downward at the end of the month.
Potatoes were to Is cents per 100
pounds lower than at the beginning OF
January, onions lost 10 to Is cents and
cabbage dropped 50 to SO per ton.
Some varieties of apples lost little
ground Prices of tender Southern
vegetables have sagged back somewhat
from the higher levels which followed
lions. but the hardy Southern cabbage
and spinach are plentiful and cheap in
Northern markets.
Too Many Onions.
The onion market has been in bad
way for some time owing to record
breaking production of Northern and
Western onions and heavy supplies still
unsold IN producing sections. 1t APP
pears that shippers and farmers have
been selling at any available price TO
clear up their holdings before the end
of the active season about two months
later. Prices paid to farmers were as
low as IS cents per 100 pounds in sec
tions of the Great Lakes region ana
the inter-mountain States. The stu
alton is not much better at Eastern
shipping points, where prevailing prices
are around rs cents per 100 pounds on
board cars, and farmers are paid con-
siderably less Onions of the Spanish
type have done rather better than the
standard yellow stock, having advanced
q little during the month at far West
ern shipping points.
New York, Indiana, Michigan and
Ohio are supplying the bulk of car-lot
shipments of standard yellow varieties.
Despite the large crop, shipments have
not increased greatly compared with
last season. Demand for such yegeta-
bleS as onions or cabbage does not in
crease readily when prices are low. 1t
is likely that some holdings in distant
producing sections will scarcely find a
worthwhile market this season, accord
ing to market conditions now in sight.
On the other hand, February sometimes
shows improvement in onion prices,
and it is hoped by growers that the
coming month will follow this tendency.
White onions bring comparatively sat-
isfactory prices at rs cents to 81 per
50-pound sack in Eastern markets
The general jobbing range of Eastern
yellow onions is around 81 per 100
pounds in the large market centers,
but higher prices are quoted in South
eTn markets.
Cabbage Market Dull.
The position of cabbage is something
Ike that of onions The crop of North
ern cabbage was unusually large. Prices
have been hardly more than half those
of last season and the demand does not
increase readily in times of low prices.
Further market trouble resulted from
unusually heavy shipments from the
South this Winter. Texas has been
shipping several times as many cab
bages this season and much of the time
two cars Of Southern cabbage were ar
irving for one car from New York OF
Wisconsin. Sales of bulk cabbage are
mostly at S12 per ton in Western and
Central New York, where the bulk OF
holdings are located this season. This
cabbage sells at SIT to $21 in the large
Eastern markets. Supplies in conSum-
ing centers are reported moderate to
liberal and demand slow. According to
local estimates, there are probably
about 1000 cars of cabbage remaining
in Western New York country storage.
Potatoes Slightly Lower.
Mild Winter weather has favored
liberal shipments of potatoes and tended
to prevent any advancing tendency in
price. Further declines of 5 to 10 cents
occurred in producing sections late in
January. There is considerable stock
yet in the possession of farmers, but
there is uncertainty regarding the
quantity that will be shipped after seed
requirements are filled. Maine Green
Mountains now follow jobbing range
of $1.75 TO 50 per 100 pounds. Selected
Prince Edward Island stock sells lit
tie higher than the general run of
Maine potatoes. Long Island stock
reaches a top of 1925 in New York. A