Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-14
FARM PRICES SHOW
DOWNWARD TREND
Fruits, Vegetables and Dairy
i Products Are Reported.
], Moderately Lower. I

Prices Of farm products near the mid.
die of April still showed q slightly
downward trend, says the United States
Department Of Agriculture, Bureau Of
Agricultural Economics, Market News
Service. Fruits and vegetables, dairy
products, eggs and most kinds Of live
stock shared the small to moderate
losses. Grains sold q little higher. Re
cent declines in mill feeds were viewed
with some relief by feeders. Poultry
was q steady feature owing to limited
supplies of fresh-killed stock.
Many Vegetables Lower.
The general trend Of potato prices to-
ward the middle Of April was down
ward. The Chicago carlot market was
lower on Northern round whites at 81 .35
to 81 so, on Idaho rtlsSets at $1.60 To
$1.70 and on Colorado red McClures Of
50 per 1e0 pounds.
lana and California Is estimated only
4 per cent greater than the 1890 pro-
duction. Prices at Texas shipping
points held about steady at $1.10 to
&1.25 per crate for yellow Bermudas.
The crop Of new cabbage in seven
second-early States Is forecast at $4,000
TONS against e2,500 last year. Price Of
GCkGkJ 0CC4A1AC0 Al E1VA4QN AkCaNy
shipments. The Louisiana strawberry
market was In strong position. The
lettuce-shipping season in Arizona IL
ending earlier than expected. Country
apple markets continued firm around
the middle of April. Southern tomatoes
showed q wide price range in city mar
kfaa, but shipping point sales were made
at nrm prices.
Butter Fairly Steady.
Some butter dealers were not expect
ing any sharp advance in the price at
the moment and appeared to feel that
1here was greater possibility Of slight
downward revision than any advance.
Arrivals Of butter ranging from 81 to 90
score miscellaneous lots have been light
throughout the past few month";. But4
Stermakers appear to be putting forth
greater effort to lesson the make of low
( score butter by encouraging the dairy
men to take better care OF their cream.
Cream is being purchased on o graded
basis with penalties assessed against the
inferior quality. The easier feeling so
apparent In the mid-April market was
partially due to the reports Of increased
production and the slight increase In
arrivals.
The anticipation Of decline in cheese
prices ON country boards in the near fu-
ture had somewhat depressing effect
on the fresh cheese trade in distributing
markets the second week of April. Buy
ers were interested only In orders large
enough to I'LL current needs.
Egg Output Moderate.
Some little encouragement was af-
9orded the April egg trade by the fact
that while receipts Of eggs are sti1 on
the increase from week to week, the
weekly increase is becoming smaller and
smaller, indicating that the season Of
peak production is rapidly approaching.
When this peak Is reached q general
strengthening Of the market Is antfci-
pated by many, but the mid-April price
trend slanted downward.
Nearby broilers are In light receipt
and there Is good demand for birds of
top quality. Many Of the nearby ship
ments, however, were ungraded and
particularly unattractive, making 1t diff
Acult for dealers to move them except
at irregular prices. The sharp decrease
IN fresh killed receipts has developed a
much stronger demand for cold storage
fowls.
Cattle Slightly Lower.
The average cost Of fat steers at
Chicago during the second week Of
mately 81 per 100 pounds under the
corresponding week Of 1880. Demand
for stocker and feeder cattle continued
slow.
Good and choice lightweight hogs
eupplanted q portion Of the unfinished
kinds which have constituted most of
the underweig1t contingent The sup
ply Of heayies was ample for the de-
mand. although there was slight let
up in offerings Of all weights above $50
pounds. Packing sow receipts con-
Rinued meager. Lightweight hogs sold
up TO 46.25.
Lambs were stilI as to SO cents
higher than early April with later
scarcity stimulating factor. Wooded
lambs reached $40. The Spring lamb
market was q different affair. Prices
early in the season are always subject to
violent Quotations, and early $14 TO
$3.50 sales dropped TO 3 level Of 80
70 9I4.5O after the Greek Easter de-
nambs were selling at $40 to $l2 toward
the middle Of the month.
Eastern wool markets continued slow,
although reports from mills indicated
that wool consumption was being MAIN
tanned at a fairly steady rate.
Grain Markets Firm.
Domestic grain markets strengthen
Id somewhat near the middle Of April.
Moderate domestic marketings, smaller
shipments from the Southern Henri
Sphere, and rather unfavorable weather
for Spring seeding In Canada were
strengthening influences In the wheat
&narket. A steady inquiry for the
4ighter receipts Of feed grains brought
about Q slight advance In prices Of
corn, oats and barley at some markets.
Rye strengthened with wheat and hax
sold slightly higher The domestic
Winter wheat crop continued TO make
favorable progress the frst half Of April
european wheat markets were generally
steady with q more active demand pre-
Wailing for foreign wheat in Continental
europe.
Feeds Sen Lower.
Feedstuffs worked irregularly lower at
markets east Of the Rocky Mountains
kduring the first half Of April, with less
khctive consumer demand and some IN
Grease In market supply. Price changes
I'm cottonseed meal and linseed meal
fwere small in comparison to those Tor
wheat mill feeds and the general tend
ency was downward.
Timothy and clover hay markets were
generally steady to slightly stronger near
1.-The middle Of April. with the compare
ECondition Of pastures was below the
usual average in practically all states
Aexcept IN the Pacific Northwest and
BORDEN EMPLOYEES GIVE
I TO DROUGHT SUFFERERS