Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-10
VEGETABLE PRICES
IN HIGHER RANGE
Some RecoverieS From De.
cline Earlier in Month
Are Reported.

Prices Of Northern vegetables show
some recoveries from the moderate de-
clineS made earlier in the month and
the general market level Is gtin far
above the lowest of early Spring, says
the United States Department Of
Agriculture, Bureau of Agricultural
Economics, Market News Service. Ship
ments have been declining during the
flrst 10 days of April and Southern crops
have been delayed. Potatoes are selling
at price range about midway between
the lowest and the highest of the month
before. Onions have lost but little of
the seasons sharp advance. Sweet
potatoes are in rather light supply now
and hold market values firmly.
Growers May OverpIant.
The recent upward turn of the fruit
and vegetable market near planting time
may not be altogether favorable TO
growers from the longtime point Of
view If 1t should tend to prevent needed
reduction In acreage. Carlot receipts
some weeks have been 20 per cent
greater than year ago. Total seasons
shipments have been 10 TO IL per cent
greater this season. If growers carry
out their recent ideas of liberal planting
the large supplies and low prices are
likely TO continue. since there Is no
special prospect now of very much gain
In buying power of consumers. Even
for some products which show prospect
OF reduced acreage the planting still
would be larger than for any season be-
fore 1890. Planting prospects suggest
liberal supplies the coming season of
potatoes. sweet potatoes, cabbage, onions,
and, in fact, nearly the whole list. The
Spring upturn in price brought about
partly by weather conditions will tend
to increase danger of overplantinR.
There are possibilities, of course, that
the farmers will revise their plans down.
ward and that business conditions will
gain rapidly and that poor growing
conditions in some sections will tend
to make the long-range market prospect
less dubious for producers.
Potato Shipments Increase.
The stimulating effect of the higher
price level began to wear off by the end
Of the first week of April, and potato
shipments from most sections were de-
creasing. The result was a well sus-
tanned level of prices. with some sharp
recoveries, although the market Is still a
little below the top levels of last month.
Nearly all markets report moderate re-
ceipts and fairly good demand for old
potatoes. Arrivals of new potatoes are
have not yet reached heavy volume
The leading line of Northern potatoes.
Maine Green Mountain, advanced to
is cents per 100 pounds in Eastern mar
kets the second week of April, with a
jobbing range of 50 to $225. although
top of $3.50 was reached in Washington,
Cleveland and Atlanta. A confident
feeling was reported prevailing among
growers in Northern Maine. Shippers
.xrrslI sv-w g.
OF $3.50 per barrel for bulk stock, but
some sales were made at that price.
Condition of roads was improving and
haulings from farms increasing. Ship
pers are expecting increased activity
during the second week of April, and
growers are talking about price Of So
per barrel for what stock they have left.
Market for seed potatoes has been
draggy in Northern Maine so far this
month. Demand has come mostly from
New York, Pennsylvania and Southern
New England points. Prices are nearly
unchanged at $2.75 to So per 11-peck
sack at Maine. shipping points. Certi-
fed seed Cobblers sell at $2.75.
New York round white potatoes are
selling at steady prices in Eastern mar
kets at $1.s5 to 50 per 100 pounds.
Haulings are moderate in Western New
York producing sections, demand i'm
proving and market firm, reaching re-
cent new top of SITS per 100 pounds
tons prevail at Midwestern potato.
shipping points and In the Rocky Noun
tain region and the Pacific Northwest.
Prices of Texas and Florida potatoes are
also maintained in producing sections.
Dealers in Western New York report :.
that holdings in growers hands are
much lighter than at this time last year.
81
per bushel, but many are holding for
81. Some dealers ask SITS per $50
pounds. Movement of seed potatoes
continues active from this district and
that is one reason for the heavier
movement part Of the time during the ,
past few weeks.
Sweet Potato Markets Firm.
Prices of sweet potatoes were easily
maintained during the first 10 days of
March, owing to decreasing shipments
and the firm markets on other old-crop
vegetables. Daily shipments are seldom
much IN excess Of IS cars, most of them
from Delaware, Tennessee and the Car
olinas. Supplies are rather limited in
Eastern markets. but demand is light at
this time of year, Delaware and Mary
land sweet potatoes of the Jersey type
sell in New York, Baltimore and Pitts
burgh at SITS to $2.25 per bushel. Bos-
ton reached top of $2.40 the second
week of April. New Jersey sweets sold
as high as So in New York, North
Carolina Porto Ricans brought SIPS to
81 so in New York, Philadelphia, Pitts
burgh ana Washington, and reached
top of 50 in Detroit. Tennessee Nancy
Halls sell at S1.65 to SITS in most city
markets. A few Virginia white yams Of
rather ordinary quality ranged 50 to 81
per barrel in Baltimore.
Onion Prices Irregular.
Scattered price advances on onions In
some large Eastern markets the second
week Of April were Offset to some ex-
tent by slight weakness In some produc-
ing sections owing mainly to effect of
some poorly keeping stock. New York,
Ohio and Massachusetts, are still ship
ping few carloads daily and there are
shipments from dozen States but the
heavy supplies this month have been
coming from Michigan, where 800 to 375
cars we're locally reported in storage.
Heavy shrinkage due to sprouting or
decay will account for part of the re-
tonnage, and possibly part of
the holdings will prove unstable on
of condition. The delay in
Texas onions has helped
clean up the Northern onion supply.
Prices of Texas onions have been well
but shipments have not
reached any large volume.