Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-09
MARKETS
POINTING HIGHER
Larger Shipments Mark Turn
of Year-Potato
Values Firm.

The produce markets started the year
With larger shipments and some ten
dency to higher prices; at least the
advances made in late December on
potatoes and cabbage and few other
lines have been fairly well maintained,
says the United States Department of
Agriculture, Bureau of Agricultural Eco
| Monies. Market News Service Demand
Is very good, but hardly active enough
to take the increasing supplies for any
great length of time and still hold the
recent price gains. Heavier shipments
have been the rule this month for po-
tatoes and Southern or Southwestern
| green produce.
More Potatoes Shipped.
| The slightly higher prices at potato
shipping points this month led to some
increase of shipments and the markets
weakened a little at some shipping
| points. On the whole, the net advances
| OF last month have been holding quite
well. The increase Of shipments to an
| acreage of about 700 cars daily tends
| TO increase the market supply, but as
| yet the large market centers report only
| moderate holdings and fairly good de-
mand Apparently the surplus has
| been taken out by buyers who were
anxious to foreStall further advances in
! price. Much of the shipping activity
! is from Maine and the Rocky Mountain
region According to the quantity ship
| ped and apparent production, there
would still be some $4,000 cars to come
| from the Far West, mainly Idaho and
Colorado, and a somewhat smaller
quantity from Maine. These two re-
gions would supply about two-thirds
| of the remaining shipments of old stock.
Accordingly, shippers in other regions
are watching prices carefully from such
sections as Idaho and Northern Maine.
Shippers in Western New York place
considerable Importance on prices and
conditions at Presque Isle, Me.
Potato shipments BY rail are of only
moderate Importance in Western New
York and daily loadings rarely exceed
80 to 40 cars in the Rochester district
Growers have been receiving lately IS
cents per bushel for potatoes in bulk.
The potato market the Maine has been
reacting from the heavy supplies brought
by farmers during the price advances
Of early January The heavy haulings
brought a temporary drop in the price,
but recent sales have been restored to
prevailing range, near 81 40 per 100
pounds for sacked stock.
Nearly ali Eastern markets report sup
plies Of sweet potatoes moderate, but
the slow demand has prevented any
general change in prices. Delaware
and Maryland yellow stock continues to
sell at a jobbing range of S1.50 to 81
a buShel in Eastern cities. New Jersey
stock in bushel hampers sold at 50 to
$2.40 in Eastern markets. Sales Of
North Carolina Porto Ricans followed q
range Of SIPS to $3.50 per bushel in
Boston, Pittsburgh and Washington the
first week in January. Tennessee
Nancy Halls sold at sl.25 to SLIGO in
Eastern markets.
Onion Markets Dull.
The leading onion markets report
moderate to liberal supplies and slow
demand. Eastern markets weakened
little during the first seven days OF
January, but showed tendency to re-
cover and recent price range strength
ened to 81 to S1.40 per leo pounds on
| jobbing sales in New York, Philadelphia,
| Boston and Baltimore. Onions nave
! been selling very slowly in Eastern pro-
ducing sections and country markets
have continued dull for several weeks.
/ Storage holdings of onions and carrots
| are being reduced slowly and probably
| the large quantity on hand VIII prove
/ a handicap in the event OF a rising
tendency of the market
Old Cabbage Tends Higher.
Prices of cabbage have shown a re-
Moved upward tendency this month IN
the large Eastern markets With various
price gains of 81 to 50 per ton for bulk
stock of the bookkeeping varieties.
Coed Western New York cabbage brings
$50 to S22 per ton in city markets.
Recent shipments from Western New
York have averaged close to 10 cars
daily. Demand has been only fair and
sales of sacked Danish type cabbage,
small to medium size, have been mostly
around SIT per ton. Shipments to date
have exceeded those Of last season by
several hundred cars. Local estimates
on quantity remaining in storage in that
section ranged from 5000 to 5000 car
leads. Market supplies Of new cabbage
are increasing and this class OF STOCK
fails to share the rising trend OF the
general cabbage market.
The celery market is quiet in Eastern
producing sections. Most of the re-
manning celery seems to be in control OF
a few operators who bought some time
ago and are holding the celery in
storage for their regular trade. MoSt
other dealers are either closed out or
have only small quantities OF stock TO
offer. Recent reports indicated about
las cars still in storage. Quality OF
recent shipments has Eeen only fair to
ordinary and prices have shown little
change. Florida and California started
in at this point TO take care CT TRACE
for the balance OF the Winter and
Spring.
Apple Market Dull.
Dealers in producing sections have
been complaining for lack OF business IN
apples. Even at the comparatively low
prices prevailing only limited quantities
of fruit can be sold. The expert move
mert is increasing, but majority OF
the shipments from Eastern sections for
export trade consists Of consignmentS
rather than cars sold outright.
The prevailing dullness seems to have
extended to the Northwest also, few
sales being reported at leading shipping
points in Washington and Oregon.
Fricss have sagged off a little in both
regions, compared with a month ago,
some leading varieties showing decline
of cents to 10 cents Eastern varieties,
like Baldwins, which are in short sup
ply sold around $3.50 per bushel for the
most attractive lots at shipping points
IN producing sections. Rhode Island
Greetings are selling low for a stands
ard variety at S1.25 to S1.35 for similti
grade and size Some poorer stocx
even the BalGvin5, cell at not .nur4
abov2 81 New England Mcintosh brln.;
ern Gtevmans follow q steady jobbinE
range of S1.c5 to $l.I5 per bushel liz,
Philadelphia and oth-r Eastern markets.
Nearly all the Eastern markets reports
demand only fairly good in recent
weeks Despite temporary slowing down
of the export trade, the conditions are