Evening star., 1931-12-16
PRODUCE MARKETS
STILL UNSETTLED
Most Food Offerings Show
Sagging Price Tendency.
Demand Small.

Most farm products sold at nearly
unchanged prices or slightly lower near
the middle Of December, says the
United States Department of Agricul-
ture. Bureau Of Agricultural Economics,
! Market News Service. Market action Of
| nearly the whole list of food products
showed need Of colder weather to
sharpen the consuming demand. Mild
| conditions have favored production of
butter and eggs, but demand is very
moderate and prices tended lower. Live
! stock, except veal calves, declined
slightly. Poultry is in liberal supply,
especially chickens, and prices fell away
a Little, but turkey prices held firmly.
Prices OF onions and lettuce show fur
ther gains, but prevailing tone of the
vegetable markets was weak with set
backs in cabbage and potatoes.
Potatoes Slightly Lower.
| White potatoes, and sweet potat toes
| also, mostly sold a little lower near the
middle OF the month, but the Chicago
carlot market was shade stronger on
Northern round whites, but weaker on
western stock. City prices of most re-
celpts OF sweet potatoes were slightly
lower. Fair quality and condition
celery was returning only s1.25 to sl.o5
per tWot-hlrds crate in Western New
YORK. sharp advance occurred in
prices OF lettuce. Prices we're some
| What higher for spinach at Texas ship
! ping points and for CaulifloWer in South
| tern California. City values of Texas
cabbage declined Bulk stock was lever
at Sl2 to Sl3 per ton in Western New
YORK. Onion prices were higher prac-
tlcally everywhere.
Apple markets showed no regular or
UNIFORM trend, but some weakness was
developing on common storage fruit.
6uShel tubs OF Yorks were returning
only ~ 10 70 cents in the Potomac VAL
ley area, with Black IWigs at 80 cents.
Butter Markets Unsettled.
The butter markets continued in a
nervous, unsettled condition the first
haH OF December. Lower grades de-
chned at Chicago Price changes on
Top scores were Of minor Impotence in
!HoSt markets. Cream markets in the
East have shown considerable improve
ment so far this month and some cream
I which formerly was made into butter
Is being marketed in the form of sweet
cream. Stocks of butter in cold stor-
! age are the hghtest for December since
1919. one outstanding feature of the
nulter markets was the decided weak
ness and sharp price declines recorded
on the storage butter contracts for De-
cember. January and February delivery
on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.
FEeSh cheese, in city and country
markets. ruled barely steady during the
second week of December. Trading was
generally slow and sales mostly in small
40'S' oahaolan markets declined further.
Egg Supply Increasing.
increasing receipts Of fresh eggs thi,
month have led to lower prices GEN.
eral1y, but particularly on white eggs
from nearby Eastern and Pacific Coast
areas, Which declined from to 3 cents
Dealers are keeping stocks closely cleared
ana only the requirements for current
'laae are being kept on hand.
Poultry Trade Slow.
The demand for dressed poultry for
current consumption continued cu3et
Ahere was some speculative activity but
CoNSlocrasIe piling up of stock occur
req ana large quantities were of nocps-
s4ty sent TO storage. Prices as v.hola
were SAghtly lower. especially on fowl.
ano roasters. Liberal supplies of canons
are now being received and prize, are
somewhat lower. AS yet little acfivitv
reported in the turkey markets, Most
Sl the supplies received in early Deem
Der went into storage.
Most Live Stock Lower.
Live stock of practically all cIasse.
ana grades sold at Chicago and oth,r
I important market centers at lower
prices IN mid-December. The decline
IN hog values was slight. but ton pnd
| average prices were lower than at anv
tlme since November. 1899. Fat lambs
Solo around or under the sea9on's D-oyi-
Gus lows, and the same was true Of
much OF the supply of lower grades Of
Sl2ughter cattle and of stocker and
1eeder cattle of all grades.
The movement of domestic woods m
the Boston market showed further
Slackenlng. but prices have held mostly
steady so far this month.
Grain Markets Unsettled.
The grain markets continued weak
and unsettled in mid-December. inau-
enced by slow demand, declining securi-
ties and the uncertain Worldwide eco
nomic situation. Wheat declined. but
recovered slightly. private estimates in
d1catlng a relatively low condition of
the domestic Winter wheat crop and
reports of unfavorable harvesting
weather In Argentina. With export de-
mand lacking and domestic inquiry
dull, prices remained to cents Der
bushel under those prevailing early in
the month. Feed grains were mostly
lower with wheat. Corn continued weak
also because of the light shipping de-
mand. Rye and flax declined along
with other grains. but we're influenced
also oy the continued light takings Of
these grains.
Feed Supply Reduced.
A sharp decrease in wheat feed out
put was indicated by a reduction Of
about II per cent in flour production at
the principal milling centef5 Prices of
bran displayed greater strength than
the heavy wheat feeds in aarlv Decem-
Der. Soft and hard Winter wheat feeds
were higher. Prices of cottonseed meal
continued the downward trend at
Southern markets.
Timothy hay markets were about
steady. Low-grade offerings were diff
cult to place, even at substantial con-
cessions Continued mild weather in
the South and East reduced the de-
mand.