Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-18
PRICES FOR FARM
PRODUCE STEAD|ER
Wholesale Market Shows IT.
regularity, HoWever-Po-
tatoeS Are Lower.

Farm products were acting a little
better in the market around the middle
of February, says the United State
Department of Agriculture, Bureau OF
Agricultural Economics, Market News
Service. There was, at least. some
ability to respond to favorable news,
such as the better demand for cotton,
dressed meats or butter. But the price
trend continued irregular, with de-
clines about as numerous as advances.
Net changes in grain, hay, feeds and
cotton were rather small. Cattle and
hogs sold lower. Potatoes weakened
a little under heavy receipts in East ! II
markets, but onions did a shade better.
Butter trading was more confident, but
cheese declined. Eggs reached new low
points, but live poultry markets i'm
proved.
Potatoes Slightly Lower.
New potatoes weakened slightly near
the middle of the month in city mar
ketS and most jobbing sales of old
stock were at lower levels. The Chi
cago carlot potato market declined on
most receipts, except Colorado Red
McClures, which were firm to higher
Sales of nearly all sweet potatoes, ex-
cept Tennessee Nancy Halls, were at
higher levels in terminal markets.
Apple prices showed practically no
change. Combined holdings in cold
storage are % per cent more than
year ago and IA per cent above av-
erage. Strawberries were returning
lower prices to Florida growers in the
Plant City district of Florida.
Cabbage is still in weak position.
Bulk stock returned only Sill per ton
in Western New York and the market
in Southeastern Wisconsin declined to
range of 81 to ST per ton. Celery
continued in good demand, with prices
advancing at Southern shipping points.
Virginia expects an area of Spring
spinach almost 30 per cent larger than
last year.
Onions showed stronger tone in
Western New York and city prices of
New York stock strengthened also
Dealers in large consuming ceflters re-
ported a higher price level for most
lettuce.
Butter Markets Improve.
Butter receivers find it easier to dis
pose of arrivals, and prices have ad-
vanced a little at all markets. Some
dealers ventured the opinion that the
worst of the butter situation is past.
Milk production throughout the larger
portion of the country has been we'll
maintained. City milk distributors re-
ported SURPRISES in almost all localities
This surplus is practically all being
converted into butter, adding to the
already somewhat increased make
which prevailed in most territories.
Cheese prices at distributing points
reflected the decline in producing sec
tons earlier in the month and were
fractionally lower. The tone at the
new level was easy. and trading was
limited to actual needs. Held and cured
stocks were in somewhat better demand
and prices held steady.
Eggs at .Pre-War Prices.
further decline brought egg prices
down to new low near the middle of
February, not only for this time of
year, but for any period since the war.
AS a result of the large holdings on the
lst of the month, and with only
short time remaining before the active
nto-storage movement for 1881 will
begin. the February refrigerator egg
market continues very weak.
Many poultry dealers are of the opin-
ion that the heavy MidWinter market
movement that began the latter part
of January has reached its peak and
that from now on receipts will be more
in line with the usual seasonal move
ment. The slowing up in receipts of
live fowl, which have been unusually
heavy for the past month, due to the
low returns that farmers have been
receiving for eggs, was especially no.
ticeable and caused the market to de-
velop a much stronger tone. A strength
ening factor to the dressed poultry mar
kets is the relatively small cold-storage
holdings of dressed poultry for this
time of year Holdings on February l
amounted to only 10l $4,000 pounds.
Steers Reach Low Points.
New lows for the current season were
touched in the cattle and hog markets
during the second week of February.
Declines in fat cattle values were re-
corded on a run of practically the same
dimensions as that of the preceding
week. and reflected further declines in
dressed beef and a dull trade at low
prices on hides and other by-productS.
Fat lamb values f1uctuated wildly, the
market ruling sharply higher early in
the week, but losing much of its strength
on single midWeek session, irregularity
of the marketward movement being
partially responsible for the fiighty
trend of values. The fact that dressed
lamb and mutton markets W2re higher
gave the live trade a stability that it
could not have otherwise possessed in
view Of the increased market receipts.
The Boston wool market showed fur
Their broadening tendencies during the
second week of the month. A steady
movement of Sizeable quantities of 53S,
Cos and finer grades was recorded, and
some fairly large sales were closed on
Sos and ABS, sos qualities. Prices were
fully maintained.
Grain Fairly Steady.
Increased offerings from the Southern
hemisphere and Russia, together with
more favorable weather in domestic
Winter wheat areas, weakened the
wheat market around the middle of
February. and most of the advance
which took place earlier in the month
on improved demand for North Ameri-
can grain was lost. Larger country
shipments of corn, which met a slow
demand, were a weakening influence in
the corn market. Prices were barely
steady. Oats and barley were not ma
terially changed, but the moderate Of
ferings were readily taken. The rye
market was more active and slightly
f1rmer. Flax, on the other hand, turned
slightly downward with the moderate
current marketings and rather irregu--
lar demand from crushers because OF
the slow inquiry for Oil.
E1,.inac oR wEpot fnodc adUonpaA near