Milford chronicle., 1932-02-19
Produce Market Notes

Fruits and vegetables were max
ing better showing than most oi
the other classes of commodities il
a generally sagging market the sec
Ond week of February. Price gains
were fairly numerous in leading
lines of fresh produce and there
were few important declines. Ship
ments and track holdings are not
large enough to exert any great pres
sure of supplies.
Onions again lead off with small
but fairly widespread advances. Po-
tatO prices were slightly irregular
but generally we'll maintained. Some
cabbage markets recovered part of
recent losses. Sweet potatoes have
followed a fairly steady course in
most centers of trade. Apples show
cd little further change, but the
trend has been slightly downward
since the first of the year at time
when apple prices ought to be rising
adittle with the progress of the stOr-
age season.
When compared with a year ago,
the market on fresh produce seems
to have done fairly well during a pc
riod of extremely severe declines in
the commodity markets. Cabbage
and carrots are somewhat higher
tina nthey were a year ago, and on
ions are selling at six times the
prices of February, 1881. Southern
lettuce and celery are close to last
seasons level. Some northern fruits
and vegetables, including apples, pO-
tatoes and sweet potatoes, sell much
lower this season, although the larg-
er yield partly Offsets the weaker
price range for these lines.
Potato Market Irregular
There was little in the potato mar
ket news during the first part of
February to move the price trend
either way. 1t is the dull time Of
year for this product. Holdings are
fairly well known in late winter.
Shipment sare at limited volume and
demand quite steady. Course of val
ues responds mainly to occasional
interference from weather cOndi-
ti0ns and in some degree to the
progress of the early southern crop.
Shipments are lighter than at this
time last year, but tend to increase |
on any slight upturn in prices. Slow, |
duh markets prevailed in nearly all |
producing sections. In the Roches-
ter district there was a slightly |
weager tone reported without much |
change in price. Growers were be-
ing paid 25 to 30e bulk per bushel
for No. l stock and dealers were |
selling sacked potatoes around Csc |
per 100 pounds. Distribution of the
shipments continues satisfactory.
Most of the carloads are going to
points in Pennsylvania, Virginia, or
the Carelinas, Prices are steady i'll
the Middle West and far West.
A range of 40c to zoe covers most
sales in the potato belt from Maine
west to the Pacific Coast. Seed /
stock, of course, sells at special
prices. Demand for seed potatoes is ;
light. The February market for
Maine potatoes has been very dull
and prices have continued close to
the lowest points. Shipments from
the State are now tagging about g. Il
500 carloads behind those of the cor
responding date last season. In only
one week since the beginning of the
season have Maine potato shipments Il
exceeded or equalled the movement 4
of the corresponding week last sea-
SON. ID
Receipts in eastern markets are
moderate to fairly liberal. A few I
carloads from Canada were reported |
at Boston. Demand is fairly good in 7
New York and Boston, but slow in !
other large eastern cities. New pO- |
tatoes are not yet arriving in guam
titles large enough to affect the
market much. although considerable
stock from Cuba, Porto Rico, and
Bermuda was offered in New York, !
and Florida Bliss Triumphs are SELL I
ing in that market rather low at 50 +
to $3.50 per bushel. $
Maine Green Mountain potatoes q
sell at nearly unchanged prices in n
leading markets, with jobbing y
range of soc to $1.10, although n
reached top of $1.35 and +
Atlanta quoted a little stock at i
S1.5O. Fancy Prince Edward Island r
potatoes brought SLIGO per 80 lbs in !,
Boston. New York and PennsylVan- 6
IA round white varieties were quoted u
1t S5c to $1.15. and usually a little N
below the level of Maine potatoes n
n the same market. Chicago car N
OF market is steady, with soc per 4,
100 pounds the ruling price and !,
steady position on sales for March n
md April delivery. ie
sweets Irregular tC
Markets for sweet potatoes ap- st
Deared rather unsettled A few Ia
ines. including Virginia and Ten Il,
lessee stock, sold little higher, but n,
ONE other kinds were slightly lower n
n few markets. Virginia potatoes v
old i'm few cities at 35c to zoe per -,
ushcl. Delaware and Maryland NJ
wGets of the Jersey type followed a ~
Dbbing range of SO to S5c, and IN
,orth Carolina Porto Ricans sold -,
lightly below this stock, although VI
est lots brought S5c in Washing bi