Evening star., 1932-01-23

!
likely to be a resting spell in the fruit
and vegetable markets, says the United
States Department of Agriculture Bu-
reau of Agricultural Economics Market
| News Service Prices of Northern ana
! Western produce as reported to the
United States Bureau OF Agrlculturai
Economies have been holding fairy wei
since the middle of the month, althougn
the tone was rather weak and there
| were more losses than gains In the ao-
sence of any active buying for future
requirements. Positions OF potatoes,
onions and cabbage were impaired py
| the increasing receipts held on track IN
large cities. Market supplies still were
| reported moderate, but produce ship
mentS have shown an increasing ten
| dency the past two weeks, gaining ABOUT
| one-third compared with the small car
! lot movement early in the month. Prices
of potatoes sagged little in some mar
kets and the trend of cabbage prices
| continued slightly downward. Onions
were about the only product showing
generally well maintained values. warm
weather in the South has brought lib
eral early supplies Of snap beans, celery,
cabbage, greens and Strawberries. Ihey
sell at low prices, increasing the COM
petition with Northern stored produce.
Onion Prices Hold.
Mild, open weather prevailing much
of the time this season has been detrl-
mental to marketing what is left OF the
onion crop. Demand has been re-
duced and quality of storage stock I'M
p.-ired by weather conditions. Many
onion holders who had stock OF poor
keeping quality have been obliged to
force it hurriedly on the market, re-
sulting in larger holdings on track In
the cities, but these emergency snip
ments have tended to decrease since the
| middle of the month. Prices are mold
| ing nearly unchanged. The only weak
ness was at some Miowestern country
shipping points, where there was con-
siderable stock of ordinary quality on
the market. The general position OF
onions is supported by knowledge Of the
limited supply of good stock available in
storage. Holdings appear to be about
half those of year ago and one-thlrd
| less than even the very light quantities
| available in the short crop season OF
1928-29.
The total carlot output of late crop
onions is 5000 cars under that OF last
season. The heaviest Eastern holdings
are in New York State. Steady to strong
conditions have prevailed in the Roch-
ester shipping district since the mlddle
OF the month. Sales of 50-pound SACKS
of No. yellow onions of good size
reached $215 to $3.50, smaller stock
selling as low as So. Sales of 100-pound
sacks held between 81 and S4.40, but
the lower prices were for onions only
fair in quality. Eastern onions OF good
keeping quality appeared to be rather
closely held. City markets report sup
plv and demand moderate as rule, al
though New York, Baltimore and Pitts
burgh report light demand and supplies
are heavy in Boston. Eastern yellow
onions since the middle Of the month
have been selling at the nearly steady
range of $2.15 to $2.25 per so pounds in
city markets.
Potato Market Slow.
The weak feature of the potato mar
ket position this year has been the linn
tied demand, as shown by reduced un-
loads in some of the large markets and
the lighter carlot shipments, despite the
somewhat larger production this sea-
son. Not much buying for future re-
cuirements has taken place and the
market has lacked the stimulation
needed to bring sharp upward price
| trend Shippers in some sections show
| a tendency to sell freely at eevry slight
advance in the market. Producers In
the important shipping section OF
Northern Maine have been trying to
hold the price at level fixed by the
association and the result is a market
level better sustained than in some
other sections. Shippers are reported
cooperating with the growers efforts
to some extent. Demand is limited at
shipping points and growers have been
paid IS to 10 cents per barrel in bulk.
In other parts Of the potato-producing
| region prices have not been holding
very well since the middle of January,
although declines are slight. A range
of So to 70 cents per 100-pound sack
covers most dealers sales in producing
sections from East to West.
Track holdings in the large markets
have become rather heavy as compared
with early in the month, but most mar
kets still report receipts moderate and
demand rather slow. Light holdings
are reported at Philadelphia. There is
some Canadian stock offered in Boston
at prices a shade below recent level
Maine Green Mountains are steady at
an Eastern jobbing range Of 80 cents to
S125 per 100 pounds except Southern
markets, some Of which quote as high
as $3.50 New York round white va
rieties are fairly prominent in Balti-
more, Pittsburgh, Washington and
| Cleveland at 81 to S1.15. Pennsylvania
round white varieties brought IS to 80
cents in Baltimore. Chicago potato
market has shown a weaker trend
| lately, quoting car lots at rs to 80 cents,
! compared with 80 to 80 cents earlier in
the month. Sales at Chicago for Janu-
airy delivery are about steady around 81.
Sweet potatoes are generally in mod
crate supply at the large markets, but
demand continued slow and the price
movement unsatisfactory to shippers.
Price trend has been slowly downward
this month without much change re-
Gently. Maryland and Delaware sweets
of the Jersey type sell at 35 to rs cents
per bushel in Eastern markets. North
Carolina Porto Ricans are reported at
rs to 85 cents in Washington. New
Jersey stock brings from SO cents to as
high as ST for choice stock in Eastern
markets. Virginia white yams sold
steady at 35 to so cents in Philadel-
phia.
Apple Trade Quiet.
Carlot sales of apples at Eastern ship
ping points are few, although the gen.
eral apple shipping movement has been
| active the past few weeks. More cars
of Eastern apples are being sent to Eu-
rope. although most of them are on
consignment. Demand in British mar
ket showed some improvement near tie
middle of January and prices of some
varieties were higher at London and
Liverpool sales. Slightly better values
prevailed in the Rochester, N. Y, dis
trict and Baldwins from cold storage
sold in limited way around 81 per
bushel. Rhode Island Greetings in car
lot quantities realized s1.l0 to s1.25 at
country shipping points. Prices were
irregular in the city markets without
any definite trend except according to
| va rieties Eastern StaYmanS sold q lit