Evening star., 1933-02-16
PRODUCE MARKET
TURNS ON WEATHER
Irregular Price Trend Noted
In First Half of
Month.

The market on farm products fol-
lowed quite. closely the rapid changes
In weather the first half Of February,
says the United States Department OF
Agriculture, Bureau Of Agricultural
Economics, Market News Service. Bad
shipping conditions brought temporary
shortage. The higher prices were part
ly lost when supplies began to increase
Damage to Western grain and Southern
truck crops will have more lasting ef
feet. Grain, feed and cotton tended
slightly upward the second week of
February. Live stock and dairy mar
kets were irregular and unsettled, but
held part Of the early gains Eggs ad-
were maintained. Many vegetables sold
from some of the early producing sec
tions, but extent Of Southern frost dam
age was uncertain.
Butter Makes Sharp Gain.
Prices Of butter advanced about 2
cents In many leading markets the sec
ond week of February because of Mid
western storms and reduced supplies.
Trading at all markets slowed down
after the advance, but receivers in gen.
eral were not free sellers, as their stocks
were comparatively light. Judging by
the figures as reported for the 26 and
35 cities, the bulk of the holdings in
the entire country are now In the 10
larger markets. the supposition by the
trade being that interior stocks have
been shipped to the larger centers of
population, SO that owners would be In
q position to make quick sales at any
further upturn in prices.
Prices Of fresh cheese remained gen.
orally unchanged both at assembling
and distributing points. Trading was
not particularly active, with most sales
limited to rather small lots to fill i'm
mediate needs On the other hand,
supplies were not very liberal and
therefore. fairly closely cleared in most
quarters. Cured Single Daisies in New
York sold from IA cents for September
to Is cents for Junes New York State
Flats, 1882 cure, sold In q price range
of 16 to 18 cents.
Egg Prices Gain.
The egg market still rules firm but
very sensitive to any change in sup
plies. The snow in the East was not
quite so heavy as further West, and
deliveries Of nearby whites continued
to be sufficient to meet current needs
and prices have made gains mostly less
than a cent a dozen.
Fresh killed fowls are in moderate
supply and selling better at steady
prices. Hothouse broilers are in light
supply and are selling we'll when OF
fancy quality, but move slowly when
poor.
Live Stock Prices Uneven.
Wide and uneven price fluctuations
featured trading in the principal live
stock markets during the second week
Of the month, as result of heavy
snowstormS and subzero weather
Train schedules were interrupted, re-
sulting in irregular live stock receipts
and interfering with trading. Cattle
receipts at IL markets were slightly
less, but sheep and lambs showed an
increase. The extreme top on long
yearlings steers at Chicago was STAG
with best heifers at $5.75. Prices OF
COWS were steady to strong. Veal calves
reached top of $3.50 per 100 pounds at
Chicago
Sharply curtailed receipts of hogs at
Chicago and other markets, due to
storm conditions, were responsible for
the widest fluctuations in prices in a
long time, but prevailing trend has been
upward this Winter. Heavy lambs and
fat ewes were slightly higher at Chi
cago. Most good and choice native
lambs sold at $5.25 to $575
The Boston wool market was some
what irregular, but mostly steady, ex-
cept for slightly lower sales on occa-
sional lots. Only limited quantities of
the finer grades Of fleece woods were
sold.