16 



• Markets and Prices. 



Prices for currants and gooseberries are uniformly higher now than they were 

 several years ago, and there is every indication that prices for good fruit will 

 remain good. Twelve or fourteen years ago currants could hardly be disposed of 

 at any price, while during the last two years', prices on the Toronto markets have 

 ranged from sixty-five cents to $1 and over per eleven-quart basket for red cur- 

 rants. In 1900, the LTOwers received sixt3'--five cents per twenty lb. basket for 

 black currants, while the ruling price during 1913 was $1.50 to $1.75 per eleven- 

 quart basket, much of the fruit selling at $2. White currants find practically no 

 sale whatever. 



Mr. L. B. Plenry, Winona, was kind enough to supply the writer with the 

 following prices taken from their shipping books: — 



Black currants, 1901, 80 to 90 cents; 1912-1.3, $1.75-$1.95. 



Red currants, 1901, 50 to 60 cents; 1912-13, 60-75c. 



Gooseberries (English), 1912-13, 90 cents to $1. 



Gooseberries (American), 55 to 60 cents. 



(All prices net to grower per eleven-quart baskets, f.o.b. shipping point.) 



Prices' in detail on the Toronto market during the season of 1913 were as 



follows : — 



♦ Toronto Market. 1913. 



Date. Red Currants. Black Currants. Gooseberries. 



July 4 $0 65 to $1 35 



10 $0 65 to $0 85 60 to 1 25 



15 75 to 85 75 to 85 



22 85 to 1 00 $1 50 to $1 75 85 to 1 00 



29 85 to 1 00 1 75 to 2 00 75 to 1 00 



Aug. 13 75 to 85 1 00 to 1 50 



All prices given for 11-quart basket. 



Jas. E. Parnall, Western Market Commissioner for Ontario, reported from 

 Winnipeg on August 8th, 1912, as follows: — 



" A few crates of red currants coming forward from Ontario, arriving in good 

 condition. Demand good, selling from $3.20 to $3.40 per crate of 24 boxes. Market 

 wants more. Some Washington currants in, costing, laid down here, $2.75 per crate 

 of 16 quarts. Size and quality of fruit not equal to Ontario fruit, but appearance and 

 size of package about equalizes the appearance and quality of fruit. Had our fruit 

 been in same class of packages better prices would have been realized, for in some 

 cases the bottom boxes were damaged." 



/ 



i 



The McNaughton Fruit Exchange, Winnipeg, out of mixed cars of fruit sold 

 as follows: — 



Aug. 3. — Red currants, $1.90, 6 qt. basket. 



Aug. 13. — Red currants, $3.05, per 24 box crate; fruit a little over-ripe. 



Aug. 15. — Black currants, $1.60 per 6 qt. basket. 



Aug. 16. — Red currants, $2.10 per 24 box crate; fruit in bad shape. 



The prices given are wholesale for 1912. 1913 figures are not available, as 

 Ontario had no markets commissioner in the West that year. However, prices 

 during 1913 ranged uniformly higher than for 1912. 



Currants and gooseberries, if picked at the right time, and properly bandied 

 will stand long distance shipment such as to the Western market with very little, if 

 any, deterioration. When they arrive in bad condition, the fault can usually be 

 traced to over-ripe fruit, picking when wet, or careless handling and improper load- 



