BUREAU OF MARKETS. 457 



DAILY CARLOT SHIPMENTS AND JOBBING PRICE REPORTS OF FRUITS AND 



VEGETABLES. 



In the calendar year 1916 nine crops were reported : Strawberries, 

 tomatoes, cantaloupes, peaches, onions, watermelons, grapes, potatoes, 

 and apples. Eleven permanent branch offices were maintained in 

 the following cities : Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Buffalo, Pitts- 

 burgh, Cincinnati, Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver, Kansas City, and 

 St. Louis. Baltimore was temporarily discontinued as a permanent 

 office. Arrangements were made to secure market reports from the 

 trade in 12 southern markets during the movement of crops from 

 the North, in addition to similar reports from eight northern cities, 

 making 20 markets from which temporary reports were secured. 

 Market news bulletins were distributed in 40 producing sections, an 

 increase of 33 sections over the previous calendar 3^ear. Approxi- 

 mately 3,000,000 bulletins were distributed to over 52,000 individuals. 



During the calendar year 1917 reports have been distributed on 

 11 crops to date, and additional commodities may be covered during 

 the winter months. Baltimore was opened as a permanent market 

 station, making 12 permanent branch offices. 



One of the most radical improvements made in the service this 

 year was the installation of a leased wire connecting all of the perma- 

 nent branch offices with the exception of Denver. This leased wire 

 has done much to expedite the service, and has enabled the Bureau 

 to include much more detailed information in its reports. From 

 May 8 to June 8, 1917, the messages which were transmitted over 

 the leased wire, if charged for, would have cost $10,103;7<). The 

 cost for the complete leased wire service a month was $3,350, making 

 a net saving for one month of $6,753.70. 



The results of this service have been apparently as satisfactory 

 as during previous years to growers, growers' organizations, shippers, 

 commission merchants, and consumers. 



WEEKLY SUMMARIES OF CARLOT SHIPMENTS. 



The Weekly Summary of Carlot Shipments, which was begun in 

 May, 1916, summarizes each week the daily shipment reports, giving 

 comparative totals for the corresponding week the previous year, for 

 this- season to date, for last season to the corresponding date, and 

 other information. The mailing list for the summary at present 

 contains about 1,100 names, and is growing rapidly. This series is 

 of special interest to statistical students and to newspapers. 



Station agents on approximately 225,000 miles of railroad out of 

 a total of 260,000 miles in the United States are now reporting daily 

 by mail the shipments of perishable fruits and vegetables made from 

 their stations. Approximately 10,000 station agents, representing 

 some 500 transportation lines, have cooperated in this work. It is 

 estimated that approximately 750,000 carloads of fruits and vege- 

 tables have been reported to this bureau from April 1, 1916. to July 

 1, 1917, and that these reports represent from 75 to 80 per cent of the 

 total movement of fruits and vegetables in this country. About 80 

 commodities are included. It is planned to issue semiweekly or 

 weekly reports giving the total shipments of these commodities as a 

 supplement to the telegraphic shipment reports. 



