THECUBAREVIEW. 19 



CUBAN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN NEW YORK. 



Tomatoes Arriving Freely and Selling Well. Eggplants, Peppers and Okra Lower 



in Sympathy with the DecUne in Florida. Potatoes Lack Quality. 



Especially written for The CUBA REVIEW by the Urner-Barry Company, of New York. 



To Date of March 9, 1909. 



The receipts of Cuban vegetables in New York have been somewhat larger of 

 late, and with supplies increasing from Florida prices have generally ruled lower. 

 Receipts during the month of February, when nine steamers arrived, reaching here 

 three or four days apart, were as follows: Potatoes, 416 crates; onions, 455 crates; 

 tomatoes, 16,038 crates; other vegetables, 14,589 packages; pineapples, 13,379 crates; 

 oranges, 425 boxes; grape-fruit, 2,534 boxes; other fruit, 514 packages. 



The standard package for new POTATOES on this market is the barrel, and 

 any other package is at a disadvantage. This probably was the main reason that 

 the Cuban POTATOES received only brought $1.65@1.75 per crate, with quality 

 only fair. These crates are so small that it would take four or four and one-half to 

 fill a barrel. As the market is entirely bare of new potatoes at present, those coming 

 from Bermuda and the South being second-crop potatoes, there is no question but 

 v/hat fine Bermuda stock would meet with ready sale and at comparatively high 

 prices, probably $1 or more above figures obtained for Bermuda second crop. At 

 present latter are selling from $5.50@7 per barrel. To command attention from 

 best trade, however, potatoes must be carefully graded, of good variety and in 

 strictly sound condition. The few ONIONS received have been held at $2.75@3 

 per crate for some weeks past and have sold at those figures to a moderate extent 

 in absence of other new onions. 



The market for TOMATOES held steady during the month of February at 

 $2@2.50 for fancy and $1.50@1.75 for choice, with unattractive stock lower. Just at 

 the close, however, supply is larger from Florida and market shows some weakness, 

 with sales averaging 25c. lower. EGGPLANTS sold early in the month at $2.50 

 (S54.50 per box, a few fancy going even higher, but market closing lower, late sales 

 n^t exceeding $2@3 owing to the larger supplies of, and lower prices ruling for, 

 Florida. OKRA also declined very materially; small "finger" sold during February 

 at $4@5 per carrier when fancy, with large or coarse down to $2{a)2.50 or lower, 

 and the short, chunky variety $1,50@3, seldom higher, but last week or ten days ago 

 prices have fallen rapidly, and late sales are not exceeding $1.25@2.25 per carrier 

 as to variety. Early in February PEPPERS sold from $1.50@2.25, but market has 

 gradually declined and late sales not exceeding $1@2 per carrier. WHITE SQUASH 

 has been in moderate supply and selling readily at $1.50@2 per box. Small lots of 

 other vegetables have been received, but hardly in quantity to attract much attention 

 and values not well defined. 



STANDARD CARREERS.— Some Cuban shippers are using a different style 

 carrier, especially for their tomatoes. This carrier is commonly called the "square" 

 carrier and is not strong enough for shipment to this market. Such is the impres- 

 sion of the writer, who has noticed many of the carriers broken and damaged on 

 arrival at the stores of the commission merchants. There is no advantage in using 

 a different style package, and even if it costs a little less the difference is apt to be 

 more than made up by shipping in the standard carrier, which is less flimsy and 

 seems to carry better in transit. Buyers' whims must be catered to, and there is no 

 question but what the usual buyer will show a money preference for a standard pack- 

 age rather than an unknown one which he may think contains a smaller quantity. 



PINEAPPLES have arrived rather freely during the past month and have met 

 an active demand at much better prices; in fact, values have steadily advanced, and 

 the situation is so strong at the close that some sales are making even above the 

 figures generally quoted. Late sales of Cuban have been mainly within the follow- 

 ing range: 16s. $1.85@2.25; 18s, $2@2.35; 24s, _$2.25@2.50; 30s, $2@2.50: 36s, $2@2._45; 

 42s, $1.50@1.85. These figures are comparatively low considering the rates being 

 obtained for both Porto Rico and Florida pines, which are in fair supply. The 

 Cuban have been wasty in some cases, and this is doubtless the cause of the pref- 

 erence buyers are giving stocks from other sections. With such the case, particular 

 attention to packing is of great importance. The fruit should be graded carefully 

 as to size and packed straight, never putting in one or two larger or smaller than 

 the size being packed as such practice invariably results in dissatisfaction or loss. 

 Buyers rarely fail to notice the odd-sized pines and use the fact as a lever for 

 lower prices, and often the entire sale is lost. 



ORANGES and GRAPE-FRUIT arrive in such small quantities that they are 

 not much of a factor on the market. In fact, bulk of the stock coming is from 

 one or two shippers. The fruit, while small, is sweet and attractive to buyers. 



