THECUBAREVIEW 35 



CUBAN PRODUCE IN NEW YORK 



APRIL RECEIPTS REACH 53,000 PACKAGES, INCLUDING 28,300 CRATES 

 PINEAPPLES, 3,650 BOXES GRAPEFRUIT, 13,300 CRATES TOMATOES AND 



2,200 CRATES ONIONS 



Especially Written for The Cuba Review by the Urner-Barry Company, New York 



The receipts of Cuban grape fruit in the New York market during the month of 

 April held up to the previous month's figures and there was a material increase in 

 the arrivals of Cuban pineapples but for other Cuban products, the figures for the month 

 show a falling off and the season is closing, especially for vegetables of all kinds. 

 The manifests for April indicate total receipts as 52,938 packages, divided as follows : 

 Pineapples, 28,305 crates ; grape fruit, 3,647 boxes ; tomatoes, 13,339 crates ; onions, 

 2,208 crates ; other vegetables 4,862 packages and other fruit, 391 packages. The March 

 receipts were 65,247 packages, indicating a falling off in April of 12,205 packages. The 

 season opens in December and the total arrivals up to May 1st have been : December, 

 19,062 ; January, 37,481 ; Februarj^ 43,533 ; March, 65,243 ; April, 52,938 ; a total of 218,257 

 packages. Of this grand total for the season, 24,130 packages were onions, 98,398 

 packages tomatoes, 56,210 packages pineapples, 11,857 packages grape fruit and balance 

 miscellaneous vegetables. In instances fruit and vegetables are shipped as merchandise 

 and as the statistics are compiled from the steamships' manifests and cover only the 

 produce shipped as such, the figures are apt to run a little under the actual receipts. 



Pineapples have arrived very freely from Porto Rico, but there have been scarcely 

 any Florida pines in market and the fairly liberal receipts from Cuba have met an 

 active demand at very satisfactory prices. Best sizes, 24s and 30s, have sold throughout 

 the month in range of $3 @ 3.50 with market so strong at times that a premium of 

 25 cts. or more was realized and the smaller sizes have ranged lower in proportion. 

 Some few lots have arrived wasty and poor and such selling in some cases down to 

 $1 and even lower. At the close of the month the various sizes were quoted as follows : 

 16s and 18s, $2.50 @ 3.25; 24s, $2.50 @ 3.50; 30s, $2.50 @ 3.40; 36s, $2.25 @ 3.10; 

 42s, $1.75 @ 2.50 and 48s, $1.50 @ 2. During the month nearly 6,000 crates were 

 sold at public auction ; these auction sales included 1,207 crates on April 7th at prices 

 ranging from $2 @ 3.55 according to size, except one lot of 48s at $1.60. April 20th, 

 900 crates sold from $1.50 @ 3.63 per crate and April 27th, 1,200 crates sold from 

 $1.65 @ 3.45, the wide range in prices depending upon the size and condition of the 

 fruit. 



Grape fruit has been in such small supply from all sections that market ruled strong 

 and prices high for all attractive stock. Sales early in April were mainly in range of 

 $2 @ 4 but toward the close of the month market strengthened to $4.25 @ 4.50 for 

 fancy and at present writing $5 @ 5.50 is being obtained, with sales in instances 

 reported up to $6. Some of the Cuban grape fruit, however, is thick skinned and 

 coarse and for unattractive fruit low prices have to be accepted. Sales of such poor 

 fruit have made throughout the month as low as $1.25 @ 1.50 and in some cases 

 even lower. A large share of the receipts during the month has been sold at auction, 

 especially the medium and lower grades which were difficult to place promptly to regular 

 trade from store. Lowest prices realized at auction, with one exception, have been 

 $1.37% @ 1.50 and $4.25 @ $4.50 has seldom been exceeded. 



Oranges have been scarce with so few sales reported that actual values have hardly 

 been established. A few boxes were sold early in the month, quality unattractive, at 

 from $1 @ 1.60 per box. It is probable that home markets have been too attractive 

 to warrant shipments here, especially in view of the heavy arrivals daily from California 

 and comparatively low prices prevailing most of the month. 



Tomatoes fairly plenty from Cuba early in April but little stock received latter 

 part of the month and no further important quantities expected as prices have fallen 

 to an unsatisfactory point. First half of the April sales ranged from $1.50 @ 2 for 

 fancy and $1.25 @ 1.50 for poorer grades, but toward the close of the month receipts 



