MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION OF STRAWBERRIES. 17 



opened. This may be attributed to two reasons — light shipments 

 and demand stimulated by satisfactory quality *. The same causes 

 operated to cause a consistent advance in Pittsburgh and some 

 other markets for two weeks after first receipts from Delaware and 

 Maryland. These conditions, however, are unusual. In general, as 

 the season in each district advances, the price is influenced by 

 deteriorating quality 1 due to continued picking and by increased 

 supplies. 



AVERAGE QUALITY OF STRAWBERRIES SHIPPED. 



In 1915 certain sections suffered from unfavorable weather such 

 as drought during the growing season and rain at harvest time. 

 Certain of these sections suffered the results of unsatisfactory quality 

 by receiving uniformly unsatisfactory prices. Tennessee was un- 

 fortunate in this respect. In addition, the great bulk of her crop 

 came on the market at the time of heaviest shipments from May 10 

 to 25. Norfolk and the Carolinas suffered in the same way. How- 

 ever, a comparison of these two sections with others on the market 

 at the same time shows their quality must have been unsatisfactory, 

 as they sold on almost every day at lower prices than the others. 



In New York, average berries from the Norfolk section never sold 

 above 10 cents from May 9 to May 24. From May 9 until May 18, 

 the date of last receipts in New York, Carolina berries sold above 10 

 cents on only two days. Beginning on May 9, and up to June 15, 

 Delaware and Maryland berries brought less than 10 cents for best 

 stock on only two days. On any given day they brought a consider- 

 ably better price than Norfolks and Carolinas, and continued at a 

 fairly satisfactory level the entire season. 



In Pittsburgh, the Carolinas and Tennessees sold at low prices 

 compared to Kentucky and Delaware-Maryland stock. The Ken- 

 tucky stock did especially well, the poorest never selling as low as 10 

 cents per quart. Kentucky berries generally have an enviable 

 reputation based on good pack. 



The comparative inferiority of Tennessee berries was also shown 

 in Buffalo where prices were lower than for Kentucky and Delaware- 

 Maryland berries selling at the same time. In Chicago the Tennessee 

 berries sold as high as $2.40 a crate (10 cents a quart) on only one 

 day, and even then most of them were sold at a lower price. How- 

 ever, there are no quotations available for a satisfactory comparison 

 with other berries in the Chicago market at the same time, the chief 

 competition being from Louisiana berries, which were quite poor, as 

 they were the last shipments at the end of a long season. A few Ten- 

 nessee berries were also quoted on the St. Paul market and sold at 

 practically the same prices as the Arkansas stock offered. 



a The term "quality" is used in the commercial sense indicating satisfactory grade upon arrival at 

 market and delivery to the consumer. 



