20 



Annals of Horticulture. 



of the New England crop was moved at prices varying from 

 $5 to $6 per barrel, and New Jersey did not wait, as usual, till 

 the New England crop was out of the way, but began moving 

 her crop at prices that were satisfactory to dealers, at least. 

 With the cool weather came renewed confidence and a healthy 

 strengthening of prices. The large New England crop has 

 nearly all been moved, and attention has for some weeks been 

 centered on New Jersey, where dealers find growers in a favor- 

 able mood for trade ; and a larger portion of the crop than we 

 The ever knew before has changed hands at low prices, varying 



cr ma b rke r t y from to $i-5° in the dirt to $ i . 50 to $2 cleaned. Re- 



ports from the various township secretaries indicate a move- 

 ment of over 50 carloads up to October 20, something un- 

 precedented for New Jersey. To the holder of cranberries 

 the situation to us never seemed more favorable. The ques- 

 tion is not so much, < At what price will the balance of the crop 

 be marketed?' as, 'Who will be the fortunate ones when the 

 advance over the present low prices comes, which it is morally 

 certain to do?' The good crops of the east are more than off- 

 set by the shortages of the west ; so that the total crop of the 

 country is still short of last year by nearly 100,000 bushels. 

 The abundance of other fruits will, no doubt, prevent any ex- 

 travagant prices for cranberries ; but the crop of winter apples 

 is very moderate, and there is no reason why good prices for 

 cranberries should not prevail for the balance of the season." 



Vegetables of all kinds have given good yields and fair re- 

 turns as to prices. Potatoes were usually good, much better 

 than in 1890, owing to less injury from blight. Blight was 

 serious in many places, however. The December crop-report 

 of the United States Department of Agriculture makes the 

 following estimate: " The potato crop in 1890 was very 



Potatoes, small, making the smallest supply per capita which we have 

 had during any recent year. As a result, the average value 

 per bushel was very high, but the short crop and inferior qual- 

 ity in most of the districts of large production prevented farm- 

 ers from securing any of the advantages of the high prices. 

 The present crop has been one of large proportions, the acre^ 

 age having been increased and the season favorable in all dis- 

 tricts where it is grown. As a result, there is a heavy de- 

 cline in values. The present farm-price is returned at 37. 1. 

 The result in the case of this crop shows what may usually be 



