16 
BULLETIN 477, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
In general it can be said that the range in prices indicates a range 
in quality and leads to the conclusion that methods of grading and 
packing could be much improved in all sections. Especially is this 
true of sections that regularly show wide differences between their 
good and poor qualities. They can profit by adopting the methods 
of sections producing berries of excellent reputation, such as Ken- 
tucky, which never showed a price range greater than 25 cents per 
24-quart crate on the Pittsburgh market throughout the entire season. 
Often there are individual growers who uniformly secure top prices 
for their goods, while others alwa}^s receive the lowest prices. The 
difference between top prices and bottom prices is often a difference 
APRIL 
3 27 3 
MAY 
3 14 20 a 
ST 
MAY 
4 20 26 
PAUL 
MAY 
6 14 20 2G 
MAY 
20 26 
JUNE 
7 
2 
PRICE 
$7.50 
7.0 
\ 
6.5 
6.0 
5.5 
5.0 
\ 
■ 
4 5 
4. 00 
i 
3.50 
\ 
3 00 
L 
/ 
\ 
2.50 
\ 
V 
K 
Vi 
% 
J 
i 
) 
\l 
2.0 
\ 
i 
s 
If 
1.5 
r 
I 
LOUISIANA TENNESSEE ARKANSAS MISSOURI 
Fig. 11.— Jobbing prices of strawberries on the St. Paul market in 1915. 
between profit and loss, or success and failure. This emphasizes 
the fact that berries of high quality usually pay for the extra cost 
of their production. 
It should not be inferred, however, that the price range depends 
entirely on quality. Other elements enter in, especially the element 
of salesmanship. One salesman may habitually secure less than 
another. Nevertheless the greatest single factor in price range in 
one day is quality. 
DIFFERENCES IN PRICES CAUSED BY TIME OF SHIPPING. 
The curves showing the prices of berries from the different sections 
show that first shipments from any section usually top the market. 
As shipments increase, the market usually declines. Later there 
may be a reaction and an advance. A notable exception to this rule 
in 1915 was Louisiana, which showed an advancing and strengthen- 
ing market in practically every city for 10 days after the season 
