32 
BULLETIN 1283, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Texas, the increasing receipts from other areas as the season advanced, 
and the declining quality of the Texas product toward the end of the 
season caused a precipitate decline from $4.50 to $1.35 per crate in 
consuming centers with a similar fall in prices through shipping 
areas. Many of the growers and shippers foresaw the decline and 
made all possible efforts to get out their onions while prices held. 
Many onions were shipped before reaching maturity. 
If an average were taken of prices with such wide fluctuations, it 
would show about $2.40 per crate for the terminal markets, and 
approximately $1.75 in shipping sections. 
Both dealers and growers generally sold on wire orders, f. o. b. 
shipping point for cash or bank guarantee. However, for a month 
after shipping began, shipping on consignment proved to be more 
profitable than selling locally. 
CENTS 
1917 WEEKLY BERMUDA ONION PRICES 
PER 
CRATE N 
i I 
EW YORK PI" 
i i 
rTSBURGH F 
i i 
PHILADELPHIA I 
1 1 
W.S1X CITIES — 
| 
ll Hffll 
1 III.. 
T I 
ftlff 
■ffc 
n - 
1 Hill 
1 J 
600 C 
:hicago 1 
30STON 
ST. LOUIS Sh 
IIPPING 
POINT - 
1 . 
1 _|l 
t::::iBtt 
lm 
1 III! 
III 
o-LH 
I inn 
1 Hill 
int 
^^ APR. MAY JUNE APR. MAY JUNE APR. MAY JUNE APR. MAY JUNE 
Fig. 9.— The heaviest Bermuda crop of the 8-year period was shipped at better than average prices, due 
principally to the scarcity of old stock and general bullish sentiment. The severe decline was due to a 
better realization of true conditions, the continued heavy shipments ol new stock, and deterioration 
in quality 
PRICES IN 1918 
At the opening of the 1918 season, nearly 500 cars of old stock 
still remained to be marketed. This was approximately equal to 
the 8-year average. But this situation, following a year when less 
than 100 cars of old stock were carried over, exerted a depressing 
influence upon growers and dealers out of proportion to the quantity 
involved. A general overestimate of the new crop 9 and the difficulty 
in obtaining sufficient cars 10 aggravated this influence, so that prices 
at Laredo were depressed about SI a crate the first half of the season 
under the 1917 level. In the end 1,500 cars less of new stock were 
shipped than in 1917 or 1,000 cars less if both old and new stock, 
during the Bermuda season be included. 
Prices around $2 per crate in consuming markets, and SI. 35 in 
Laredo were paid until the latter part of April. Early in May, 
» The trade estimated acreage at 1X.000 acres as compared wit li L917 estimates of 12,000 acres. New York 
Packer, Mar. 23, L918, p. 23. 
'o Shippers were so worried by transportation conditions that a special committee was sent to Washington 
to consult with the Railway Administration. 
