The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
29 
Crops and Markets 
Countrywide Produce Situation 
The produce markets are in the ruts of 
holiday dullness, and little business is re¬ 
ported either in producing sections or in 
the principal markets. Of course, retail 
buying continues active, but wholesale re¬ 
quirements are being tilled to a large ex¬ 
tent. Very few changes have occurred in 
prices. 
Strength and Evenness in Potato 
Markets. —Potatoes continue to rise 
slowly; in the principal shipping sections 
the price is close around $3 with crops 
of $3.15 per 100 lbs. in the West and 
$3.20 in New York State. The city mar¬ 
kets follow a general range for sale in 
large lots of $3.2o to $3.50 per 100 lbs. 
No record appears of any such closeness 
of values in various sections in previous 
years. Shipments have been falling oil 
rapidly from all States except Maine, 
which still exceeds 50 cars per day. aver¬ 
age. The crop is turning out a little 
larger than expected, and with less loss 
from rot than was feared at one time. 
The Canadian crop was reported more 
than one-third as large as that of this 
couutrv, but shipments to this country 
have averaged hardly more than one dozen 
cars per day. Heavy losses by freezing 
in Western Canada will tend to keep a 
large part of the Canadian surplus for 
the home markets. 
Apple Position Rather Weak. 1 lie 
only recent developments in the apple 
situation are the somewhat lower prices 
prevailing for Western boxed apples as 
sold at auction. The auction prices in 
some cases have range 25c to 50c lowr 
than the quotations in Northwestern pro¬ 
ducing sections. The apple markets have 
been a little disappointing to those who 
bought early in the season expecting ex¬ 
treme prices. Range of valuer has been 
quite good for the best stock, and apples 
of fine color and size sell at $7 to $9 per 
barrel, ranging about $1 higher in the 
West than in the East; but a great deal 
of off-color and otherwise inferior stock 
is selling at $4 to $6 per barrel. The for¬ 
eign markets have failed to take care of 
our surplus at profitable prices, as hap¬ 
pened last season. The barrel crop is so 
small that probably it will be taken care 
of at fair prices in our domestic marketc 
but the Western boxed apple crop is so 
much larger than anything the markets 
have been used to the past years that its 
fate remains something of a problem, es¬ 
pecially for the lower grades, which have 
been selling at auction at between $1 and 
$2. The Canadian markets quote about 
the same prices as leading American cities 
for both boxed and barreled apples. Some 
fancy Western boxed fruit in British 
markets has^sold as high as^84. and some 
barreled fruit ranged from $9 to $14, but 
most of it very much lower. 
Other Vegetables at Steady Prices. 
—The cabbage market holds about the 
same as for the past two weeks, with 
prices for the best hard, long-keeping 
stock ranging fropi $90 to $S0 per ton. 
bulk, in consuming markets, and other 
stock not so firm and compact selling at 
$40 to $00. The Eastern markets are 
holding rath-- belter than Western. A 
little new cabbage from California. Texas 
and Florida is on. sale, at about the same 
price or little higher than the best old 
cabbage. Onions hold a remarkably even 
range at $5.50 to $0 per 100 lbs. for the 
best lots, all through the country. The 
stock is extremely limited and chiefly in 
the hands of larger dealers, who hold the 
supply verv firmly at around recent levels. 
G. B. F. 
Oats, $1.10 per bn.; buckwheat, $2 per 
bu.; potatoes, $125; eggs, SOc per doz.; 
butter, 70c per lb. D. F. 
Clinton Co., N. Y. 
We are having lots of public sales. 
Many tenant farmers and some owners 
who have sold their farms are moving, to 
towns and cities to work in factories, 
saying they can make more money than 
they can on the farm after paying the 
high prices demanded for labor and in¬ 
creased cost for fertilizer, machinery, etc. 
Lots of farms have changed hands re¬ 
cently at high prices. This has been 
rather a hard year on farmers, with the 
exception of fruit growers. The yield of 
wheat was low* and badly damaged by 
long, hea.v rains. The tomato crop, which 
is one of our big money crops, was also 
badly damaged by rain, as was also the 
corn crop. The hay crop was short. 
Early white potatoes were only about a 
half' crop. Those who had fruit were 
more fortunate. Apples, peaches, straw¬ 
berries and grapes, of which there were 
fair crops, brought high prices. The 
sweet potato crop was above the average 
and bringing fine prices. Bate white po¬ 
tatoes were about an average crop. Most 
farmers are through husking corn, and 
have their hogs butchered. Some sec¬ 
tions have been visited by hog cholera. 
But little Fall plowing has been done. 
Wheat has made a good start, and so have 
both Scarlet and Red clover. Very little 
wheat remains in the farmers’ hands, and 
Borne of our local millers are wondering 
what they will do for wheat when their 
present, supply is exhausted. Pork has 
taken a drop. Pigs are selling lower 
than a year ago. Milk at the cooling 
stations brings anywhex-e from $3 to $4 
per hundred, accoi-ding to the amount of 
butterfat. Cows still bidng high prices. 
Eggs have been up to 85c. but have taken 
a drop. Pork has di-opped from 20c to 
18c, wholesale. c. H. 
Kent Co., Del. 
In Southern Michigan we had a wet, 
late Spring, which made sowing of oats 
late, followed by a very dry Summer, 
which nearly finished the oats; lots of 
fields were not harvested. The late corn 
fared better than early corn on account 
of the dry Summer. We had a few show- 
ex-s late, and a very late killing frost. 
There were some vei-y good fields of corn, 
but as a whole the crop was vei*y much 
below the average. Hay was of good 
quality, but somewhat light quantity. 
Dairying is the most important branch 
of farming in this part of the State, our 
milk going to a condensery. The pi-ice 
now for 3.5 per cent milk is $3.65, with 
a 4c premium for each tenth of one per 
cent. The farmer pays 25c per cwt. for 
delivei-y to the plant, at Hudson, Mich. 
At Adrian, Mich., the county seat of 
Lenawee County, we have a community 
market which will buy at any time farm 
produce in any quantity. A great many 
farms are changing hands. Mostly Ohio 
farmers are buying, prices ranging fi-om 
$100 to $200 an acre; most of them at 
$125 to $150. Farm auctions are numer¬ 
ous, and l-ealize good prices. Good teams 
of farm horses sell up to $450, and good 
grade cows from $125 up, mostly up, for 
good ones. We have some good roads and 
a great many new ones petitioned for 
construction next year. Nearly every 
farm now has an automobile or a “fliv¬ 
ver.” so good roads are more in demand, 
and the general run of farmers are for 
good roads more than ever. Help is high 
and hard to get at any price. Fanners 
pay fi'om $2.50 to $4 a day for help, and 
men by the month at from $50 up; $1.50 
a cord for cutting wood, which sells 
around $4.50 a coi*d in town, hard wood. 
Poultry brought a fair price this year; 
turkeys sold at 32c*; hens, 20c; geese, 
23c; ducks, 20 to 22c. Wheat was not 
a very good crop here; mostly in the 
hands of dealers now. Clover seedings 
have been a failure here for three years— 
either too dry after harvest or will all 
pull out. in the Winter. I had a nice 
piece of Alfalfa, which went into the 
Winter all right, but all heaved out be¬ 
fore Spring; the whole root pulled out 
and lay on top of the gx*ound. Applies 
sold at $2 and $2.50 per bu. here this 
Fall; a very short crop. Corn sells at 
75c a basket at the farm, and a demand 
for all of it. With hogs selling a shilling, 
where is the profit? Very few veal calves 
i*aised here; they bring now 19c per lb., 
and a good veal will bring within a few 
dollai'S of the price of a yearling, so no 
one raised them, except a promising 
heifer once in a while. Wool brought up 
to 66c per lb. here this year, and costs a 
fanner $5 per lb. to buy it back in under¬ 
wear ; seems like too much of a difference 
in price. e. F. G. 
Hillsdale Co., Mich. 
Hay. oats, buckwheat, rye, some wheat 
and corn are the principal crops i-aised 
hei*e. Hay is selling at $20 for clover, 
Timothy $22; oats. SOc per bu.; buck¬ 
wheat, $1.25 ; rye. $1; wheat, $2.26. This 
section is extensively engaged in dairying, 
the farmers selling their milk to the Boi*- 
dens. Farm conditions are excellent, 
with the up-to-date farmer seeking to im¬ 
prove them all he can. Good wages are 
being paid by mouth or day. Ci’ops were 
very good here the past year, in spite of 
the rainy season. I should say farming 
was never better than the present day. 
Schoharie Co., N. Y. f. it. 
Hay, from $20 to $25 per ton; po¬ 
tatoes, $2 per bu.; oats were a failure 
and cut for hay; poi’k, 20c per lb., 
dressed: beef. 12 to 14c.. dressed; turkeys, 
40 to 45c. alive; eggs. SOc per doz.; but- 
tei\ 60c per lb.; cows, springers, $50 to 
$75; new milkers, $90 to $100; yearlings, 
$30 to $35; 2-yr.-olds. $50 to $60; sheep. 
$10 to $12 per cwt.; lambs. 12 to 15c per 
lb.; corn a good crop, $3.40 per cwt. 
Hired help is a hard problem. Help is 
scarce, and the wages are high. Good 
men are hard to find at any price. 
Sullivan Co., N. Y. j, u. G. 
Wer are located in the western part of 
Indiana County, near the Armstrong 
county line. General farming prevails. 
The principal money crops are hay, po¬ 
tatoes and buckwheat. Hay, from $25 
to $30 per ton ; buckwheat. $2.50 per 100 
lbs.; wheat, $2.15 per bu.; rye, $1.40; 
oats, 80c; corn. 70 to SOc; eggs. 75c per 
doz.; butter. 70c per lb. We own and 
•'nerate a thrashing and baling outfit. 
We thrashed about 40.000 bu. wheat. 
30.000 bu. rye, <50.000 bu. oats and about 
25,000 bu. buckwheat. The buckwheat 
was in bad condition this Fall on ac¬ 
count of so much rain. We baled 1.000 
tons of hay. There are some great coal 
mines in the north and south ends of In¬ 
diana County. The west end of the 
county has not been developed yet. A 
good part of the coal land is sold and 
will be opened in the near future. 
Indiana Co., Pa, a. a. w. 
Market Quotations 
NEW YORK. DECEMBER 24, 1919 
These prices and notes are believed to 
be fairly representative of the current of 
trade here. The range given in the quo¬ 
tations covers the qualities on hand at the 
time. The best grades of most fruits and 
vegetables, live stock and poultry on sale 
one week may be much better or poorer 
than next week’s offerings, so that a 
lower top price on such products does not 
necessai’ily mean a lower general market. 
This does not apply to butter, cheese and 
eggs, which ai*e more thoroughly stand¬ 
ardized. 
milk prices. 
New York, for Januaiy, $3.69 per 100 
lbs, for 3 per cent milk at points 200 to 
210 miles from the city, with 4c per 100 
additional for evei*y tenth of 1 per cent 
butterfat over 3. 
BUTTER. 
Prices of fresh creamery are 2 to 3 
cents lower. The market has been heavy 
for some time, so the drop was not unex¬ 
pected. Packing stock and city made are 
less, affected, as the prices were propor¬ 
tionately lower. 
Creamery, fancy lb... 70J6@ 71 
Good to Choice . 65 @ 70 
Lower Grmles.. 55 a 60 
Storage, best. 68 @ 69 
Fair to good. 53 @ 62 
City made. 48 @ 52 
Dairy, best . 68 a 69 
Common to good . 53 a 65 
Packing Stock. 45 a 49 
CHEESE. 
Whole Milk, fancy . 32V>1!) 33 
Good to choice. 30 a 32 
Skims, best. 22 a 23 
Fair to good. 14 a 16 
EGGS. 
Thei-e has been another decline of 8 to 
10 cents on both nearby and gathei’ed 
stock, and the market is quite unsettled at 
that. The better qualities of stoi*age re¬ 
main unchanged. Receipts are not large, 
but consumptive buying has fallen off 
decidedly. Doubtless economy is 1 the 
cause of part of this slack demand, but 
another and perhaps stronger element is 
dissatisfaction with the quality of eggs 
that have been put into cartons and 
sold at the top retail prices. When a 
fancy price is paid, buyers expect a cor¬ 
responding quality—not held eggs with a 
large air space or slowly gathered stock 
that has picked up vax-ious flavors on its 
journey. 
White, nearby, choice to fancy. 75 @ 30 
Medium to good . 70 @ 74 
Mixed colors, nearby best. 75 @ 76 
Common to good. 68 @ 73 
Gathered, best, white. 75 @ 77 
Medium to good, mixed colors ... 70 @ 73 
Lower grades. 50 @ 60 
Storage. 40 @ 56 
LIVE POULTRY 
The market as a whole has been firm, 
owing to slow arrivals. Most sales are 
reported in this x-ange: Fowls, 32 to 37c; 
chickens. 30 to 32c; clucks, 37c; geese, 
30 to 36c; l-oosters, 22c; turkeys. 60 
to 65c. 
LIVE STOCK. 
NatUe Steers.10 00 <316 00 
Bulls . 7 00 @ 9 50 
Cows. 4 00 ©111 00 
Calves, prime veal, 100 lbs .20 00 @22 00 
Culls.10 00 @15 00 
Hogs. 12 50 @14 50 
8beep. 100 lbs. 5 00 @10 00 
Lambs .14 00 @18 75 
DRESSED POULTRY 
The weather has continued favorable, 
with higher prices on most stock but 
chickens and fowls, wnich are not con¬ 
sidered holiday goods. Best turkeys re¬ 
tailed at 65c, and ducks and geese ai-ound 
45c. 
Turkeys, fancy, lb. 59 @ 60 
Fair to good. 45 @ 55 
Chickens choice lb. 45 @ 47 
Fair to Good. 35 @ 42 
Broilers, lb. 35 @ 45 
Fowls. 26 @ 35 
Roosters. 23 @ 24 
Ducks . 34 ® 41 
Geese. 30 @ 37 
Squabs, doz.. . 2 50 @1100 
COUNTRY DRESSED MEAT. 
Calves, best. 28 @ 29 
Com. to good... 22 <a 27 
Lambs, hot liouse, each.. 8 00 @12 00 
Pork, heavy. 15 @ 17 
Light. 19 @ 23 
BEANS. 
Marrow, 100 lb».....10 50 @12 00 
Pea ... .... 7 00 @ 7 75 
Medium . 6 75 @7 75 
Bed Kidney.10 50 @14 50 
White Kidney ,.....14 00 @1500 
Yellow Eye. 7 00 @ 7 25 
Lima, California.14 25 @14 50 
FRUITS. 
The apple market is weaker, partly be¬ 
cause so much of the stock offered was 
frosted. Cranberries, very dull. Florida 
citrus fruits in stronger demand. 
Apples. Winesap.Jbbl. 4 00 @ 8 00 
Twenty Ounce. 4 00 @ 7 50 
York Imperial. 3 00 @7 56 
Wolf River. 4 50 @ 6 50 
Greening. 4 50 a 7 50 
King... 4 50 @ 7 50 
Baldwin. 4 00 @ 7 00 
Common... 150 @ 2 75 
Pears. Seckel, bbl. 5 00 (alOOO 
Sheldon, bbl. 5 00 <e 10 00 
KiefTer. bbl .. 4 00 @6 50 
Oranges, box . . 5 00 @ 9 50 
Lemons, box . 5 50 rf 6 50 
Grape Fruit. 3 50 @ 6 00 
Cranberries, bbl. . 4 50 @10 00 
POTATOES. 
Receipts are larger and prices lower 
except for best. 
Dong Island. 180 lbs,. 5 50 @6 25 
Jersey. 165 lbs. 3 75 @4 50 
Maine, 180 lbs. 5 00 @6 00 
State. 180 lbs . 5 00 @ 6 00 
Virginia, late crop, bbl . 3 50 @5 00 
Sweet Potatoes, bbl. 2 00 @ 5 00 
VEGETABLES. 
Onions dull ; cabbage a little lower; a 
few new cabbages fi*om the South have 
brought $2.50 to $3 per V 2 -bbl. bkt. 
Chicory, romaine and other salads higher 
when sound. 
Beets, bbl. 3 00 @ 4 00 
Carrots, bbl. 2 00 @3 00 
Cabbage—ton.50 00 @70 00 
Lettuce, half-bbl. basket. 100 @ 2 50 
Onions. 100 lbs.. 3 00 @ 6 00 
String Beans bu...’.. 100 @ 6 00 
Squash, bbl,. 1 50 @2 50 
Egg Plants, bu. 100 @ 2 25 
Turnips, rutabaga, bbl. 2 00 @ 3 00 
Okra, bu. 3 00 @ 6 00 
Tomatoes. 6-bkt. crate. 2 50 @ 5 00 
Radishes. 100 bunches . 2 00 ® 4 00 
Horseradish, 100 lbs.10 00 @14 00 
Peppers, bu. 1 80 @ 3 00 
Romaine. bu. 75 @ 150 
Mushrooms, lb. 45 @ 60 
HAY AND STRAW. 
Hay. Timothy, No. 1. ton. 32 00 @33 00 
No. 2. 29 00 @30 00 
No 3 .25 00 @27 00 
Shipping.23 00 @25 00 
Clover, mixed.24 00 @30 00 
Straw, Rye.16 00 @17 00 
GRAIN. 
Following are the prevailing cash 
wholesale prices at New York : wheat. No. 
2 red, $2.50: No. 1 Northei'n Spring. 
$3.30: corn, No. 2 yellow. $1.63; oats. 
No. 3 white, 96c; rye, $1.98; barley, 
$1.65 to $1.75. 
The International Institute of Agri¬ 
culture reports the world wheat crop for 
191!) at 2.074.761.000 bushels. This is 
92.7 per cent of the lvjlS yield, and 96.5 
per cent of the five-year avei*age. 
* MILL FEED. 
Market reported quiet at the following 
figures: Bran. $47 to $49; middlings, 
$50 to $51 ; red dog. $65; rye middlings, 
$52; cottonseed meal, $79; linseed meal, 
$84. 
WOOh. 
The market is steady, with fine wools 
stronger. Business in Boston is repoi'ted 
at: New York and Michigan unwashed 
delaine. 87 to 90c; half blood, SO to 82c: 
three-eighths blood, 6S to 69c; Ohio and 
Pennsylvania half blood combing, S3 to 
85c; mi washed delaine. 92 to 94e; New 
England half blood, 72 to 73c; three- 
eighths blood. 65 to 67c. Contracting for 
the next Nevada clip is said to run 45 to 
50c. A $9,000,000 shipment of Aus¬ 
tralian wool has just been landed in Bos¬ 
ton. 
Philadelphia Markets 
BUTTER. 
Best prints. 82 to 83c; tub, fancy. 75 
to 76c; good to choice, 62 to 71e; packing 
stock. 47 to 49c. 
EGGS. 
Best, nearby, 90 to 92c; gathered, good 
to choice, 75 to SOc; lower grades, 6S 
to 72c. 
LIVE POULTRY. 
Fowls, 32 to 34c; roosters, 21 to 22c; 
ducks. 28 to 32c; geese. 24 to 26c; tur¬ 
keys. 55 to 59c. 
DRESSED POULTRY 
Turkeys, best. 60 to 62c; common to 
good. 50 to 57c; fowls, 2S to 35c; roostei-s. 
25c; broilers. 38 to 40c; ducks, 30 to 
40c; geese, 25 to 32c. 
POTATOES. 
Pennsylvania, 100 lbs., $3.35 to $3.60: 
New York, $3.30 to $3.50; Maryland 
1 Ioosier. $2.75 to $3.10; sweet potatoes, 
bbl., $2.75 to $4.75. 
VEGETABLES. 
Cabbage, ton. $55 to $70: onions, 100 
lbs*. 85 to $6; picklers, $2.75. 
FRUITS. 
Apples, bbl.. $4 to $9; box, $2 to $3.75; 
cranberries, bbl.. $6.50 to $9. 
HAY AND STRAW. 
Nay. No. 1, Timothy. $33; No. 2. $30 
to $31 : No. 3. 827 to $28; clover mixed 
$27 tn $31. Straw, rye, $14 to $16; oat 
and wheat, $12.50 to $14. 
Boston Markets 
BUTTER. 
Best_creamery. 72 to 724£c; medium to 
good. 65 to 71c; ladles. 52 to 54c; storage, 
64 to 69c. 
EGGS. 
Best, nearby. 92 to 93c; gathered, best. 
88 to 89c; common to good, SO to S5c; 
stoi-age, 50 to 54c. 
LIVE POULTRY. 
Fowls. 28 to 30c; chickens, 2S to 30c; 
roosters, 22c. 
DRESSED POULTRY. 
Turkeys, best. 65 to 6Sc; good to choice. 
50 to 55c: chickens, 32 to 40c; fowls. 32 
to 3Se! ducks, 38 to 42c; geese, 32 to 36c. 
APPLES. 
Greening. $4 to $6; Baldwin. $3 to 
$6 50; King. $4 to $f ; Spy, $3.50 to 
$5.50; Ben 1 Davis, $3.50 to $4.50 
POTATOES. 
Maine Green Mountain. 100 lbs.. $3 
to $3.25; Cobbler. $2.85 to $2.95; Cana¬ 
dian. $2.40 to $2.90; sweet potatoes, bu.. 
$2 to $2.25. 
VEGETABLES. 
Cabbage, bbl.. $4.25 to $4.75: celery, 
doz . $1.50 to $3: lettuce, bu. box, 75c to 
$1.5: radishes doz.. 30 to 40c; squash, 
ton. $35 to $40; onions. 100 lbs.. $5.75 
to $6.25. 
MILL FEED. 
Bran. $49 to $49.50; middlings, $50 50 
to $60; red dog. $65; gluten feed, $73; 
hominy, $69: cottonseed meal, $79 to $80. 
DAY AND STRAW. 
Hay. No. 1. Timothy, $36 to $37; No. 
2. 832 to 833: No. 3. $27 to $30. Straw, 
rye, $17 to $18; oat. $16. 
