The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
921 
Market News 
Prices 
Countrywide Produce Situation 
BtirPLIES MORE LIBERAL AND PRICE TREND 
Downward 
Shipments held back by railroad diffi¬ 
culties last month are coming along in 
fair volume now. Some of the produce 
was delayed too long at the start and 
shows wide variation in quality and con¬ 
dition. A number of Northern and 
Western markets were over-supplied with 
Southern cabbage and celery, some of it 
in bad order. Onion markets were some¬ 
what unsettled by liberal new supplies 
from Texas and considerable shipments 
from Egypt. 
Probably the edge is off the extreme 
high prices for a while, although there is 
little to suggest return to lojv values. 
The most surprising feature in the long 
range outlook is the decreased acreage 
reported from many localities. The cer¬ 
tainty of high cost of production seems 
to offset a fair prospect for another sea¬ 
son of high prices for the produce. 
Specialist farming in these times is 
likely to make or break the planter. 
Some who have both.courage and capital 
cannot secure help in competition with 
the wages paid by various other indus- 
sectione, but May and .Tune often change 
the outlook. Apparently the Northwest 
will not have as many as last year, but 
New York and other leading Eastern sec¬ 
tions, which were short last year, should 
set a good crop, if weather is not too 
unfavorable. 
Carlot shipments of apples for the sea¬ 
son will exceed 80,000 cars, or at. least 
10,000 more than last year, although 
early estimates reckon the crop consider¬ 
ably less than a year ago. The change 
in the situation was due, first, to the 
record breaking volurr of the North¬ 
western crop and, second, to the large 
size of the fruit in the East, which caused 
a fair output from orchards that had only 
a scanty set of fruit. 
Peaches will not be much of a crop in 
the North and the Southwest, but a large 
yield is promised in the two leading 
States—California and Georgia. 
Southern strawberries are coming along 
faster than a year ago, and prices trend 
downward, reaching 20 to 40 cents per 
quart, wholesale, in the North, which is 
not far from the price level of a year ago, 
but some markets are lower this year. 
6. B.‘ r. 
tries. 
Nearly half the carlot supplies of pota¬ 
toes are from Maine. Growers are get¬ 
ting a larger share of the money than 
they were receiving last Winter. At 
that time the dealers operating at the 
principal shipping points were able to 
exact a wide price margin, partly because 
of the cost of lining and heating cars in 
Winter and partly on account of the 
scarcity of empty cars.. Dealers could 
get only a few cars. Their storage houses 
at shipping stations were full, and they 
would not buy except at low prices. 
Meanwhile the city markets advanced 
steadily at times, the dealers securing at 
times last Winter as high as .$1.50 per 
100 lbs. more than they paid to the grow¬ 
ers. About one-third of this margin rep¬ 
resented actual cost of handling and ship¬ 
ping, and the rest was so-called overhead 
expenses and profit. Maine growers were 
getting less than those of most other 
prominent potato sections. Freight to 
New York from Northern Maine is about 
the same as from Michigan potato ship¬ 
ping sections, but Michigan prices paid 
to growers were often higher than in 
Maine. Prices in Far Western potato 
sections, even in California, have been as 
high or higher than in the East. Appar¬ 
ently the Western dealers at country 
shipping points have operated on smaller 
margin than Eastern shippers, but West¬ 
ern growers supply bags, and some of the 
other coast conditions vary considerably. 
At present, with more empty cars avail¬ 
able, the buyers at shipping points are 
competing more actively and are paying 
the growers fairly close to their selling 
prices, less expenses. However, through¬ 
out the country in Winter a margin of 
50c to $1.50 is absorbed for handling, 
sorting, bagging, car fixtures, heating, 
labor, miscellaneous cost and profit. This 
is before the carloads reach the consum¬ 
ing markets. Then there is freight of 
20 to 50 cents per 100 lbs. to be added, 
and another set of profits at the city end. 
Accordingly, the growers get not over one- 
half the consumers’ money paid for pota¬ 
toes in small lots, and still less of the 
money paid for more perishable products 
for which expenses, risks and profits are 
greater all along the line. Occasionally 
a consumer has his innings when there is 
a glut of some line of produce and the 
pushcart men peddle the stuff in the 
cities at less than cost of production, but 
the distant producer is handicapped by 
numerous expenses and deductions, no 
matter what the condition of the city 
markets. 
Potatoes from Canada have been 
arriving in considerable quantities, with 
weekly totals about equal to shipments 
from such States as Michigan or Wiscon¬ 
sin, but the imports are not of much mar¬ 
ket importance except in a few cities not 
far from the border. 
. Old onions are coming out of storage 
m New York State, but few from else¬ 
where. Prices for sound, hard stock are 
still high. New Texas onions have de¬ 
clined in most cities and at shipping 
points, owing to heavy offerings. Growers 
are not getting over $2 per bushel, which 
is not a very profitable price under 
present conditions of cost in that section. 
Acw cabbage is moving from the Caro- 
linas, but Texas and Florida still ship 
l*! 0 '’"Ik of the supply, which sells at 
Tf"; $1 50 per barrel in Western and 
Northern cities. 
j'ld sweet potatoes are coming in great 
'durae. from New Jersey and farther 
1 outh, in response to higher prices. They 
Bave reached nearly the price level of 
iv mte potatoes in most markets. They 
have been lower than white stock most 
i ie fnno this season on account of the 
ncavy supply. 
l l ri 1 ees la-fuse to go down, so far 
tvL' i • t st lots are concerned. In fact, 
fl) , n '•fft Pric es of the season are 
q oted lately for Western boxed apples, 
SoL r is wide for all apples. 
i a to 1,1 , u ‘ s ^ Eastern stock ranges 
•uul aaa* i ,)01 i ^ a rrel. and some overripe 
{Pf y ^lored stock sells at less thin 
nerV!! a ,V range of valuo - Early pros- 
P t. continue good for apples in most 
Local Up-State Prices 
SYRACUSE PUBLIC MARKET 
. Beef, prime, sides, 15 to 17c; medium, 
shies, lie; lamb, lb., 26c; live pigs, each, 
$5; pork, lb., 18 to 21c; veal, prime, lb., 
20c; common, 15c. 
Ducks, live, lb., 50c; dressed, 00c; 
geese, live, lb., 35c; dressed, lb., 55c; 
fowls, live, lb., 45 to 50c; dressed, 00 to 
05c; live rabbits, each, $1; dressed, lb., 
40c. 
Dairy butter, lb., 05 to 70c; eggs, 50c; 
wholesale, 44e; duck eggs, 05 to 75c. 
Beans, bu., $5; beets, bu., $1 ; carrots, 
bu., $1.25; cabbage, lb., 5c; per head, 5 
to 15c; cabbage plants, per doz., 20c; 
eelery, per doz.. 00c; onions, green, bunch, 
45c; dry, bu., $3.25 to $3.75. 
Honey, No. 1, per cap, 35c; extracted, 
light, j)t., 55c; horseradish, grated, bot¬ 
tles, 15 to 25c; roots, per lb., 10c; maple 
syrup, gal., $3.25 to $3.50. 
Potatoes, bu., $3.50 to $4; rhubarb, doz. 
bunches, $1; apples, bu.. $3. 
Alfalfa, extra, ton, $35: hav, No. 1, 
$35; No. 2, $30 to $33; No. 3, $25 to 
$28; Timothy, $35; straw, rye, ton, $18; 
oat, $20. 
JOnNSON CITY PUBLIC MARKET 
Beef, lb., 12 to 33e; pork, lb., 18 to 
25c; pigs, each, $3.50 to $0; bacon, lb., 
35c; ham, lb., 3S to 40c; veal, lb., IS to 
35c; rabbits, dressed, lb., 35c. 
Fowls, live, lb., 35c; dressed, lb., 38c; 
geese, dressed, lb., 35c; chickens, live, lb., 
34c; dressed, 40c; ducks, dressed, lb., 
35c; turkeys, live, lb., 45c; dressed, 50c. 
Beets, bu., $1.10; beans, lb.. 10c; car¬ 
rots, bu., $1.10; cabbage, lb., Gc; onions, 
peck, 75c; potatoes, bu., $2.50; pump¬ 
kins, each. 10 to 25c. 
Eggs, 50c; duck eggs, 70c; butter, lb., 
00c; buttermilk, qt., 6c; cream, qt., 00c 
cottage cheese, lb., 5c; honey, lb., 30c; 
pickles, per doz., 20c; maple syrup, gal., 
$3.25; vinegar, gal., 40c; apples, bu., 
$1.50 to $3.50. 
ROCIIESTEE LOCAL WHOLESALE MARKET 
Beef, carcass, 10 to 22c; forequarters, 
14 to ISc; hindquarters. 18 to 24c: pork, 
light, lb., 21c; heavy, IS to 10c; Spring 
lambs, 35c; yearling lambs. 25 to 28c; 
mutton, lb., 16 to 23c; veal, lb.. 25 to 28c. 
Live fowls, lb., 42c; live broilers, lb., 
35 to 37c; live ducks, lb., 35 to 36c; live 
geese, lb.. 25c; live turkeys, 40 to 45c. 
Eggs, 40 to 45c; retail, 48 to 00c. 
Beans, hand picked, per 100 lbs., 
medium, $5.50; white marrow. $0; red 
marrow, $10; red and white kidney, $13 ; 
pea. $5. 
Hides, No. 1, steers, ISc; No. 2, 17c; 
cows and heifers. No. 1. ISc; No. 2, 17c; 
bulls and stags, lb., 15c; horse hides, each, 
$0 to $10; sheepskins, each, $2 to $3: 
calf. No. 1, 40c; No. 2, 3Sc; No. 1. over 
14 lbs., 25c; No. 2, 23c; wool, unwashed, 
medium, 40 to 45c; fine fleeced, 50 to 55c. 
Hay, $18 to $23 per ton. 
Seeds, retail—Large clover, bu.. $40; 
medium clover, $38 to $40; Timothy. 87 
to $7.50; Alsiko, $35 to $40; Alfalfa, $25 
to $28. 
Apples, per bbl., Baldwins, $0 to $S; 
Kings, bbl., $7.50 to $8; Greenings, bbl., 
$0 to $10; apples, fancy, bu., $2.75 to 
$3; No. 1. bu., $2.25 to $2.50; ordinary, 
$1.25 to $1.75. 
Boston Produce Markets 
Butter 
Northern creamery, extra. 70 to 7()V,e; 
Western creamery, extras, GO 1 /, to 7(V; 
Western firsts, 05 to 0.8c! renovated. 53 
to 54c: ladles, 44 to 45c; storage firsts, 
03 to 06c. 
EGGS 
Fancy hennery and nearby. 54 to 55c; 
Eastern extras, 50 to 52c; Western ex¬ 
tras. 40 to 50e; Western extra firsts. 47V. 
to 4SV4c: Western firsts, 46 to 47c; stor¬ 
age packed extra firsts, 48 to 49c; stor¬ 
age firsts, 47 to 47 1 / £c. 
DRESSED POULTRY 
Fresh killed poultry, none offered; na¬ 
tive squabs, $S to $10 doz.; pigeons, $3.50 
to $4 doz. 
LIVE rOULTRY 
Fowl, 4S to 50e; cocks, 27 to 30c. 
ONIONS 
Connecticut Valley, $6 to $7 per 100- 
lb. bag; Egyptian, $6.50 to $7 bag; new 
Texas, $6 crate. 
POTATOES 
Aroostook Green Mountains, $0.75 per 
100 lbs. on track; cobblers. $0.50 to 
$6.00; Nova Scotia, $6 to $6.25; new 
Florida, $20 to $22 bbl.; sweet potatoes, 
$2.75 basket. 
Vegetables 
Cabbage. $5.50 to $0.50 bbl.; celery, 
white, $2.25 to $2.50 doz.; cucumbers, $6 
to $11 bu box; lettuce, $2 to $2.50 bu. 
box; peppers, $9.10 to $10 crate; rad¬ 
ishes, 75 to 90c doz. boxes; spinach. Nor¬ 
folk, $2 to $3 bbl.; squash, 6 to 8c lb.; 
tomatoes, hothouse, 40 to 50c lb.; beets, 
$1.75 to $2.25 bu. box; white turnips, 
$1.50 to $2 bu. box; carrots, $2.25 to 
$2.75 bu box; parsnips, $1 to $1.50 bu. 
box; yellow turnips, $2.75 to $3.50 bag; 
white Cape turnips, $3 to $4 per 100-lb. 
bag; rhubarb, 10 to 18c lb.; asparagus, 
California, $4 to $9 doz. ; string beans, $3 
to $8 basket. 
APPLES 
Baldwin, No. 1, $6.50 to $9.50; No. 2, 
$4 to $5; Northern Spy, $5 to $8; Rus¬ 
set, $4.50 to $8; Beu Davis, $3.50 to $5; 
Stark, $4 to $6: bu. box Baldwin, extra 
fancy. $3.25 to $3.50; ordinary, $1.50 to 
$3; Western, box, $2.50 to $5.50. 
FRUITS 
Oranges, California, navels, $8 to 
$10.50 box; Florida, $8 to $10.50;' cran- 
beries, $1.50 to $2.75 crate, $5 to $8 bbl.; 
grapefruit, $4 to $6 box; strawberries. 
Louisiana, 35 to 40c box; pineapples, $5 
to $7 crate. 
BEANS 
Car lots, per 100 lbs., Now York and 
Michigan pea beans. $8 to $8.25; fair to 
good, $7.25 to $7.50; California small 
white, $7 to $7.25; yellow eyes, extras, 
$10 to $10.50; fair to good. $8 to $9; red 
kidney, choice. $15 to $15.25; fair to 
good, $12 to $14; California dried Lima, 
$12 to $13; Madagascar. $10.50 to $11; 
native green peas, $6.50 to $7; yellow 
peas, $6 to $6.50; jobbing prices, 25 to 
50c above car lots. 
HAY 
Per ton, No. 1 Timothy, $46 to $4S; 
No. 2 Timothy, $41 to $43; No. 2 East¬ 
ern, $3S to $39; No. 3 hay. $35.50 to 
$37; clover, mixed, $37 to $40; fine hay, 
$35 to $37; rye straw, $27 to $29 ; oat 
straw, $23 to $24. 
maple products 
Syrup, $2.75 to $3.25 gal.; sugar, pails, 
30 to 35c lb.; bricks, 37 to 38c lb.; 2-oz. 
cakes, 42 to 45c. 
MILLFEED 
Per ton. Spring bran, $60.50; Winter 
bran, $60.50 to $61; middlings, $63.50 
to $70; mixed feed. $60 to $64; red dog, 
$73; second clears, $88; gluten feed, 
$75.12; hominy feed. $08.40; stock feed, 
$67.50; oat hulls, reground, $46; cotton¬ 
seed meal, $72.50 to $70. 
Buffalo Markets 
There is some downward tendency to 
green vegetables, but this does not include 
everything, for apples are up 25 to 50 
cents, and potatoes tend upward, in spite 
of the fairly prohibitory prices last week, 
caused by the switchmen’s strike. Butter 
tends upward, and hay and wheat bran 
are higher. Eggs advance in spite of 
good receipts. 
BUTTER—CHEESE—EGGS 
Butter, strong. Creamery, 05 to 72c; 
dairy, 53 to file; crocks, 52 to 53c; com¬ 
mon, 40 to 42c; oleomargarine, 29 to 33c. 
Cheese, quiet. Daisies. 30 to 32c; flats, 
30 to 32c; longhorns, 34 to 35c; Swiss, 
40 to 60c. Eggs. firm. Hennery, 44 to 
48c; State and Southern, fresh, 43 to 
45c; candled, 44 to 45c. 
POULTRY 
Poultry, weak for live. Fowl, 40 to 
42c: chickens, 38 to 40c; old roosters, 26 
to 28c: ducks, 43 to 45c; geese, 28 to 
30c. Dressed poultry, mostly none, ex¬ 
cept frozen. Turkeys, 54 to 56c; fowl, 
32 to 42c; chickens, 32 to 40c; ducks. 40 
to 42c; geese, 32 to 33c. 
APPLES—POTATOES 
Apples, firm. Greens, bu.. $3 to $3.50; 
veds. $2.75 to $3.25; common. $1 to 
$1.50; named sorts, bbl., $6.50 for Beu 
Davis to $10 for Greenings; Western, bu. 
box. $3.75 for Jonathan, $4 for Rome 
Beauty. Potatoes, pleutior. but strong. 
State, fancy. $3.75 to $4.25; common, 
$2.75 to $3.25; sweets, hamper, $2.50 to 
$3. Bermudas, out. 
BEANS—ONIONS 
Beans, steady. Kidney, owt., $12 to 
$14; marrow. $10.50 to $12: pea and 
medium, $7.50 to $8. Onions, firm. Yel¬ 
low, cwt., $6.50 to $9.50; homegrown, 
bu., $4 to $5.50; Spanish, crate, $2 to $3. 
FANCY AND SOUTHERN FRUITS 
Strawberries, steady. Fancy, crate, in 
qts., $4.50 to $4.75. Pineapples, steady. 
Grate of 30, $9 to $10. Bananas, dull. 
Buncli. $4 to $7.50. Oranges, box, $6.75 
to $7.75: lemons. $4.50 to $5.75; grape¬ 
fruit, $3.25 to $5 50. 
VEGETABLES 
Vegetables, strong; light supply. As¬ 
paragus, doz. bunches, $6 to $8.75; pars¬ 
ley, 50 to 60c; radishes, 30 to 40c; car¬ 
rots, bu., $1 to $2; beets, $1.25 to $2; 
parsnips, $1.50 to $2.50; spinach, $1.75 
to $2.25; white turnips, $1.25 to $2; 
cabbage, Florida, hamper, $4.50 to $5; 
cucumbers, doz., $1.75 to $2.25; lettuce, 
2-doz. box, $1.50 to $2.50; pieplant. Cal. 
box, $4.o0 to $5.50; tomatoes, Florida 
crate, $2 to $4; yellow turnips, bbl., $2.50 
to *j> 0 . 
SWEETS 
Honey, firm. Fancy, lb., 38 to 40c; No. 
Z, to 36c. Maple sugar, light de¬ 
mand; 30 to o5c; syrup, gal, $2.50 to $3. 
Hay. firm Baled, $37 to $39'; clover 
mix, $3-> to $3 < - wheat bran, ton, earlots, 
$o< ; middlings, $59.50; red dog. $69.50; 
cottonseed meal, $73; oilmeal, $65; hom- 
^ ^» cal* -feed, $46; rye middlings, 
J. w. c. 
Philadelphia Wholesale Markets 
Butter 
, Fresh, solid-packed, creamerv, fancy, 
high-scoring goods, 69 to 71c, the latter 
for jobbing sales; extras, 68c; extra 
firsts, 66 to 6<c; firsts, 63 to 65c; seconds, 
60 to c; sweet creamery, choice to 
fancy, 70 to 72c; ordinary to good, 61 to 
09c; ladle-packed, as to quality, 45 to 
49c packing stock, 39 to 43c; fancy 
brands of nearby prints were jobbing at 
to choice, 67 to 75c; 
76 to 78c; good 
fair, 64 to 60c. 
Nearby firstf 
EGGS 
$13.20 
per case; do., 
current receipts, $13.05 per ease; West¬ 
ern extra firsts, $13.05 per case; do., 
firsts, $1_.90 per case; inferior lots 
lower; Southern, $11.40 to $12.30 per 
case; fancy, carefully selected, candled 
eggs were jobbing at 50 to 52c per doz. 
LIVE POULTRY 
. We quote: Fowls, fancy, 39 to 41c; 
inferior, Jb to 3Se; broiling chickens, 
fancy, soft-meated, weighing 1 to IV, lbs. 
apiece, <0 to 80c; roosters, soft-meated, 
44 to 4oe; do., staggy. 35 to 36e; old 
roosters, 26 to 28c. Ducks, White Pek- 
nigs. 43 to 45c; do., Indian Ruuner, 42 
to 4->c; do., Muscovy, 30 to 32c. 
DRESSED rOULTRY 
Fowls, fresh-killed, dry-picked, in boxes 
weighing 4 pounds and over apiece, 
44c; weighing 3% pounds apiece, 41 to 
42c; weighing 3 pounds apiece, 37 to 39c. 
oj'ds, fesh-killed, in barrels, dry-picked, 
weighing 4 pounds and over' apiece, 
43V_>c; weighing 3V, pounds, 40 to 41c; 
weighing 3 pounds, 35 to 37c. Old 
roosters, dry-picked, 30c. 
GREEN FRUITS 
Apples, per barrel as to quality, $5 to 
$U; do., per box $2.50 to $5. Oranges, 
Florida, per box, $6 to $11.25; do., Cali- 
forma, per box, $5.30 to $10.15. Grape- 
fruit, F lorida, per box. $2.05 to $5.20. 
Strawberries. Florida, per quart. 10 to 
oOc; do., Louisiana, per quart, 30 to 37c. 
VEGATABLES 
. 100 pounds. $6.75 
to s ( : do., per 150-ponnd bag, $10.50 to 
§L_ do -’ „P° r 165-pound bag, $11.50 to 
$11.7o. Sweet potatoes. Southern, per 
hamper, $1.3o to • do., Jersey ner 
basket. $1 to $2.40. * Cabbage Florida 
per hamper. $1 to $2.25; do. Southern 
per barrel-crate, $2 to $4. Onions, per 
100-pound sacks—Yellow, No. 1, $750 
‘perS; it N0 ‘ 2 ’ * 5 t0 Texas ’ 
BALED HAY AND STRAW 
Arrivals of bay were more liberal, but 
the market ruled firm on desirable stock, 
tor which there was a fair outlet. Straw 
was in small supply and quiet. Timothy 
!• n,)ne here; No. 2. $41 to $40 • 
No. 3, $38 to $39; sample. $35 to $37; no 
grade. $->0 to $32. Glover-mixed hav—• 
ASU 1 t0 *i 2; No* 1. mixed, 
6»$40;>0. straw— No. 1 straight rve. 
$— ; No. 2 do.. $20 to $21 ; No 1 tansried 
'$19 ~0 19 v° 'V 1 ' 5 !? : No - 2 do - to 
fiiQ • straw, $17.50 to 
$18, Ko. 2 do., $16.oO to $17. 
New York Wholesale Quotations 
NEW YORK, APRIL 30, 1920 
The situation in movement of farm 
produce here is much improved. Sup¬ 
plies are quite large in some lines. Rut¬ 
ter has had a decided drop; eggs are uot 
much changed ; old potatoes remain about 
the same; Southern new are a little 
lower; hay is scarce, and the prices 
named are mainly the ideas of dealers as 
to what it would bring if here. 
* milk frh. es 
The price for May remains the same 
as in April, $2.55 per 300 lbs. for 3 per 
cent milk at points 200 to 210 miles from 
the city, with 4c per 100 additional for 
every tenth of 1 per cent butterfat over 3. 
LIVE POULTRY 
Business is reported at: Fowls, 35 to 
38c; broilers, lb., 40 to OOc; roosters, 
2oc; Spring ducks, 40c; geese. 22c. 
(Continued on page 925) 
