462 
American Agriculturist, May 26,1923 
Reviewing the Latest Eastern Markets and Prices 
CHEESE SOLE BY “CALL” 
HERSCHEL H, JONES 
T he New York Mercantile Exchange, 
which is the board of trade of the 
egg and poultry wholesale business, 
last week began for the first time to 
sell cheese by the “call” system, as eggs 
are sold. At 10:40 A. M., those mem¬ 
bers of the exchange who have, cheese 
to sell, may announce what they have 
to offer and buyers in turn give their 
bids. On the huge wall blackboard of 
the Exchange “Floor”, the offerings 
and bids are written, and when the two 
meet, sales are made. 
The use of the “call” method of sell¬ 
ing cheese is to be tried two months and 
continued permanently if there is a 
demand for it. A committee of the 
Exchange prepared a system of grades 
which are to be used as a basis of trad¬ 
ing in American cheese. These grades 
include: “J''ancy Specials”, “Fancy”, 
“Average Run” and “Undergrades.” At 
the opening sale Monday, May 14, 900 
boxes were sold, about half State and 
half Wisconsin. Prices ranged from 
21% to 22 %c on average run and 
fancies. 
It is difficult to say at this time 
whether this innovation will have any 
material effect on the New York cheese 
quotations which are of vital interest 
to every dairyman in the New York 
milk shed. It may have a wholesome 
effect of giving more open publicity to 
offerings and sales, and thereby enliven¬ 
ing trade. On the other hand if too 
much importance is attached to such 
sales as an indication of the market, it 
might easily be possible for an interested 
party to manipulate the market with 
artificial sales of comparatively small 
quantities of cheese. Such a thing has 
been possible in the Exchange trans¬ 
action on eggs. 
These new grades of the New York 
Mercantile Exchange are now being 
used in daily trade quotations. The full 
grade descriptions will be furnished 
any of our readers on request. The 
Exchange grades do not take into con¬ 
sideration the score of the cheese, but 
the characteristics of each grade are 
described under the heads of Flavor, 
Body and Texture, Finish and Appear¬ 
ance, and Color. The new definition 
for “average run” cheese keeps the 
quality requirements of the grade con¬ 
stant, regardless of the season of the 
year and regardless of the average 
quality of the stock offered. 
NEW POTATOES PREFERRED 
In New York City there is practically 
no demand except in a very small way 
for old potatoes. The number of cars 
in the yards is relatively small but the 
buyers for the best trade do not seem 
to care if they vanish oveimight for 
the stock is spongy, sprouted and in 
generally poor condition. All the 
attention is centered on potatoes from 
the South, mostly Florida with now 
and then a car or two from South 
Carolina. The market for Florida’s 
touched $8.50 per bbl. on the docks last 
week and dealers are optimistic. Some 
are holding expecting the demand to 
continue and prices to advance a little. 
A good car from Carolina sold for $8. 
The highest prices quoted for State 
potatoes were only realized in a few 
small sales of the best. On May 17, 
State .round whites No. 1, per 150-lb. 
sack were quoted at $2.50 @ $2.60 for 
best and $2.25 @$2.40 for ordinary. 
FRUIT PROSPECTS GOOD 
Unofficial reports indicate a large 
crop of peaches in New Jersey this 
year, and comparatively little damage 
there from freezing. In Georgia and 
the Carolinas, however, the late frost 
did much damage and the crop will be 
small. 
It is also reported that the summer 
apple crop promises to be much below 
last year, which would be a very good 
thing for the growers as the markets 
last year were glutted. The U. S. 
Bureau of Agricultural Economics re¬ 
ports cold storage holdings of barreled 
apples on May 1 as, 578,000 barrels, an 
excess over the same date last year of 
330,000 bbls., compared with a five 
year average of 305,000 bbls. In spite 
of this excess in holdings over last 
year’s stocks the markets generally are 
in good healthy shape with sufficient 
demand to maintain steady prices. Best 
Baldwins, A ‘grade, 2% inch, N. Y. 
State, brought last week $7 @ $7.50 
per bbl.; Fancy, $7.50 @ $8; Ordinary, 
$6, @$6.25; Ben Davis, best, $4.25 @ 
$4.50; Fair stock, $3.75 @ $4. 
EGG MARKET IRREGULAR 
The market for nearby hennery white 
eggs continued quiet, weak and irreg¬ 
ular last week with the greater part* 
of the supply selling in mixed bunches 
at a range of 29 @ 33c per dozen. 
Toward the end of the week most sales 
were at 29 to 31c. Very few, even of 
the best fancy fresh State eggs, and 
other nearby brought top quotations. 
Fanciest neai'by and Jersey white eggs 
showing strict uniformity in color, size, 
quality and package were steady with 
a fair demand toward the end of the 
•week at 36 to 40c per dozen according 
to the closeness of the grading. There 
was a surplus of average and ordinary 
qualities of nearby eggs. 
So far this month the statistics indi¬ 
cate a shortage in storage accumula¬ 
tions compared with last year. The 
movement into storage has increased 
rapidly since May 1, however. The 
New York trade output has been in¬ 
creasing steadily since the slump early 
in April. The output for the past four 
consecutive weeks as given by the Pro¬ 
ducers’ Price Current, are respectively: 
81,757 cases; 98,072 cases; 107,797 
cases; 124,866 cases. 
WHAT IT COSTS TO STORE EGGS 
Egg producers may be interested at 
this time in a few figures on the cost 
of putting eggs into cold storage. In 
the first place, it may be well to’ point 
out that any responsible person can put 
eggs' away in a public cold storage 
house. The storage charges are fixed 
by printed schedule. Although the 
storage companies might naturally be 
expected to show some preference to 
large, regular customers, they will ac¬ 
cept lots as small as five or ten cases. 
The largest public cold storage com¬ 
pany which stores eggs in the metro¬ 
politan area charges for storage in Jer¬ 
sey City the following prices: 
Lots of 100 cases or more (30 dozen 
to the case), 14c per case for first 
month; 7c per case each month there¬ 
after. 
Lots of 25 to 100 cases, 16c per case 
for first month; 8c per case each month 
thereafter. 
Lots of under 25 cases, 20c per case 
first month; 10c per case each month 
thereafter. 
To these charges must be added cart¬ 
age charges, except where delivery is 
made by express or carlots are deliv¬ 
ered alongside the warehouse. Then 
there is insurance of about 42c per $100 
worth of eggs per year. The cartage 
charges are about 6c per case from 
New York to Jersey City and 4 to 5c 
per case when the eggs are stored in 
New York City. Extra labor in hand¬ 
ling eggs, requiring repacking or rais¬ 
ing covers on the fl>oor of the cold stor¬ 
age house, is charged for at 2c per 
case. 
It is customary for the cold storage 
companies to advance about 70 per 
cent of the value of the eggs at the 
time they go into storage, but not to 
exceed $6 per case. The banks advance 
to their regular customers a higher 
percentage of the value. The interest 
charges on the money advanced on eggs 
must, of course, be added to the costs 
in determining whether any profit is 
made at the time they are withdrawn. 
Any person wishing more detailed 
information relative to the cold storage 
of eggs can obtain it by writing to the 
Market Department of the American 
Agriculturist.—H. H. J. 
BROILER SUPPLY INCREASING 
Express shipments of broilers to the 
New York market last week were very 
much heavier and the demand was not 
sufficient to hold prices firm. Toward 
the end of the week only a small part 
of the broilers received sold at top 
quotations. Express shipments of 
fowls were very light and the trade 
paid for fowls unusually high for this 
time of the year, due in part at least 
to the cool weather. 
Broilers, colored, fancy large, sold 
May 17, at 55c; colored small, 45 @ 
50c; white leghorn, fancy large, 50c; 
white leghorn, small to medium, 30 @ 
45c. Rabbits 31 @ 33c per lb. 
CHEESE CONTINUES STEADY 
In spite of gradualy increasing gen¬ 
eral supplies, cheese prices held steady 
last week. The expected decline in the 
Wisconsin primary markets did not 
materialize. The production is below 
normal for this season and full grass 
cheese is not yet being shipped from 
the producing States. Receipts of 
cheese at New York last week were 
actually lower than the previous week. 
State whole milk flats, fresh, average 
run, were quoted at 22c; held flats 
average run, at 27% to 28c. 
BUTTER MARKET FLIGHTY 
The relatively high prices on cream¬ 
ery butter reported in our last issue 
did not hold last week. On May 17, 
creamery extras, (92 score) were down 
to 42% @ 42 %c per lb., and the mark¬ 
et was very sensitive. There were fre¬ 
quent fluctuations during the week 
within a narrow range. The surplus 
in production is approaching and the 
market is getting down to a specula¬ 
tive storage basis. It is still quite un¬ 
certain as to what June prices will be, 
but future sales for June extras on the 
Mercantile Exchange last week were 
within a range of 40% @ 40 %c. 
The possibility of large importations 
of foreign butter, providing our June 
market runs above the 40c level, is 
a strong factor in holding down the 
tendency toward higher prices. We 
have been drawing butter from various 
foreign countries under an 8c duty. 
Regular shipments have again started 
from Denmark, and Canada has been 
sending us a good many cars. Mis¬ 
cellaneous shipments of butter from 
Ireland, Finland, Esthonia and New 
Zealand, are due in New York within 
the next week or two. 
DRESSED CALVES UP 
The supply of country dressed calves 
on the New York market last week was 
so limited that the market advanced 
early in the week Ic per lb. on all 
grades. In the latter part of the week 
the trade was slower and the market 
tended weaker with quotations remain¬ 
ing about the same. Wholesale prices 
May 17, per 100 lbs. of country dressed 
veal calves were: prime, $13.50 @ 
$14.50; fair to good, $12.25 @ $13.25; 
common to medium $9 @$12; culls, 
$8 @ $9; small, $6.50 @ $7. 
The dressed lambs sold up to $10 per 
cwt. for choice heavy hot house, ljut 
poorer qualities lower. 
LIVE CALF MARKET FIRM 
The markets at Jersey City and 60th 
Street Stock Yards for large calves 
were very active and firm last week 
except that toward the end of the week 
there was a weaker tendency at Jersey 
City, where most of the calves were 
received. In the middle of the week 
live veal calves, prime, sold per cwt. at 
$14 to $14.60; fair to good, $12.75 @ 
$13.75; common to medium, $10 @ 
$12.50. 
BUFFALO FEED PRICES STEADY 
There were very few changes in feed 
prices at Buffalo last week. Quotations 
on carlots Buffalo rate basis, in 100 lb. 
sacks per ton on May 17, were: Gluten 
feed $41.05; cottonseed meal $44.30; oil 
meal, $39.50; standard spring bran, 
$33.50; hard winter bran, $34.50; 
standard spring middlings, $34.50; 
choice flour middlings, $37; white 
hominy, $35.80. No. 2 yellow corn per 
bushel, 94c; No. 2 white oats, 52%c; 
No. 3 white oats, 51c. 
CASH GRAINS AT NEW YORK 
Cash Grain quotations May 18 at 
New York were as follows: Wheat, No. 
2 red, $1.52%; No. 2 hard winter, 
$1.36; No. 2 mixed durum, $1.30; corn. 
No. 2 yellow, $1.02, No. 2 mixed, $1.01%, 
No. 2 white, $1.02; oats, No. 2 white, 
56%c, No. 3 white, 55c; rye, 92%c; 
barley, 82 @ 83c. 
Chicago: No. 2 hard winter, wheat, 
$1.22%; corn. No. 2 white, 86c; No. 2 
yellow, 86 @ 87c; oats. No. 2 white, 
46 @ 46%c; No. 3 white, 45% @ 45%; 
barley, 82 @ 83c. 
WANTED 
If you have HAY and STR.A.W to sell 
write us for quotations and free Book¬ 
let “How to market Hay and Straw.” 
JOHN E. MURRAY, Inc. 
1658 BROADWAY, NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. 
WANTED FRESH 
Brown and White Eggs 
Also Duck Eggs 
GEO. M. RITTENHOUSE & CO. 
23 and 25 Jay Street, New York 
Established 1867 
SHIP YOUR EGGS 
WHITE AND BROWN 
To R. BRENNER & SONS 
Bonded Commission Merchants 
358 Greenwich St., New York City 
SHIP to the right house 
M. ROTH & CO. 
321 Greenwich St.—N. Y. C. I? Q 
Write for shipping Tag* 
Quotations From Eastern Markets 
The following are the prices at which farm products of special interest to 
eastern farmers sold on May 17: 
Eggs, Nearbys (cents per dozen) 
New Jersey hennery whites uncandled, extras.., 
Other hennery whites, extras... 
Extra firsts. 
Firsts . 
Gathered, whites, first to extra firsts. 
Lower grades. 
Hennery brow'ns, extras. 
Gathered browns and mixed colors, extras. 
Pullets No. 1.. 
Butter (cents per pound) 
Creamery (salted) high score. 
Extra (92 score). 
State dairy (salted), finest.., 
Good to prime... .. . 
Hay and Straw, Large Bales (per ton) 
Timothy No. 2. 
Timothy No. 3. 
Timothy Sample. 
Fancy light clover mixed 
Alfalfa, second cutting.. 
Oat straw No. 1. 
Fowls, colored fancy, heavy. 
Fowls, leghorns and poor. . . 
Chickens, leghorns.. 
Roosters. 
Live Stock (cents per pound) 
Calves, good to medium. 
Bulls, common to good. 
Lambs, common to good. 
Sheep, common to good ewes. 
Hogs, Yorkers. 
New York 
37@40 
36@37 
31@33 
29@30 
29@33 
27% @28 
33@3.5 
29@32 
28@29 
43@43% 
42@42% 
42 
40%@41% 
U. S. Grades 
$23@24 
20@22 
13@15 
26 
27@29 
10@11 
Live Poultry, Express Lots (cents per lb;) 
Buffalo 
29@30 
2S@29 
46@47 
44@45 
42@43 
34@40 
Phila. 
28 
26% 
42% 
Old Grade Standards 
$20@21 $21@22 
. 19@20 
! ".! ' 2 l ’@22 
15.50@i6 
29@30 
27@29 
22@24 
24@26 
14 
17@18 
10%@13% 
12@15% 
4@4% 
5@6 
9% @12% 
13 
3% @5% 
8% 
8%@9 
8% 
30@31 
’26@27 
16@18 
