232 
American Agriculturist, March 1 , 1924 
Reviewing the Latest Eastern Markets and Prices 
THE GENERAL MARKET 
SITUATION 
T HE first real winter weather of the season 
hit New York on Lincoln's birthday in the 
form of a light snow fall of about three inches. 
Men in the market began to see their hopes 
come true for heavier weather, with a possibly 
resulting stronger market. However, a spell of 
clear weather followed. On the 20th one of the 
worst storms in years hit the city, not because 
of its intensity, but because of its character. 
On the night of the 19th it started to snow and 
by the morning of the 20th, quite a blanket had 
fallen. However, the snow soon changed to 
rain which fell in torrents. The resulting slush 
overwhelmed the city and pretty nearly 
knocked it off its feet. Traffic was severely 
hindered and consequently there was little 
doing in the market as trucking is a big factor. 
Before the slush could be disposed of cold 
weather ensued, freezing it, which only con¬ 
tinues to delay movements. In general the 
men down in the market seem to be in ( a more 
optimistic frame of mind. The storm had a 
psychological effect that has revived their 
more or less worn-out spirits. They are hoping 
for more of it, for it means a stimulation in 
trading. 
The immediate effect of this on the market 
is that although the city prices and city trading 
is dull, nevertheless conditions in the country 
are directly opposite, being quite firm, bup- 
plies are fairly liberal in the city, particularly 
potatoes, carrots, apples and cabbage. Ad¬ 
vices state that the storm was quite severe and 
is holding up country movements with the 
result that country prices are strengthening. 
If this weather continues, and as we go to 
press it looks as' though it may, we are going to 
see a much better tone to the market in another 
week. Cabbage is already strengthening. To 
make a prediction on what will happen is ab¬ 
solutely out of the question for practically 
everything depends on the weather and no ohe 
can tell for certain what is going to happen. 
As we have said before in these columns, with 
the situation as it is, a farmer who is holding 
produce for higher prices, can hardly afford to 
sit tight and wait for market reports from the 
buyers. Although as soon as the market 
strengthens, it is usually easy to tell it by the 
added activity on the part of the country 
buyers. The best way farmers have to keep in 
touch with the markets daily is via Radio. 
POTATOES REMAIN THE SAME 
In spite of the severe storm and the delay in 
transportation in the city, the New \ork po¬ 
tato market has not improved a single bit. 
This is unquestionably due to the fact that 
the supplies of potatoes in the market are 
ample and there is nothing to indicate that the 
supply will be retarded for a few days at least. 
Of course, if the weather turns real bad and we 
get a whole lot more heavy weather, the 
potato market will strengthen. However, 
then it will be the problem of the farmer to 
get the stuff into market. The last week in 
February may bring a strengthening of the 
market. Long Island’s^ are being quoted at 
$3.15,a sack f. o. b. loading point. States are 
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M. ROTH & CO. 
321 Greenwich St., N. Y. C. L 1 /^ Q 
Write for Shipping Tags Li V H> . / 
FROST PROOF CABBAGE PLANTS. 
Varieties: Early Jersey Wakefield; Charleston 
Wakefield; Copenhagen Market; Succession; and 
Flat Dutch. Prices: 200 for $1.00; 500 for $1.75; 
1000 for $3.00 postpaid. By Express $2 per 1000. 
Onion, Beet and Lettuce Plants, same price. 
PIEDMONT PLANT CO., Greenville, S. C. 
\\TTT r> DOW Strawberry plants. Raspberry, 
W th vji\U W Blackberry. Gooseberry, Cur¬ 
rant. Grapes, Asparagus, Rhubarb, Trees, Fruit, Nut, 
Shade, Ornamental. Flowers, Bulbs, Vines, Roses, 
Shrubbery, etc. 
Honest Goods, Catalogue free. 
A. G. Blount, Dept. E, Hastings, N. Y. 
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PI IT DC CREATE BEAUTY. Dahlias—Gladioli 
MJ V-J LiDO —Best popular and Exhibition Varieties. 
Catalog on request. A. D. FIELD, Eatontown, N. J. 
delivering at $2.75 a sack. Maine potatoes are 
outdistancing States consistently due to the 
fact that the Maine farmers are sending 
through much better stock. The New York 
City market demands a firm potato and the 
States do not as a whole meet that requirement. 
The result is that dealers are offering a whole 
lot less than shippers are willing to take. Your 
reporter was talking to a potato commission 
man recently and he said that he had a carload 
to sell. The dealer offered him $2.25, but the 
commission man finally managed to get $2.35 
for his customer. This was on States, and when 
the general market was $2.50 to $2.60. 
This particular car had quite a few culls, 
scabby and cut potatoes. The percentage was 
not great, but when the market is weak it is a 
big influence on the price. The buyer looks at 
such potatoes and always picks up the defec¬ 
tive ones and bases his price on those imperfect 
ones. He does not see the good potatoes. He 
sees the poor ones and makes his price accord¬ 
ingly. Farmers who have potatoes to ship can- 
20th. Owing to the fact that carting was so 
difficult in the city little business was ac¬ 
complished. The general weather conditions 
would indicate that the market will hold its 
strong tone. 
There has been a decidedly stronger tone to 
the frozen poultry market. Fancy broilers 
and fryers hold firmly, in many cases premiums 
going for fancy markets. There has been a 
good demand for roasting chickens. 
Capons are scarce and very firm for fancy 
stock. Most of the arrivals are poultry crated 
with the result that the prices are shaded. 
GREATER ACTIVITY IN EGGS 
Early in the week there was a decided slump 
in the egg market. However, by the end of the 
week greater activity cleveloped in fresh eggs 
with the result that the market was pretty 
well cleared before Friday. Some receipts 
came a little late for trading and were carried 
over, especially in view of the strengthening 
tone of the market which made dealers reluc- 
quality sold up to 16 c, live lambs of prime 
quality are bringing up to 16 c. 
GOOD OUTLOOK FOR HAY 
As we go to press, the indications are that 
the hay market will turn stronger in the near 
future. There is practically no No. 1 or No. 2 
on the New York market. Most of the hay on 
hand is Canadian in smaT. bales. Canadian 
hay thus far has not been of very good quality 
and in view of the fact that New York prefers 
large bales speaks well for the prospect of up- 
State shippers. The Brooklyn market is prac¬ 
tically the same as the Manhattan market. 
Quotations From Eastern Markets 
The following are the prices at which farm products of special interest to eastern farmers 
sold on February 20: 
Eggs, Nearbys (cents per dozen) 
New Jersey hennery whites uneandled, extras . 
Other hennery whites, extras.. 
Extra firsts.. . 
Firsts .. . 
Gathered, whites, first to extra firsts.. 
Lower grades . . 
Hennery browns, extras . . .. 
Gathered browns and mixed colors, extras .. 
Pullets No. 1 ... 
Butter (cents per pound) 
Extra (92 score). 
State dairy (salted), finest. 
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. 
Live Poultry, Express Lots (cents per lb.) 
Fowls, colored fancy, heavy . . 
Fowls, leghorns and poor . 
Chickens, colored fancy. . . . . 
Chickens, leghorns . 
New York 
Buffalo 
Phila. 
42 tn 43 . 
40 >4 to 41 
39 to 40 
44 to 45 
40)4 
38 to 38)4 
37)4 
38 to 40 
36 to 37)4 
41 to 43 
32 to 33 
41 to 43 
38 to 40 
50)4 to 51 
54 to 55 
50 
52 to 53 
51 
49 to 49)4 
48 to 49 
47)4 to 48)4 
42 to 47 
U. S. Grades 
Old Grade 
Standards 
$27 to 28 
$17 to 18 
$26 to 27 
24 to 25 
14 to 19 
25 to 25,!4 
27 to 28 
30 to 32 
26 to 27 
15 
17 to 18 
27 to 29 
27 to 28 
28 to 30 
26 to 27 
21 to 24 
25 to 27 
25 to 32 
26 to 27 
38 to 42 
24 
19 to 21 
Live Stock (cents per pound) 
Calves, good to medium. 
Bulls, common to good . 
Lambs, common to good. 
Sheep, common to good ewes. . 
Hogs, Yorkers ... 
15 to 16 
4)4 to 5)4 
10 1 4 to 15H 
4)4 to 7}4 
7)4 to 7 % 
not afford to send through this inferior stuff. 
The very reason that Maine potatoes, “Pine 
Tree Brand” are bringing the prices they are, 
so close to the Long Island price, is because 
they are FANCY. 
Potato men down in the market are hoping 
that the heavy weather will continue for a few 
days. If it continues, it is quite certain that 
the potato market will strengthen. Just how 
much it will strengthen is something no one 
can predict. 
CABBAGE MARKET STRENGTHENS 
The storm of the 20th undoubtedly was 
responsible for the upward turn in the cabbage 
market. Previously the cabbage deal had been 
just fairly easy at $26. However, as we go to 
press, it is hard to get confirmations at $30, 
and the market could be reported as varying 
between $30 and $35. How long this will con¬ 
tinue depends entirely upon the weather. It 
is very evident that with the coming of snow 
there has been a falling off in loadings with the 
result that prices have been stimulated. The 
men in the market seem to have a fairly opti¬ 
mistic feeling and state frankly that if we can 
only have a little more of this heavy weather 
we will have an old-time cabbage market 
again. 
APPLE MARKET UNIMPROVED 
The apple men are hoping that the last few 
weeks of the winter will be severe enough to 
give us a touch of a good apple market. It has 
certainly been a fact that the situation this year 
has not been encouraging to the fruit-growers. 
The export business is taking care of some of 
the supplies but not enough to stimulate prices 
to any extent. 
POULTRY MARKET FIRM 
The market for live fowls, chiefly for heavy 
stock, is quite firm. Express fowls are arriv¬ 
ing. Express broilers are in strong demand 
and as we go to press sales are in the neighbor¬ 
hood of 65e. 
Offerings of fresh killed poultry were ex¬ 
tremely light owing to the snow storm of the 
tant to sell for a closing price. Receipts have 
been extremely liberal. However, weather 
advices indicate lower temperature in impor¬ 
tant producing areas accompanied by stormy 
conditions in some cases. This has had a 
tendency to effect a recovery from the recent 
decline. 
BUTTER AND CHEESE FIRM 
There is little change in the butter market. 
On the 20th, when the storm was at its worst, 
there was not much trading due to the fact 
that most buyers who were not in immediate 
need of stuff remained away from the market. 
Supplies are liberal and are meeting the demand 
promptly. The general tone of the market is 
that it is steady. Most of the trading in fresh 
creameries extras is at 50c. Marks that score 
higher for critical buyers take a lc premium. 
Foreign butter continues to come in and meets 
fair trade at 50c duty paid. 
The cheese market continues steady. “ Fresh 
makes” are in moderate supply. There is 
slightly more demand for colored than can 
meet current orders. Whites are meeting slow 
trading. Quotations are as follows for state 
whole milk flats: Held, fancy, 25-25%c; 
average run, 24-24)^c; fresh fancy, 2l)^-22)^c; 
fair to average 19-20)4>c. 
MILK PRICES 
Dairymen’s League price for Class 1 milk 
(subject to change now a five-day notice) 
is $2.33 per 100 for 3 per cent, milk in the 
201 -210-mile zone. The Class A, $2.20, 
Class 2B, $2.25; Class 3 milk, going into con¬ 
densed, evaporated, powdered milk or hard 
cheeses, $2.05. 
Non-pool prices for 3 per cent, milk in the 
201-210-mile zone, flat price $2.30 per 100; 
Class 1, $2.35; Class 2, $2; Class 3A, evapo¬ 
rated, condensed and whole milk, powdered, 
$2.15; Class 3B, for hard or soft fancy cheeses, 
$ 2 . 
MEATS AND LIVESTOCK 
No really prime veals have come to the 
“live” market. If such were here it would 
command from 1634 to 17c. Veals of fair 
I Am Glad That I Went . . . 
{Continued from 'page 210) 
week. Possibly I was unduly carried away 
by my own enthusiasm, but to me it 
seemed that at last there was “A Daniel 
come to judgment.” As head of the 
greatest farm organization in the world, 
the Master of the National Grange ought 
to be a great, big, brainy man. 
Master Taber has been a man of affairs 
—farmer, later Secretary of Agriculture 
for Ohio, ex-officio a member of the Gov¬ 
ernor’s cabinet and I believe a director in 
a large city bank. Physically he is 
a rather distinguished figure with a fine 
platform presence—a man who will 
appear at home in any company. I felt 
that his address bespoke the statesman — 1 
a statesman being something utterly 
different from a politician. Like Warren, 
he did not look for any sudden or miracu¬ 
lous comeback of agriculture, nor did he 
refer Lc the farmer as the eternal under¬ 
dog of creation, nor did he call upon him 
to arise in his might and swat the rest of 
the world. 
It has always been true of the Grange 
that it has stood for high standards of 
conduct aud morals, and the new Master 
was true to this tradition, for his address 
was a ringing call to righteousness and an 
appeal to what is best in man. 
I might write of many more things — 
including the School Bill and the Dairy¬ 
men’s League—two topics that I am 
getting afraid of because they are loaded 
with social dynamite and are likely to go 
off at unexpected times with most disas¬ 
trous results. So I will not (in the phrase 
of Congress) ask for “leave to print.” 
Thus the 17th Annual Farmers’ Week 
at Cornell drops into history. 
How Many Litters? 
{Continued from page 223) 
eight months old they will farrow litters 
nearly if not quite as large as will the 
older sows and they will raise fully as 
good pigs. A two-hundred and fifty or 
three-hundred pound gilt will handle her¬ 
self very much better than will a five or 
six-hundred pound sow and will not loose 
nearly so many pigs by crushing. Again 
the lighter gilt does not require so much 
feed to keep in condition as does the large 
sow. 
The breeder of pure bred hogs for sale 
as such cannot of course afford to let his 
pedigreed sows go to market after they 
have raised two or three litters but in this 
case the object is primarily to raise good 
individual specimens and the production 
of pork tonnage is a secondary matter. 
The opinion of the most successful hog- 
men seems to be that after a sow has hail 
three litters it is more profitable to fatten 
her and sell her and replace her with a 
yearling gilt than it is to keep her. This 
is particularly true of the larger types of 
hogs. The females of these breeds fre¬ 
quently attain an unwieldy weight after 
three years and not only fail to raise 
satisfactory litters but often go down in 
the back or become otherwise crippled 
and useless. _ 
A Living From My Garden 
{Continued from page 212) 
perfectly. Occasionally I would remove the 
dead leaves, and when 4he celery was blanched 
it had absorbed the strings in the stalk and 
was white and as brittle as glass. I have kepi 
celery in my cellar that way till the middle o 
March. — R. H. Gwinner. 
