OTHER FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.

New York and Michigan Concord grapes in 12-qt. climax baskets declined 10¢ to 25¢ in New York and Boston, ranging 75¢ to $1.10, and closed lower in Chicago at $1 to $1.25. Niagaras were weak in New York at 75¢ to 85¢. New York cauliflower was slow and dull in Philadelphia at $1.75 per crate, and ranged $2 to $2.25 in other markets. Michigan Golden Heart celery in highball crates was slow and steady in Chicago and St. Louis at $1 to $1.25 and ranged $1.75 to $2 in Pittsburgh. Massachusetts cranberries were steady in Boston at $5 to $6 per ¹⁄₂-barrel crate, and at $6.25 to $6.50 in Pittsburgh and Cleveland. New York Bartlett pears ranged $3.25 to $3.50 per bushel basket in leading markets.

Northern Maine Has Large Potato Crop.

The potato crop in Aroostook Co., Me., promises to be the largest ever produced in northern Maine. Early plantings were damaged somewhat by dry weather, but the later plantings have developed fully, and the stock has become overgrown in many cases. The yield of Irish Cobblers will average 120 to 150 bbls. to the acre, with some yields as high as 200 bbls.

With a probable demand from a wide territory there is much local confidence in the outcome of the marketing season, especially after the first of the year. During the rise in the market the first week of September large quantities of potatoes were sold on a basis of $3 per bbl. to the grower, but many of these shipments were marketed at a loss. Large quantities of potatoes are being stored because of the generally low price level. Much of the stock that is being sold is that for which storage space can not be obtained or which must be sold for financial reasons. The growers generally feel that they should have $1.75 per 100 lbs. bulk.

The first heavy frost of the season came Sept. 21, and digging of all varieties will be pushed from now on. Shipments will continue moderately heavy and would undoubtedly become very heavy with stronger market conditions.

Top price of the season in New York was $1,150 per car. The general range in June in New York was $450 to $900 and in July $250 to $550. No sales of medium sizes were reported in Philadelphia above $900 and prevailing ranges during June were $400 to $700, but declines to a range of $250 to $500 occurred in July. Sales in Boston ranged nearly as high as in New York, allowing 1,000 melons per carload. Early quotations in Boston ranged 60¢ to $1.10 per melon, but price declined in July to a range of 30 to 65¢. Pittsburgh carlot sales ranged $500 to $1,025 in May and June and $250 to $500 in July. Chicago market quoted a top of $1,100 the last of May, but prevailing early ranges were $500 to $800 and July sales $200 to $600.

Correction.

In the table “Carlot shipments of cantaloupes” on page 217 of the The Market Reporter for Oct. 1. the last column should be headed “To Sept. 17, 1920,” and the next to last column headed “To Sept. 17, 1921.”

RECORD BROKEN BY YEAR’S WATERMELON SHIPMENTS.

Carlot Movement Double that of 1918—Crop of Excellent Quality—Prices Decline Rapidly.

Shipments of watermelons by the end of September somewhat exceeded 44,000 cars. The movement had surpassed that of last year by nearly 5,000 cars and was much larger than that of any preceding year.

The great Florida-Georgia-South Carolina melon section has shipped about 25,000 cars. Three other States, Texas, California, and Missouri, shipped 3,000 to 5,000 cars each; Alabama and North Carolina shipped over 1,000 each; Arkansas, Indiana, Oklahoma, 400 to 700 each; and 14 other States in smaller amounts. The season’s movement not only has exceeded the previous record-breaking volume of 1920 but is one-half greater than that of 1919 or of 1917 and more than double that of 1918.

INCREASE IN PRODUCTION.

Production the past three years has tended to increase rapidly in nearly all the leading watermelon States. Nearly 30,000 acres were planted in Texas compared with 38,000 in Georgia, the leading State, but shipments from Texas were greatly reduced by unfavorable weather. In most other sections conditions were favorable. Taking the watermelon section as a whole, there was a greater production from an acreage about the same as in 1920.

The East has been aggressively increasing its hold on the commercial production of watermelons during the past few seasons. Of the 5,000 cars constituting this season’s excess of shipments as compared with the movement last year, 3,000 cars came from the Southeast, about 1,000 cars from the Middle West, and a few hundred cars from the Far West.

The 1921 crop for the most part was of excellent grade. The size of Florida melons was reduced by drought, but conditions improved as the growing season moved northward.

The 1921 season opened with prices as high as in any preceding season. First sales in May exceeded $1,000 per car for medium sizes in New York, Chicago, and Pittsburgh. Similar prices were reported at the opening of the 1920 season and there were a few opening sales of medium size melons around $1,000 in 1919. In 1918 ranges in the early part of the season were only about one-half those of 1919 and were still lower in 1917 and 1916.

Prices in 1921 were not so well sustained as in 1920. During July heavy shipments from Georgia depressed the markets rapidly. July opened with carlot sales at $250 to $650 in city markets, but the range soon declined, reaching $200 to $250. The first week of August prices reached the low point of the season at $150 to $250 per car but recovered about $25 toward the end of the season of heavy shipments.

DECLINE RAPID.

Prices opened at $300 to $515 f. o. b. Florida shipping points with top of $625, but declined rapidly with the beginning of the Georgia shipping season. Florida and Georgia Tom Watsons ranged $200 to $650 in July. Carolina melons at times ranged slightly lower than Georgia stock.

Prices of Missouri watermelons ranged $100 to $200 per car the first week of August, $125 to $250 the second week, and $120 to $200 the third week. Texas melons sold early in July at $2.50 to $3 per 100 lbs. but ranged mostly $1.25 to $1.75 in August. Further details of the price ranges of the principal lines of watermelons are given in the accompanying tables.

Carlot Shipments of Watermelons.

RANGES OF WATERMELON PRICES
F. O. B. Shipping Points.
[Bulk per car.]

Sales to Jobbers in Leading Consuming Markets.

CARLOAD SHIPMENTS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN SEPTEMBER.