DEFINITE IMPORT INFORMATION STEADIES BUTTER MARKET.
Tendency Toward Higher Prices—Danish Butter Has Sentimental Effect on Market.
Butter trading was on a more confident basis during the week ending Oct. 1 and the markets developed a steadier tone as a result of definite information regarding the quantities of Danish butter expected to be available in the near future. The persistent rumors of large shipments which during the previous week were partly responsible for the unsettled condition were soon quieted, and operators took a more conservative attitude. There was less pressure to sell and buyers were inclined to purchase more freely.
Price changes were small, but there was a general tendency toward a higher level, advances of 1⁄2¢ to 1¢ being registered on all markets on the finer grades of butter. At times the supply of fancy butter was somewhat in excess of the demand, but any efforts on the part of the sellers to get prices down were always met with an active buying demand from distributors and speculators. It was a good, steady market with holders usually free sellers and buyers taking immediate requirements readily at current prices.
MARKET ON UNDERGRADES IMPROVED.
The market for undergrades was somewhat more active. The heavy supply of last week showed but little if any reduction, and current receipts consisted largely of undergrade butter. The quality of receipts generally was reported considerably better during the week and this no doubt was largely the cause of the improved market in undergrades. More interest was shown in undergrades by buyers who bought for immediate needs or who got such price concessions as to make their purchases bargains, but as a rule dealers found it impossible to move all their undergrades even at large price reductions.
Receipts for the week show but little change from previous weeks. It was generally expected that production would gradually decrease in spite of the fact that conditions for a good fall production have been favorable. Hence, the latest available report from the American Association of Creamery Butter Manufacturers showing an increase of 9.8% over last year and an increase of 0.44% over the previous week came as a surprise. The storage holdings for the four markets showed a marked decrease during the week. The decrease was most pronounced at Chicago, indicating a movement of storage butter from there to other markets.
The S. S. Frederick VIII arrived during the week, carrying a cargo of 1,250 casks of Danish butter, which did not become available until Friday. Part of this butter was reported sold at prices ranging from 443⁄4¢ to 451⁄2¢, depending upon the size of the lot. The S. S. Heligolav and Drottingholm now afloat with combined cargoes estimated at between 3,000 and 4,000 casks. The Oscar II, which sailed from Copenhagen on Sept. 30, is also expected to carry some butter. The effect of the Danish butter on the markets has been largely sentimental, causing operators to act somewhat more conservatively.
WHOLESALE PRICES OF BUTTER AND CHEESE FOR WEEK ENDING OCT. 1.
[Cents per pound.]
| CREAMERY BUTTER (92 score). | New York. | Chi- cago. | Phila- del- phia. | Bos- ton. | San Fran- cisco. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 44 | 43 | 45 | 44 | 44 | 1⁄2 | ||||
| Tuesday | 44 | 43 | 45 | 44 | 44 | 3⁄4 | ||||
| Wednesday | 44 | 43 | 45 | 45 | 44 | 3⁄4 | ||||
| Thursday | 44 | 43 | 3⁄4 | 45 | 45 | 45 | ||||
| Friday | 44 | 44 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 1⁄4 | ||||
| Saturday | 44 | 1⁄2 | 44 | 45 | 45 | 45 | ||||
| Average for week | 44 | .08 | 43 | .46 | 45 | .00 | 44 | .67 | 44 | .87 |
| Previous week | 44 | .00 | 42 | .50 | 44 | .58 | 44 | .33 | 43 | .71 |
| Corresponding week last year | 60 | .91 | 58 | .50 | 60 | .83 | 60 | .58 | 63 | .04 |
| AMERICAN CHEESE. (No. 1 fresh twins.) | New York. | Chi- cago. | Bos- ton. | San Fran- cisco.[1] | Wis- con- sin. | |||||
| Monday | 201⁄2-211⁄2 | 193⁄4-201⁄2 | 22-23 | 21 | 1⁄4 | 19 | 1⁄2 | |||
| Tuesday | 201⁄2-211⁄2 | 193⁄4-201⁄2 | 22-23 | 20 | 3⁄4 | 20 | 1⁄2 | |||
| Wednesday | 201⁄2-211⁄2 | 193⁄4-201⁄2 | 22-22 | 1⁄2 | 20 | 3⁄4 | 19 | 3⁄4 | ||
| Thursday | 201⁄2-211⁄2 | 193⁄4-201⁄2 | 22-22 | 1⁄2 | 20 | 3⁄4 | 19 | 3⁄4 | ||
| Friday | 201⁄2-211⁄2 | 193⁄4-201⁄2 | 22-22 | 1⁄2 | 20 | 3⁄4 | 19 | 5⁄8 | ||
| Saturday | 201⁄2-211⁄2 | 193⁄4-201⁄2 | 22-22 | 1⁄2 | 20 | 3⁄4 | 20 | |||
| Average for week | 21 | .00 | 20 | .13 | 22.33 | 20 | .83 | 19 | .85 | |
| Previous week | 20 | .87 | 20 | .00 | 21.42 | 21 | .29 | 19 | .58 | |
| Corresponding week last year | 27 | .63 | 26 | .56 | 29.91 | 33 | .25 | 26 | .46 | |
[1] Flats.
Wholesale Prices of Centralized Butter (90 score) at Chicago.
[Cents per pound.]
| Monday | 37 | |
| Tuesday | 37 | 3⁄4 |
| Wednesday | 37 | 3⁄4 |
| Thursday | 38 | 1⁄4 |
| Friday | 38 | 1⁄2 |
| Saturday | 38 | 1⁄2 |
| Average | 37 | .96 |
MOVEMENT AT FIVE MARKETS.
[New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, and San Francisco.]
| Week ending Oct. 1. | Previous week. | Last year. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BUTTER. | Pounds. | Pounds. | Pounds. |
| Receipts for week | 10,710,039 | 11,088,542 | 9,012,825 |
| Receipts since Jan. 1 | 448,180,161 | 437,470,122 | 397,422,337 |
| Put into cold storage | 1,561,618 | 2,554,239 | 2,424,626 |
| Withdrawn from cold storage | 2,565,222 | 2,667,180 | 1,976,443 |
| Change during week | -1,003,604 | -112,941 | +448,183 |
| Total holdings | 57,426,751 | 58,430,355 | 67,411,182 |
| CHEESE. | |||
| Receipts for week | 3,417,635 | 3,868,809 | 3,008,890 |
| Receipts since Jan. 1 | 141,117,659 | 137,700,024 | 130,569,677 |
| Put into cold storage | 1,193,333 | 1,153,107 | 821,381 |
| Withdrawn from cold storage | 1,840,048 | 1,364,127 | 1,109,790 |
| Change during week | -646,715 | -211,020 | -288,409 |
| Total holdings | 17,006,483 | 17,653,198 | 19,401,542 |
| DRESSED POULTRY. | |||
| Receipts for week | 4,180,468 | 4,190,630 | 3,097,825 |
| Receipts since Jan. 1 | 125,584,081 | 121,403,613 | 119,319,585 |
| Put into cold storage | 1,763,783 | 1,645,312 | 1,748,540 |
| Withdrawn from cold storage | 1,086,169 | 974,956 | 1,303,010 |
| Change during week | +677,614 | +670,356 | +445,530 |
| Total holdings | 18,302,642 | 17,625,028 | 15,835,021 |
| EGGS. | Cases. | Cases. | Cases. |
| Receipts for week | 208,045 | 198,651 | 178,819 |
| Receipts since Jan. 1 | 13,319,676 | 13,111,631 | 11,834,417 |
| Put into cold storage | 17,305 | 19,475 | 32,480 |
| Withdrawn from cold storage | 168,670 | 139,781 | 166,123 |
| Change during week | -151,365 | -120,306 | -133,643 |
| Total holdings | 3,134,054 | 3,285,419 | 2,589,382 |
Dried and Frozen Egg Shipment Arrives From China.
Thirteen thousand six hundred and forty-three cases of frozen eggs weighing 1,200,564 lbs., also 448 cases of dried eggs weighing 48,800 lbs., were unloaded from the British steamship Gothicstar from China at San Francisco Sept. 15. The shipment is one of the largest ever received in this country.
On Sept. 19 the Gothicstar sailed for New York with a cargo of 59,108 cases of frozen eggs and 6,190 cases of dried eggs.