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.

	To Sept. 24.		Total season.
	1921	1920	1917	1918	1919	1920
Alabama	1,398	1,160	1,634	806	708	1,160
Arkansas	520	314	449	93	268	314
California	3,455	3,106	1,137	1,689	3,300	3,272
Delaware	496	177	511	303	327	177
Florida	5,457	6,807	3,622	2,179	3,878	6,807
Georgia	15,791	11,103	9,530	6,782	8,984	11,103
Illinois	309	247	386	68	190	251
Indiana	706	647	630	191	581	661
Iowa	681	330	238	132	321	348
Maryland	759	458	1,019	388	515	458
Missouri	3,089	3,008	2,533	1,196	3,516	3,012
North Carolina	1,219	799	1,201	727	891	799
Oklahoma	549	464	505	189	870	465
South Carolina	4,407	4,735	4,107	2,787	2,673	4,735
Texas	4,056	4,839	2,871	2,290	3,007	4,845
Virginia	338	312	728	244	263	312
Other States	851	506	402	328	568	530
Total	44,081	39,012	31,503	20,392	30,860	39,249

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

State and year.	Weights quoted.			Opening.					High.					Low.
State and year.	Weights quoted.			Week ending—		Price.			Week ending—		Price.			Week ending—		Price.
Florida:	Pounds.
1921	22	-	28	May	23	$350	-	$600	May	23	$350	-	$600	July	11	$200	-	$250
1920	22	-	28	June	14	250	-	500	June	14	250	-	500	June	28	175	-	500
1919	22	-	28	June	9	400	-	550	June	9	400	-	550	June	23	300	-	475
1918	20	-	25	June	3	300	-	400	June	24	350	-	450	June	10	275	-	400
1917	20	-	25	June	11	140	-	200	June	18	165	-	225	June	11	140	-	200
Georgia:
1921	22	-	28	June	27	200	-	525	June	27	200	-	525	Aug.	8	40	-	125
1920	22	-	28	July	5	200	-	450	July	5	200	-	450	July	19	75	-	200
1919	22	-	27	June	30	250	-	450	June	30	250	-	450	July	28	125	-	250
1918	28	-	30	July	1	135	-	175	July	8	200	-	220	July	15	75	-	150
1917	20	-	25	June	25	175	-	265	July	2	175	-	275	Aug.	20	70	-	75
Texas:
1921	22	-	28	July	18	80	-	250	July	18	80	-	250	Aug.	1	[1]25	-	50¢
1920	22	-	28	July	5	250	-	375	July	12	150	-	375	July	19	65	-	250
1919	22	-	28	July	21	250	-	400	July	21	250	-	400	July	28	150	-	300
1918	20	-	27	June	24	335	-	400	June	24	335	-	400	July	22	100	-	200
1917	20	-	25	July	2	200	-	290	July	2	200	-	290	July	16	100	-	200
Missouri:
1921	22	-	28	Aug.	1	165	-	340	Aug.	1	165	-	340	Aug.	22	65	-	150
1920	22	-	28	Aug.	2	200	-	325	Aug.	9	300	-	425	Aug.	16	200	-	350
1919	22	-	28	Aug.	4	250	-	450	Aug.	4	250	-	450	Aug.	11	125	-	300
1918	20	-	25	Aug.	5	230	-	300	Aug.	12	300	-	400	Aug.	5	230	-	300
1916	22	-	27	Aug.	7	135	-	200	Aug.	14	110	-	175	Aug.	21	65	-	165

[1] Bulk per 100 lbs.

Sales to Jobbers in Leading Consuming Markets.

State and variety.	Year.	Weights quoted.			Opening.					High.					Low.
State and variety.	Year.	Weights quoted.			Week ending—		Price.			Week ending—		Price.			Week ending—		Price.
Pounds.
Florida, Tom Watsons	1921	22	-	28	May	23	$1,150			May	30	$600	-	1,200	July	25	250	-	450
	1920	22	-	28	June	14	500	-	1,100	June	14	500	-	1,100	July	12	300	-	500
	1919	23	-	28	June	9	750	-	1,050	June	9	750	-	1,050	July	14	300	-	550
	1918	20	-	25	June	3	300	-	500	June	24	550	-	800	July	8	300
	1917	20	-	25	June	11	250	-	350	July	2	300	-	450	July	10	150	-	225
	1916	22	-	27	Juno	12	300	-	350	June	19	300	-	375	July	17	100	-	225
Georgia, Tom Watsons	1921	22	-	28	July	11	250	-	650	July	11	250	-	650	Aug.	8	150	-	275
	1920	22	-	28	July	12	400	-	750	July	12	400	-	750	July	19	250	-	600
	1919	23	-	28	July	7	350	-	800	July	7	350	-	800	July	21	150	-	350
	1918	28	-	30	June	24	550	-	800	June	24	550	-	800	July	22	250	-	350
	1917	20	-	25	June	25	275	-	450	July	2	300	-	450	July	30	150	-	225
	1916	22	-	27	June	19	300	-	380	June	19	300	-	380	July	10	150	-	225
Texas, Tom Watsons	1921	22	-	28	July	11	250	-	300	July	25	275	-	375	Aug.	8	[1]1.25	-	1.50
	1920	22	-	28	July	12	250	-	400	July	12	250	-	400	July	19	250	-	400
	1919	23	-	28	Aug.	4	410	-	600	Aug.	4	410	-	600	Aug.	18	200	-	300
	1918	20	-	27	July	22	[1]2.25	-	2.50	July	29	[1]2.25	-	2.75	July	29	[1]2.25	-	2.75
	1917	20	-	25	July	2	300	-	450	July	2	300	-	450	Aug.	20	200	-	275
	1916	20	-	27	July	17	175	-	250	July	31	200	-	275	Aug.	14	175	-	210
South Carolina	1921	22	-	28	July	18	250	-	450	July	25	250	-	500	Aug.	15	100	-	225
	1920	22	-	28	July	12	400	-	650	July	12	400	-	650	July	19	250	-	575
	1919	22	-	28	July	21	150	-	350	Aug.	4	300	-	600	July	21	150	-	350
	1918	20	-	25	July	29	225	-	450	Aug.	5	325	-	550	July	29	225	-	450
	1917	20	-	25	July	16	150	-	260	Aug.	13	225	-	350	July	23	150	-	190
	1916	22	-	27	July	3	175	-	250	Aug.	14	225	-	300	July	10	150	-	225
Missouri	1921	22	-	28	Aug.	8	100	-	300	Aug.	8	100	-	300	...		...
	1919	22	-	28	Aug.	4	325	-	450	Aug.	4	325	-	450	Sept.	1	150	-	300
	1918	20	-	25	Aug.	12	250	-	525	Aug.	19	500	-	515	Aug.	12	250	-	525
	1917	20	-	25	Aug.	13	150	-	275	Aug.	13	150	-	275	Aug.	20	175	-	200
	1916	22	-	27	July	31	200	-	275	July	31	200	-	275	Aug.	21	100	-	200

[1] Bulk per 100 lbs.

CARLOAD SHIPMENTS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN SEPTEMBER.

Shipping districts.	Septem- ber.		Au- gust, 1921	Season to Oct. 1.		Total last sea- son.
Shipping districts.	1921	1920	Au- gust, 1921	1921	1920	Total last sea- son.
APPLES (boxed)
California	1,179	967	668	2,207	1,980	4,495
Colorado	708	183	10	791	224	2,848
Idaho	1,093	102	22	1,238	137	2,789
Montana	96	22	11	117	26	429
New Mexico	344	57	141	490	69	278
Oregon	262	36	11	292	49	3,687
Utah	166	28	1	180	35	619
Washington	2,340	653	141	2,962	940	21,547
Total	6,188	2,048	1,005	8,277	3,410	36,092
APPLES (barreled)
Delaware	33	46	2	121	610	751
Georgia	27	11	15	52	41	159
Illinois	85	789	45	186	1,550	3,408
Indiana	18	61	0	21	92	290
Kansas	46	121	6	57	144	738
Maine	206	6	3	235	6	412
Md., Eastern Shore	35	31	2	43	109	139
Md., other	41	231	4	51	341	1,398
Michigan	1,356	1,188	1,085	2,851	2,401	6,122
Minnesota	11	32	12	23	32	41
New Jersey	25	126	40	157	524	846
New York	2,951	2,488	956	4,294	3,286	33,755
Ohio	158	43	3	179	70	966
Pennsylvania	59	190	0	63	265	3,412
Vermont	18	9	0	21	9	133
Virginia	118	1,523	2	127	1,738	8,324
West Virginia	392	744	18	433	902	4,785
Wisconsin	73	25	10	86	32	67
Other sections	40	1,331	12	61	1,672	6,203
Total	5,692	8,995	2,215	9,061	13,824	71,949
CABBAGE.
Colorado	740	262	698	1,578	696	1,671
Illinois	11	26	14	73	63	147
Michigan	168	66	8	183	71	362
Minnesota	117	171	30	163	221	808
New York	721	292	137	897	327	8,198
Ohio	33	24	6	246	93	343
Va. Roanoke Sect.	267	407	315	652	843	972
Wisconsin	422	404	15	471	443	4,894
Other sections	35	139	70	13,133	14,934	15,583
Total	2,514	1,791	1,293	17,396	17,691	32,978
CANTALOUPES.
Calif., Turlock	179	152	1,242	2,137	3,823	3,850
Calif., other	9	13	55	206	227	235
Colorado	1,790	2,088	1,248	3,086	2,369	2,454
Michigan	15	122	117	144	203	209
Washington	59	187	146	205	325	329
Other sections	39	222	2,771	18,780	15,369	15,380
Total	2,091	2,784	5,917	24,538	22,316	22,457
CELERY.
Colorado	39	85	10	53	108	296
Michigan	129	121	99	309	223	603
New Jersey	59	26	43	119	68	107
New York	107	105	6	128	127	2,783
Ohio	16	4	18	35	5	37
Pennsylvania	92	79	40	136	110	175
Other sections	3	0	3	4,178	2,992	6,356
Total	445	420	219	4,958	3,633	10,357
GRAPES.
Calif., N. dist.	5,449	4,610	268	5,984	5,709	11,605
Calif., C. dist.	6,533	3,818	2,181	9,054	7,388	12,862
Calif., S. dist.	1,046	1,434	129	1,412	2,111	2,454
Michigan	947	1,428	114	1,083	1,603	4,597
New York	1,240	539	71	1,440	601	6,084
Pennsylvania	183	1	0	207	1	1,235
Washington	61	6	1	64	5	7
Other sections	37	165	46	88	234	292
Total	15,496	12,001	2,810	19,332	17,652	39,136
LETTUCE.
California	139	52	148	8,386	5,313	5,313
Colorado	102	80	108	214	116	124
Minnesota	12	18	12	39	40	51
New York	824	568	702	2,721	2,008	2,146
Oregon	18	5	5	23	5	5
Washington	168	93	129	547	313	344
Other sections	17	16	9	4,523	4,052	4,498
Total	1,280	832	1,113	16,453	11,847	12,481
PEACHES.
California	1,581	1,624	3,877	6,810	7,350	7,354
Colorado	573	708	554	1,218	771	773
Idaho	93	31	10	103	32	33
Michigan	65	2,122	120	185	2,154	2,275
New York	1,169	3,442	1,650	2,819	3,572	4,697
Oregon	34	1	16	50	1	1
Utah	616	402	207	820	374	401
Washington	750	188	353	1,107	203	201
Other sections	40	2,010	150	12,855	11,017	11,258
Total	4,921	10,528	6,937	25,967	25,474	26,996
ONIONS.
California	700	753	315	1,993	2,810	4,403
Colorado	70	5	0	74	7	144
Idaho	20	1	0	21	1	30
Illinois	63	33	41	118	66	357
Indiana	480	669	177	671	776	3,444
Iowa	69	224	99	245	525	865
Massachusetts	571	619	194	894	815	3,834
Michigan	92	77	7	100	84	744
Minnesota	53	25	1	60	25	276
New Jersey	37	71	31	407	606	634
New York	509	395	540	1,140	470	3,037
Ohio	235	546	70	325	592	3,040
Oregon	64	1	1	67	2	17
Utah	23	0	0	25	0	7
Washington	35	95	229	493	722	783
Wisconsin	29	45	0	29	49	400
Other sections	24	115	111	5,096	5,794	6,108
Total	3,074	3,674	1,816	11,758	13,344	28,123
SWEET POTATOES.
Alabama	25	48	199	380	247	483
California	196	123	50	254	193	695
Delaware	16	6	0	16	6	1,802
Georgia	31	53	22	56	80	899
Iowa	23	7	0	23	7	16
Louisiana	47	29	56	117	65	632
Maryland	159	216	62	236	228	1,626
New Jersey	383	329	74	484	349	3,092
North Carolina	57	180	389	498	485	861
Oklahoma	22	6	0	23	6	75
Tennessee	119	53	36	163	78	882
Texas	89	61	46	147	106	604
Va., Norfolk	34	85	152	191	104	635
Va., Eastern Shore	1,572	1,630	713	2,353	1,661	4,872
Other sections	26	14	61	97	41	793
Total	2,799	2,840	1,860	5,038	3,656	17,967
WATERMELONS.
Alabama	62	84	451	1,398	1,160	1,160
California	339	351	979	3,506	3,144	3,276
Colorado	85	52	58	141	69	71
Delaware	109	43	387	496	177	177
Illinois	97	99	212	311	251	251
Indiana	93	366	577	705	660	661
Iowa	204	199	483	687	345	348
Maryland	146	82	599	759	458	458
Missouri	235	381	2,415	3,089	3,012	3,012
New Jersey	85	9	0	85	10	10
Oklahoma	16	64	367	549	465	465
Texas	113	129	648	4,077	4,844	4,845
Virginia	54	96	267	338	312	312
Washington	45	91	97	142	190	195
West Virginia	16	41	4	4	47	47
Other sections	89	87	3,891	27,884	23,965	23,965
Total	1,788	2,174	11,435	44,172	39,109	39,253
WHITE POTATOES.
Leading States:
Calif., N. dist.	760	1,048	686	2,106	3,477	8,414
Colorado	2,819	1,939	911	3,846	2,468	11,321
Idaho	1,360	689	1,938	3,504	1,532	8,097
Iowa	25	237	5	33	284	897
Maine	4,424	1,126	543	5,122	1,232	17,755
Michigan	730	480	4	789	523	14,463
Minnesota	4,686	2,770	955	5,930	4,226	23,109
Montana	192	12	20	225	23	907
Nebraska	891	338	429	1,654	516	3,019
Nevada	3	0	0	4	1	405
N. Y., Long Island	881	899	1,342	2,446	1,302	5,503
N. Y., other	1,155	99	11	1,256	104	10,399
North Dakota	2,085	115	14	2,387	135	1,811
Oregon	21	0	99	124	8	1,476
Pennsylvania	390	331	63	467	351	6,259
South Dakota	1,035	242	15	1,168	296	1,880
Utah	150	111	478	816	339	563
Washington	379	288	187	703	453	3,657
Wisconsin	655	450	76	768	506	18,154
Total	22,641	11,174	7,776	33,348	17,806	138,089
Other States, main crop:
Kansas	135	24	1,130	2,371	1,931	1,980
Missouri	16	1	79	269	217	224
New Jersey	1,627	6,282	5,568	9,215	13,165	17,138
Va., Western shore	38	73	75	387	127	268
Wyoming	168	114	4	200	125	523
Other sections	67	383	936	23,079	19,526	22,782
Total	2,051	6,877	7,792	35,521	35,091	42,915
Summary.
Leading States, main crop	22,641	11,174	7,776	33,348	17,806	138,089
Other States, main crop	2,051	6,877	7,792	35,521	35,091	42,915
States through shipping	15	6	71	11,691	12,936	13,058
Total	24,707	18,057	15,639	80,560	65,833	194,082
PEARS.
California	378	362	1,814	3,568	4,318	4,581
Colorado	321	248	335	687	494	604
Michigan	365	391	103	472	497	1,142
New Jersey	17	3	2	19	4	35
New York	1,175	1,625	1,044	2,296	1,946	4,127
Oregon	371	377	442	816	660	845
Utah	11	49	19	30	70	75
Washington	1,125	857	1,236	2,401	1,377	1,896
Other sections	30	938	94	169	1,096	1,875
Total	3,793	4,850	5,089	10,458	10,462	15,180
TOMATOES.
Calif., N. dist.	41	246	12	134	407	741
Calif., S. dist.	172	190	81	570	416	771
Delaware	153	121	19	173	147	153
Indiana	204	814	44	255	941	1,137
Kentucky	193	370	168	364	551	559
New Jersey	808	671	236	1,896	2,147	2,346
New York	715	501	321	973	590	849
Ohio	93	74	20	296	287	330
Utah	65	197	4	69	220	251
Other sections	24	250	90	10,344	7,946	7,999
Total	2,468	3,434	995	15,074	13,652	15,136
MIXED VEGETABLES.
Calif., N. dist.	50	101	65	694	1,385	1,622
Calif., S. dist.	124	155	111	2,610	3,102	4,659
Colorado	305	354	157	644	726	1,318
Michigan	48	1	17	81	1	14
Minnesota	14	10	8	37	49	68
New Jersey	636	193	796	2,239	553	795
New York	65	57	55	133	85	472
North Carolina	13	13	8	29	100	184
Ohio	13	5	25	162	11	259
Utah	12	16	2	15	34	52
Virginia	30	0	68	197	225	280
Other sections	13	42	68	5,499	3,182	3,561
Total	1,323	947	1,380	12,340	9,453	13,284

CARLOAD SHIPMENTS OF CITRUS FRUITS.

	Florida.		California.
	Oranges.	Grape- fruit.	Oranges.	Grape- fruit.	Lemons.
	Cars.	Cars.	Cars.	Cars.	Cars.
April	1,729	1,047	6,124	25	1,120
May	612	782	5,682	32	1,461
June	10	24	5,388	43	2,213
July	...	...	3,064	62	1,801
August	1	...	2,978	45	573

Fruit Prices Firm in New York; Vegetable Prices Dull and Lower.

Prices of apples in barrels continued firm in the New York market throughout the week from Sept. 26 to Oct. 1, principally on account of light arrivals of good stock. Prices of boxed stock declined on account of heavier arrivals, but the trade is still looking for large red stock, and taking it readily.

Potatoes continued in light demand with very liberal supplies, and prices gradually declined until Maine Cobblers in 165-lb. sacks reached $2.75 to $3, with few buyers.

Receipts of good onions were light with prices firm.

Peaches from New York were in light supply and mostly of only fair condition and poor color. Demand was moderate with good stock selling readily for $4.50 to $5 a bu.; ordinary and poor stock sold slowly in a $2 to $4 range.

Sweet potatoes eased off considerably in price. Grapes were dull throughout the week selling slowly at the lowest figures yet realized. Cabbage was not in demand and prices gradually declined closing at $30 to $35 per ton for New York domestic. The first car of California tomatoes arrived on Thursday, but with heavy supplies of nearby stock on hand, did not sell so readily as was anticipated. The tomatoes were in excellent condition, with a few slightly overripe. Best lugs sold at $1.75 to $2 with ripe stock at $1.50, but were not cleaned up and sold at $1.25 to $1.50 the following day.