time it was apparent that a large movement from New Jersey, directly West, was in progress, which confirmed the later reports of a much smaller crop in Wisconsin than was calculated at the August meeting. The New York market was thereby strengthened, and gradually improved, prices reaching, in the first half of December, $16.50 for fancy Cape Cod in barrels, or about $4 per barrel more than at same time in 1883. New Jersey cranberries, of good quality, opened in New York at about $2.75 to $3 per standard crate. But at these comparatively low prices but few could be sold early in the season, the New York demand being for the higher colored Cape Cod fruit. There was, however, no occasion for pressing the New Jersey fruit upon the New York market, because it was being rapidly taken at the country stations, at corresponding prices, to ship directly West. This demand continued until nearly one-half the crop had, by the middle of November, been thus moved. The New Jersey fruit continued to improve in price until $4.50 and $4.75 was reached early in December, being fully $1 per crate higher than the year before. These prices have prevailed when the best apples were selling by the barrel at less than half the price of a crate of cranberries. From the middle of December to January 1st unexpected dullness prevailed. Since the holidays, and quite unlike a year ago, this falling off in demand has continued and become still more depressing. Concessions in price have-perhaps unwisely-been offered without drawing orders or increasing sales. The stock in New York is small and certainly seems to be very small in the country, and the hope is entertained that all will yet be wanted at fair prices if not at the full rates prevailing before the holidays. Those who improved the opportunity to sell early did well, and in some cases better than the buyers. Those who held on longer and sold before the turn of the tide, did, perhaps, better, and we may hope that a returning tide will yet reward those who are still waiting. PACKAGES. The new Massachusetts law requiring uniformity of size in cranberry packages reads as follows: SECTION 1. Section twenty of chapter sixty of the Public Statutes is amended to read as follows: SEC. 20. The legal and standard measure of a barrel of cranberries shall be one hundred quarts, and of a crate of cranberries, thirty-two quarts, level measure; and every manufacturer of barrels or crates for cranberries shall brand or mark plainly his name, and the words, "Massachusetts Standard Measure," upon all such barrels or crates. SEC. 2. Whoever brands or marks upon any barrel or crate for cranberries, of a less capacity than the above, the words, "Massachusetts Standard Measure," shall forfeit for every such offense the sum of two dollars. Under this law the variations of size in cranberry crates from that State have not been so great as heretofore, but the expected uniformity has been far from realized. The clear inside measurement of crates from four different makers found on the New York market was as follows: Between the largest and smallest of these, there is a difference of ten per cent., while the largest is about five per cent. smaller than the New Jersey Standard. The prescribing capacity of crates, instead of definite shape and size as in the New Jersey law, seems to have led to this disparity, every maker having a different notion as to the size required to hold thirty-two quarts level measure. Some of the leading cranberry growers of Cape Cod urged the adoption of the New Jersey Standard, but the smaller measure men prevailed with their thirty-two quart prescription. The result is unsatisfactory, and an amendment may be attempted this season. In New Jersey the large shipments directly West were almost wholly made in standard crates, smaller ones being studiously avoided, or taken only at their relative measure. Otherwise, about the usual proportion of undersized crates have no doubt been used, and will be continued, unless efficiently prohibited by law. In New York and Philadelphia the practice of transferring from standard to smaller crates continues, and will, no doubt, flourish until some law, State or National, interferes. The following sizes are established by law in New Jersey: The law of Massachusetts requires the cranberry barrel to hold one hundred quarts, dry measure, which is practically the same as the New Jersey legal barrel. Three New Jersey crates equal a barrel, but the Massachusetts legal crate holds nearly five per cent. less than the New Jersey, while they have this season, as above shown, had a practical average of more than ten per cent. below the New Jersey Standard. The report was accepted and adopted with thanks of the association. A. J. RIDER, Trenton, January, 1885. Secretary. |