Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Text between _underscores_ represents text printed in italics in the source document, text between =equal signs= represents bold face text. Small capitals have been transcribed as ALL CAPITALS.
More Transcriber’s Notes may be found at the end of this text.
Published Weekly by the United States Department of Agriculture Bureau of Markets and Crop Estimates
WASHINGTON, D. C. OCTOBER 8, 1921. VOL. 4, No. 15
GROWERS HOLD CLOVER SEED FOR HIGHER PRICES.
Quality of 1921 Crop About Same as That of last Year--Alsike Clover Seed Movement Normal.
The movement of red clover seed from growers’ hands has been below normal, but that of alsike clover has been fully normal, according to reports received by the Bureau of Markets and Crop Estimates during the week ending Oct. 1. There is a tendency on the part of the growers of red clover seed to hold their seed because the crop, which is now being thrashed in many sections, is not turning out any better than was expected at harvest time and as reported in The Market Reporter for Sept. 10.
Although clover prices on Sept. 27 were mostly 50¢ to $1 per 100 lbs. lower than they were a month ago, they have shown little or no change during the past week or ten days. The quality of red and alsike clover is about equal or slightly inferior to that of last year’s stock. Rains during the last two weeks of September have discolored or bleached much of the seed in some sections.
_Red Clover._--In a number of important sections only 5 to 25% of the red clover seed crop had been sold by growers at the end of September. This season’s movement, however, has exceeded the belated movement of the 1920 crop, but has been a little slower than usual. Growers see evidences of a short crop in their immediate vicinity, and in view of the fact that prices offered are on an average $2 to $4 per 100 lbs. lower than last year, and $25 to $28 lower than two years ago at a corresponding time, they are not inclined to sell freely. In a few sections, particularly southwestern Ohio and southeastern Iowa, the movement has been considerably above normal, the growers already having sold 45% and 35%, respectively, of their crops.