Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-05-03

No one who has not personally seen
and studied the fruit markets of Murcia
and Valentia, of Ronda and Port st.
Mary. in all the varying seasons, can
have the slightest idea of the enormous
size and beauty of the vegetables and
fruit. In Port St. Mary's market rad
ishes, (called ''drdranos,") average
from eight inches to foot long, and,
being of very quick growth, are also
tender and juicy. Before, then, We
come to cooking, and follow the peasant
girl to her home, laden with her store
of fruit and fish. let us take bird 's-eye
view of the fruit and vegetable stalls.
Let me premise that this sketch of Ali
cante Fruit Market is an Autumnal
sketch, taken during the month of
September. Here is a pile of cdldrdsOs,
or gourds, some of them looking like
gnarled, twisting bOughs of hoary
oak; Some round and Hat, measuring
one foot in height and foot and half
in diameter; their yellow flesh is taste
less, but they are in universal request
sold at two fartbings per pound, every
poor woman buys lump of gourd fesh
for her stew. Some of these weigh as
much as fifty pounds avoirdupois; the
smallest which i weighed turned the
scale at ten pounds. Here are water
melons (sandids) weighing from ten to
fifteen pounds apiece, their crimson
and lake-colored flesh, as they are cut,
contrasting beautifully with the dark
green, unpromising-loOking rind Of the
exterior; besides them is a pile, five
feet i'm height, eight in length, and four
i'm breadth of fragrant melons of all
kinds, shapes, and colors, called smell
ones de olor," which average four pounds
in weight, and are sold at three farth-
ings per pound. Here, in hundreds,
are rich lemOn-pippins, called '.perll-
lones," heaps of crimson, yellow and
purple plums, or ciruelds, sweet crab
apples purple and green figs, large and
luscious; tomatoes by the million, some
of which are of the weight of three
quarters of pound; pinientos, bitter
and appetizing capsicums, of which the
plants take six months before they
bear and ripen fruit; some of these
pimientOs are so large that, although
they are empty, or nearly so, they weigh
three ounces apiece; heaps of parsley,
cabbages, cauliflowers, which last put
their comparatively tiny brethren in
England to the blush; lettuces (the old
fashioned cos lettuce,) of which two
or three go to the pound, the pound
costing but two farthings; almonds,
cocoanuts from Havana; aLgdrrobos, or
carrob beans; green tomatoes for pick
ling Ito be had for the asking;) small
cucumbers and gOurds tpepi,,os and cdid-
rdsinos,) two for a farthing, used for
stewing with slices of ham; baskets of
black grapes, each basket weighing
twenty pounds, sold at three farthings
per pound; baskets of pungent bird
peppers, (pimieittos picdRtes,) of green,
red, and bright gamboge color, sold at
one penny per pound, are eaten raw or
in vinegar; potatoes (punipas,) of large
size strewed in heaps over the ground; /;
some of them weighed one pound apiece,
although this weight Is, of course, ex-
ceptiOnal; they are sold at three farth-
ings per pound. Add to these French
beans, green unripe lemons, few un-
ripe oranges, white grapes, ounces
and peaches in abundance, and the
stock of fruit is complete. Before All
Saints Day the chestnuts and walnuts
will, to use a vulgar but expressive
phrase have 'swamped' the market, the
whole cOloring of which, from that day
until about the 10 of December, will be
of a pervading tone of russet-brown.
About the middle of December orange
will have come into season, and the
whole market will be one vast orange
store.-Tenlple Bar.