New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-20
HOME INTERESTS.
IN A TRANSITION STATE.

MARKETS IN a TRANSIIION oIAlE'
THE PAG END OF THE wINTER-VEGETABLEs LOSING
THEIR FLAVOR - FIELD BALLADS ACCORDING
TO MURRAY SATURDAYS PRICES IN THE
MARKETS.
A visit TO the New-York markets at this season Of
the year and during the universal thaw Is by no
means inspiring Drearier. more forlOrnly dismal
places than our dirty, unkept markets would Dc
hard to find and doubly dreary to the mind OF the
downtrodden NewYork citizen is the reflection that
there Is no hope Of change. How to discover any
thing new or interesting in the midst of such chaos
becomes problem to the purchaser and reporter
The vegetable stands are making vain and trantlc
effort to stick up Bit" to use Brother J0nna-
than's expression; but the effort, though commend
able and interesting results only IN an evident ana
miserable veneer of fresh green's, for one cannot
escape the odor of decayinR vegetables ana
general uncleanllness. Old potatoes are now
selling for o cents per peek ana
1t is o difficult mGa to get good Ones as many Oh
them have been frosted Bermuda potatoes nave
been In the market now for two weeks, but though
they are palatable than the old potatoes, they
are BY no means wholesome food as yet. Bermuda
potatoes sell at 90 and 60 cents per half peck; sweet
potatoes are 40 and so cents per peck celery is
selling in the markets for 10 cents per bunch up
town dealers charging 20 cents for much inferior
article; hot-house lettuce is 10 and 10 cents per
head cucumbers are 25 and 80 cents apiece oyster
plant 10 cents per bunch; winter beets and turnipS
are 20 cents per peck. These winter vegetables are
losing their flavor and housekeepers are consequent
ly abandoning them and resOrting to the canned
vegetables Onions are 40 and 80 cents per peck
cranberres are still very fine and selling at 10 cents
per quart hot-house tomatoes are 80 and 40 cents
per quart; mushrooms 70 cents per pound rhubarb
from 10 to 10 cents per bunch watercress Is cents
per quart; fresh dandelion 81 per
peck. Americans rs rule have not
learned the virtues Of the weeds that grow about
them. Dandelion, especially in the country Is an
inexpensive and desirable addition to the table.
After picking off the withered tips and hard parts
and washing them free from grit, the leaves should
be shredded into strips and put into stewpan with
little bacon and tablespoonful of vinegar; cover
them with small quantity of boiling water, and
stew until tender. Mash with spoon; stir in a
lump of butter; flavor with pepper and salt, aud
servo like spinach. The dish may be garnished with
hard boiled eggs, bits of fried bread, or slices OF
boiled carrot cut in shapes. II is excellent gar
nish for poached eggs
Murray gives list Of weeds common to this coun-
try and particularly good as green's, among which
are "milk-weed" "fat-hen." "ox-tonRue," "sea-
holly" "sea beet,p shepherds purse" SOW thistle"
"stinging nette," Soomon's SEAL" and lambs
quarter" Once tried, these weeds would no douDI
be much sought after.
Poultry Is plentiful and prices arc not high. Tur-
keys range from 10 to 20 cents per pound; Phila-
delpha chickens are 20 and % cents per pound;
other and inferior varieties sell of IA and 10 cents
fowls are selling from - to 10 cents per pound !;
geese from 10 to IS cents ducks, from New-Jer-
sey from 20 TO % cents per pound capons, from %
to 20 cents young chickens, for broinG, are selling
from 81 to 81 90 per pair. There Is, Of course very
little game IN market and the prices are very high
canvass-back ducks are S3 per pairi redheads,
81 rs mallards. 81 % teal duck, from 70 cents
to ST. per pair common ducks, 70 cents: wild tur-
keys are selling from IL TO 20 cents per pound;
Philadelphia SQUAD, from so TO SO per dozen
pigeons "a per dozen tame pigeons, from ~ to
81 so; frozen snlpe, from 81 to - per Dozen
The bad weather has made fish very scarce; LOB.
sters reported 70 be exceedingly scarce. striped
bass are the most plentiful, as the catch under the
Ice during the past winter has been unprecedentedly
large. These fish have been unusually large. aud
very fine aud are selling from 10 to 20 cents per
pound smells are 10 cents, Canadian smelts are III
cents per pound; blueish, 12l2 centsj refrigerated
salmon from 10 to 40 cents; mackerel, 10 cents per
pound; soft CLANS from 40 cents TO 81 por hundred;
perch 10 cenasi spanish mackere 50 cents green zen
cents; paddock 10 cents goldfish. cents; scolOps,
3S cents per quart; blacktsh. 10 cents per pound;
founders. 10 cents seabass 20 centsi cells, 10 cents
per pound; sheepshead, 20 cents; whitehall fresh
water, 10 cents per pound; pckerel 10 cents
salmon trout, 10 cents; black bass, lS cents; red
snappers IL cents: hard crabs are $3 per hundred.
Eggs are growing moro plentiful and housekeepers
rejoice a the decline IN prices. The rates have fallen
low 40 cents per dozen Good butter IS nara 10
find and the prices for best quality remain at the
old hgures-50 and 65 cents per pound.
MENU.
JnlIenne Scum.