Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-03-11

PRICES IN SMOKED AND SALT MEATs-A SCAR
CITY OF GAME AND PoULTRY-LOssES sUs-
TANNED BY SENDING UNDRAwN FOWLS TO MAR
KET.
The general state of the produce market the
past week has been quiet, although in some
branches sales have been brisk. slight i'm
| provement may be noticed In the sale of pota-
toes, especially for the native kinds the demand
| being principally caused by the desire to obtain
seed. The best kinds have advanced some
Early Rose are worth 81 .30aS1 40 per bushel in
jObbing lots; Burbanks, S1.3OaS1 .35; Peerless,
sl-25aS1.30, and Scotch and Irish champions.
81. 1OaSl.20. All the best kinds of native pota-
toes have advanced about five cents per bushe
since the last quotations. while the demand for
the foreign is not so great, and prices weaker.
great many foreign potatoes are still arriv-
| ing IN New York, but the prices are so low that
| very little margin Is realized after paving the
freight on them. The wholesale market price in
| New York, by auction. from the steamers. is Soc
ash 10 per bushel while the native kinds sell for
Sl.2oaSl 40 The importation into New York
| alone. from January to March 1, was 224 2O5
| bags of which 2l1, 139 bags came from Great
| Britain, and 1905 sacks from the continent
mostly from France. These sacks contain about
| three and a half bushels each The produce
dealers all concur In saying that there is likely
| to be an extraordinary quantity of potatoes
| planted the coming season throughout the
United States and the Canadas Farmers every
where throughout the country are already pro-
v1dlns themselves with a good supply of seed.
ali seemingly intent that any future scarcity
shall not be the result of lack of effort to raise
them.
APPLES AND OTHER FRUITS.
There are still some apples left, with no great
activity i'm the trade. More attention is now
given to new and dried fruits, both for
eign and domestic. The prices for apples range
from S350aS65O per barrel, and they are grow
ing scarce, especially for good ones. Most of
the good apples are held in the District by few
! firms. The red apples are nearly run out. and
the russets, the last the list, will soon follow
W hich will close the apple year.
Tnere has been some activity in oranges.
Floridas are worth e5a36 per half barrel boxes
and Messinas S3aS4, and lemons So 50aS4 per
box. Good dried fruit is in demand and prices
pretty stiff.
| The demand and supply of kale keeps up, and
in this line the season has been an extraordinary
! one. The price has fallen some kale is quoted
! at 81 .25 per barrel and spinach S1.5OaS2 50.
Florida cabbage is S. per barrel with slow aN
rivals. The sweet potato trade is steady. with
prices about the same-S4aS5 per barrel for the
best and North Carolina vans 50 50aS3 South
ern asparagus is arriving slowly and sells readily
for SIa.9 per dozen punches. Strawberries
come in slow and sell in small lots at 75c as1
per box, but hardly i'm quantities to make them
quOtable- new feature in early vegetables is
some good string beans from Florida which
have sold thus far for SASS per box of one
bushel each. Florida tomatoes are coming in
and sell readily for S3aS6 per bushel box and
cymbngs for S2.5Oa54 per bushel box. West
ern sauer kraut is still sold in considerable guam
titles, $3.50 for the twenty gallon packages and
81 for fOrty-five gallon packages. The restau-
rants take most of it. Onions are still dull of
sale at S1.5OaS2.50 per barrel No Bermudas
have yet reached the markets of this city.
SMOKED AND SALT MEATS.
| The trade in smoked and salt meats is pretty
lively. although the prices are not so firm and
with downward tendency. These meats are
mostly consumed by the laboring classes, and
theprospect of lower prices will be welcomed
b by many families. Hams are Is and 1879 cents
at jObbing rates; breakfast bacon IL = and 12
| cents: shoulders, and 1917 cents; salt pork.
and 10 cents, including the shoulders and mid
dlings Fresh pork and sausage. II % cents.
Clear rib sides, IL cents. Smoked beef, IA and
10 cents. Smoked tongues, Sc per dozen. Lard
IL and 121a cents per pound by wholesale.
GAME AND POULTRY.
Game Of all kinds is scarce and high. The
same may be said of poultry and but very little
of the latter is now brought to the city markets
especially the dressed poultry.
The commission men and other dealers say
and others the present season by sending un-
drawn poultry to market in consequence of it's
spelling before it is disposed of. There seems to
be variety OF opinions upon this point whether
poultry will keep longer when it is drawn. The
subject seems to have Interested the New York
merchants as an ordinance was recently intro
| duced in the board of aldermen Of that CITY re
quiring all poultry. wild ducks, and prairie
chickens entering their markets to be drawn be-
fore being offered for sale.
WHAT DEALERS SAY.
The dealers differ here upon the subject. One
man told a STAR reporter that he had found by
experience that he could preserve game by
taking out the entrails, heart, liver aud gall,
and putting in a whisp of hay to keep the car
cass sweet. He thought it was important to
clean game or poultry Immediately, while the
animal heat is still in the body. else decOmpOsi-
ton is apt to set in. He would not say that
game should be eaten as soon as killed, for he
| thought it better day or two after. if the
weather is cool. OF course it is different i'm hot
weather. Ice should be used then to keep the
meat sweet. Ii cleaned game or poultry will
keep two days, while if left undrawn they would
smell badly before morning. Decomposition
begins about the vent, then the thighs turn
green, but the breast is the last part affected.
Quite often this part of the bird only is sold and
is spiced up by French cooks 80 as to be called
palatabe- He thinks one-third of the wild ducks
killed this season have spoiled. Pepper is Ia very
cass would frequently save the bird and be of
little cost.
As to poultry. 1t Is the custom of country peo-
pie to stuff fowls with corn just before killing
in order to get Is or 20 cents per pound for the
extra weight. Sometimes old nails or shot are
found in the fowls The crop becomes sour i'm
less than twenty hours, and the meat unfit to
eat. The country people do not practice this
feeding when killing poultry for their own use,
but they know how to make it appear fat to the
city customer. No one would send dead sheep
or hog to market undrawn. To be well drawn
fowl should be thoroughly cleaned; the heart.
liver, &c, should be taken out, as well as the
entrails. and left to air awhile, and then tucked
| under wing. Poultry used to be drawn in
this way altogether and it is only of late years
that this custom has been changed. The price
OF dressed poultry would necessarily be higher,
but that is easily understood 10y all concerned,
and the purchaser would be willing to pay more
for what is eatab!e and wholesome
Another dealer who has had experience states
that poultry will keep longer in warm weather
ii not drawn, providing they have been fed on
hard grain. In cold weather they keep equally
well either Way MANY customers will h,1v nm