The Washington critic., 1885-07-31
FOOD FOR THE CITY.
EDIBLEs THAT ARE DISPLAYED
AT THE MARKETS
Points and Prices About Fruits,
Vegetables, Fish, Meats, Poultry,
Game, Butter aud Eggs, Collected
by u Pcrspiriug Epicure.

stalls this morning was unusually pretty
and tempting. Apricots, plums and
pears from California, great cookbook
ing watermelons and rich yellow and
green canteloupes from Georgia, and
baskets of large, juicy peaches and
June apples were conspicuous In large
quantities through the market. Fruit
at this season of sunstroke and cholera,
is more healthy and safer to cat than
vegetables. Watormelons, red to the
rind, juicy, sweet meat aud black seeds,
are 25 and 80 cents each. Canteloupes,
Of excellent growth aud tempting to
the appetite, vary from to 20 cents
each. Sugar.loaf pineapples pervade
the market with that delicious perfume
which always places them In demand.
The prices Of this delicious fruit varies
according to the size, from 10 to 30
cents apiece.
The finest and most delicious of all
the fruits this week Is the glossy, mel
low and crimson Bartlett pears from
far of California. They are i'm the very
finest condition, and the boxes contain
ing five or six, which sell for % cents
box, arc never dead stock. Peaches
most absolutely are now coming from
Maryland and Virginia, and seem su-
perior to those from North Carolina,
which supplied the market last week.
The quantities are not so great as to
bring the prices 50 low as prevailed at
this season last year. The crop has been
backward, aud consequently the fruit
is far more excellent. The price asked
is from 80 cents to 81 % II peck.
California plums, dark, purple and
red, arc also 25 cents a box, while the
bright red, clear and Juicy wild goose
cents box. R,spberrics, black and
red, are 15 cents quart. Huckleber-
ries are also 10 cents quart. Goose.
berries, for cooking, are 10 cents, while
blackbcrIics are 8 and 10 cents quart.
New currants are 10 and l5 cents a
quart.
Apricots retain the old gold and deli
cate tint which make them tempting at
25 cents box. Florida oranges con.
tinuc at % and 40 cents, and lemons at
% cents dozen. June apples, in good
eating condition, are 40 cents peck.
VEGETABLES.
Reports from the Southwestern coun-
ties Of Virginia and nearly all through
Maryland show that the growing crops
are more advanced and in better state
than for years past. The welcome
showers Of the past week have given
new vigor to the vegetable and fruit
crops which are now in the market in
an especially fuo condition. Tender
and juicy "roasting ears" OF corn peer
ing ont OF a slot in the green husk keeps
that delicious vegetable as the choice OF
the market at 20 cents dozen. Bright
solid, purple egg-plants do not show
the effects Of the drought, and are in
demand at from 10 to 50 cents apiece.
Maryland squash OF cymlings handled
by the country women are cheap at 10
cents dozen.
Bunch onions Of excellent growth are
3 cents bunch, while the Bermuda
onions hold their own ut so cents a
peck. Firm, solid white head Of care
fully grown caulillower, far superior to
cabbage, are 10 and 20 cents head.
Rutabaga turnips of good size are %
cents bunch. Delicate heads OF care
fuly-grown lettuce vary from to 10
cents head. Lettuce salad makes an
excellent dish for this hot weather.
Early Rose potatoes, slowly but excel
lcntly grown, continue at % cents a
peck. Old potatoes hold their own at
20 cents peck, while firm, solid heads
of Maryland cabbage are and 10 cents
a head, the same as last week. String
beans and peas continue at 30 cents a
peck each. Spinach is in excellent con-
dition at % and 30 cents peck Parsley
is 2 cents, mint cents, and thyme and
sage arc | cent bunch. Maryland
cucumbcrs, crisp and tender, are Ii
cents dozen. Large. fine deep red,
solid "Branch" tomatoes are Sl q peck
Tomatoes from the South are not Sc
good, and are 80 cents peck.
FISH.
The fish stalls this morning presented
no perceptiblc change since last week
The different varieties Of the finny tribe
were there in the usual large quaint.
ties, and the Friday demand was as
good as usual. Yesterdays catch of
salt water taylors was a particularly good
one and the fish unusually hard and tirm,
and this morning were selling for l2I
cents pound. Pretty silvery gray
Spanish mackcrel, with their spotted
sides, are % cents a pound. Kcnnebec
salmon, the most abundant fish in the
market, are 25 cents pound.
Spats, which somewhat resemble the
perch, may be had for 40 cents bunch
They are quite small in size aud a
bunch contains about eight or ten.
Pompinos from the lower Potomac are
30 cents, while hog fish, which though
caught In the same waters, are fal
inferior to the pompinos are 81 8
dozen. Salmon trout continue the
sane at 10 cents II pound. Bunches ol
white perch, unusually plump and good
are 20 To 40 cents bunch. Founders
and Goldfish are 10 cents pound, while
fresh mackerel are in abundance at II
and 30 cents apiece. Sheepshead are
10 and 20 cents pound. lIalibut, as
ever, Is 20 cents, and boiling rock l.
and 20 cents pound. Sea bass, that
somewhat resemble in appearance the
black bass, are 10 cents pound. Stur
geon Is becoming scarce, aud the price
has risen to 10 cents u pound. Soft
crabs continue high, at 75 cents aud 81
n dozen. Hard shell crabs ale % cents
while CLANS are 10 cents dozen. Lob
sters are delicious in n salad-they are
ID cents pound, while turtle is l2l
cents pound.
MEATS.
There has been slight advance In
the price OF calves in the wholesale
market since last week, but not enough
to change the retail prices. The price
Of meats this week and the condition |:
about the same aS last week. The de
mand for tender porter-houso steak;
continues, at 20 and % cents pound
Sirloin steaks are preferable to some, al
20 cents, a. d round steaks are IL cent;
a mound. Lamb Chnns Mrn 90 aud 9.