Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-16
THE MARKET BASKET.
Fancy Country Butter in Good De-
mand---LOw Grades Go Slow.
LIVELY FISH AND OYSTER TRADE.
Price of Neat Fails to Drop With the De-
cline of Cattle.
A QUIET TRADE IN FLORAL LINES

The retail prices of meat change not,
though cattle and hogs have been steadily
on the decline all the winter. Cattle on the
boof are &c per pound lower than they were
a few months ago. Steers weighing 1000
pounds were sold at East Liberty this week
for 3%c. the lowest price since before the
war. At these figures there is an advantage to
the butcher of SIS on a single steer over prices
of the early winter. Consumers do not reap the
benefit of this decline, as retail prices continue
unchanged.
Stockmen report that few prime cattle find
their way to the stalls on account of sharp
competition with dressed beef. If butchers
reaped any profit last fall, their returns ought
TO be large now
AT lhe fruit and vegetable stalls there is gen.
eral complaint of slow trade. While stuff OF
every kind is in bountiful supply, and lower In
price than for many years at this time OF the
wear, demand is light. Said an old-time dealer:
II don't know what is the matter with our Gus
toners for they are certainly contributing very
little to our trade the past week or TWO we
have plenty of everything of the best quality In
the line of garden stuff and fruit, but custom
ers are very scarce" -
The oyster and fish trade holds up fairly well,
and shows slight improvement on last week
The appearance of winter has served 10 stlmu-
late the oyster trade. Fresh lake salmon,
speared through the ice, begin to come In freely
and find ready sale.
A greatscarcity of fresh mackerel is reported
by dealers. Not for ten years have mackerel
been as scarce as now. Game is steadily on
the wane, being largely knocked out by game
laws Choice grades of butter are not easy TO
be had, and are held at outside quotations.
While low grades are hard To sell and creamery
has fiuctuated as much as 20c since November,
fancy country rolls have kept on in the even
tenor of their way uninfuenced by the ups and
downs of other grades. Eggs are still firm.
Jobbing rates are to Sc above January prices,
but retail prices are unchanged, except for
very certain article.
Florists are not at all jubilapt over the stu
alton. In festal lines the week has been quiet
one, and the trade in flowers feels the effect.
Neither in jobbing nor retail lines of market
baskeI material can il be truthfully said that
the second week of winters last month shows
any increased activity in trade.
Following are the retail prices of marketing
materials:
Meats.
The prices called for at the Diamond Markets
remain unchanged The best cuts of tenderloin
steak range from 20 to Csc, with the last figure
for very fancy, which are very often no bet
ter than the 2Oc article; sirloin, best cuts,
IRON bnc 70 70 @ Ilp r1Dnd seas 70 1Sc
boiling beef, 20 Sc; sweet breads, 25c per
pair: beef kidneys, l0c apiece; beef liver, &c a
pound: calf livers 25c apiece; corned beef
from 5 to l0c per pound. Veal for stewing
per pound; spring lambs, fore quarter, l2& TO
l5c: hind quarters, Is to 20c. A leg of NUT
ton. hind quarter, of prime quality, brings
l21zc; fore quarter, Sc; loin of mutton, l5c.
Vegetables and Fruit.
Jersey sweet potatoes, 25c a half peck;
potatoes, l5c half peck; celery. l0c bunch;
squash, 10 to 25c; tomatoes, Soc per quart
box; pumpkin. Is to 25c; cabbage, to l0c;
apples l5c to 20c half peck; bananas, Is TO 25c
adozen: lemons. Is to SOc per dozen; oranges, $50
Soc; Malaga grapes, 25c per pound; onions, 25c
half peck spinach 25c per half peck; lettuce, ,l0c
per bunch, g tor 25c radshes, sc per bunch; cram
berries, l5c per quart; cucumbers, 25c piece;
mushrooms, 81 pound.
Game.
Ducks, 75c to 81 90 a pair. Pigeons, SOC pair
Mallard ducks 81 a pair; quail, So 90 to 81 sos
dozen; canvasback ducks. IS 90 per pair; red
head ducks, 81 SO per pair. Pheasants, 81 50a
pair. Rabbits, 25c pair. Antelope, 35c pound,
steaks. Prairie chickens, 81 rs pair.
Butter, Eggs and Poultry.
The best creamery butter is 40c. Fancy
pound rolls of country butter are Soc.
The ruling retail price for eggs is zoe.
Choice country eggs bring 25c.
The range for dressed chickens is 81 to
s. so per pair. Turkeys, l5c per pound; fancy,
lSc
Fish and Oysters.
Following are the articles in this line still on
the stalls, with prices: Lake salmon 1215c; Cali
fornia salmon, 4Oc pound white fish, l21xc; her
ring pounds for 25c; fresh mackerel, 3oc apiece;
Spanish mackerel, 45c TO Soc a pound; sea SAL
mon, 40c a pound; blue fish, 20c; perch. l0c;
halibut 25c; rock bass 30c; black bass, 20c: lake
trout PIC: HOLSTERS Csc; green sea turtle, Csc.
Oysters: standard, 81 per gallon; select 81 50
TO 81 70; n. Y. counts, 81 IS per gallon; snaps,
90c: shell oysters, 25c dozen; smelts, 20 to Csc
pound; clans, 81 25 gallon; scollops, SOC
quart.
Flowers.
La France roses, So 50 per dozen; Bride
roses, S2 so per dozen; Perles, 81 Is per dozen;
Niphetos, 81 Is per dozen; Benefits, s. 90
per dozen; Magma Cbarta roses, 81 90;
American Beauty, 5Oc@sl 90 apiece; Mermets
81 so per dozen; DE Wattville, s. 90; carnations,
75 cents a dozen; Violets, 81 90 a hundred;
Lily Of the Valley, 75c per dozen; Maiden
Hair fern, Soc per doz. fronds. Bermuda
Easter lilies. S. 50 per dozen; tulips, 75c per
dozen; mignonette, 75c per dozen; lilacs, 81 so
q bunch; daffodlls, 75c per dozen; Dutch hya-
cinths, Zoe apiece; freezia, Soc bunch.