Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-05
FEATURES OF TRADE.
Abundance Of Fruits and Vegetables
Weakens Markets.
SHIPPERS MUST PREPAY FREIGHT.
Low Price Of Cattle Brings Harvest Time
to Butchers,
CEREAL OUTLOOK ADVERSE TO BEARS
OFFICE OF PIrrsBURG DISPATCH, I
SATURDAY, August 3, 1889.

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SATURDAY. August 3. 1852
The feature of the produce markets the
past week has been the great abundance of
everything seasonable in fruit and vegetable
lines. Said leading commission merchant:
"At the beginning of the week trade was
good, but for the past two or three days stuff
is being pushed onto the markets beyond
our capacity to dispose of 1t. Tomatoes and
apples are coming in more freely this week
than last, and prices are on the decline. The
same is true of California fruit. The facilities
for transportation of Pacific coast small fruits
have been immensely. improved this season.
and we are now getting California peaches.
apricots and plums in better shape and at
lower prices than ever before" An interest
ing feature of the trade this week was the ac-
tion of leading railroads demanding that
freights on all produce from the South shall be
prepaid. All this season stuff has been so plen-
tiful and prices SO low that it has often oc-
Cured that vegetables and fruit scarcely paid
commissions and freight Hence railroad COM
shippers must take the risk and prepay all
freight. A Liberty street commission man
said to-day: "All stuff consigned to me from
the South for few days past has had freight
bills prepaid. The farmer and gardener must
henceforth take all risks"
Live stock.
The week has been marked by the heaviest
receipts of cattle for the season at the Liberty
yards. Export beeves are not in supply up to
demand, and for the good reason that stock on
this side Is lower than for a generation, the de-
cline in Europe has been but slight. 1t Is the
harvest time for butchers who pay little above
one-half what was paid six or eight years ago,
and still sell at the old figures. With prime
beeves selling at "a to 81 IS, and choice cuts of
beet up to old rates there must be comfort
ah 10 xfr, hvxf0 wul.<
pay and Sc few years ago, and can now buy
the finest stock at 81 to a IS, are certainly
having a good thing of it. or were working at
a loss in other years.
Poultry and Butter.
The week shows stiffening of prices in both
lines. Elgin creamery butter was advanced at
headquarters Nc on Monday. and country but
ter is Hc higher than the lowest point reached
week ago. It Is evident that butter bot
tom has been reached for this season. A
peddler from Clinton who pays weekly Wis
its to our markets said to-day, "I have never
known poultry scarcer on my route than it Is
this season. The cold, backward spring was
now looks as If we would have q scarcity the
coming fall and winter. Butter has been in
larger supply the past two or three weeks than
/ have ever known 1t, but. for a few days 1t
shows signs of slackening up and prices are
already a shade higher than a week ago. The
abundant crops through the section travel
% be oats nay and t5a. OF all
cedented. The fruit crop will be below the
average, both in volume and quality. Peaches
are almost failure Apples will not yield one
man and beast, the yield throughout Western
Pennsylvania, the Pan handle and Eastern
Ohio will pass any season in my memory. and
quality is extra good.
Cereals.
The general drift for the week has been de-
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