Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-01-19
THE MARKET BASKET.
Retail Prices of Materials for Sunday
Dinner Tables.
EGGS DOWN, CHOICE BUTTER FIRM.
Vegetables and Fruit Rarely as Low in Mid
Winter as Now.
FISH AND OYSTERS IN FAIR DEMAND

OFFICE OF THE PITTSBURG DISPATCH, !
FRIDAY. January Is, 1885,
There have been few features of special
interest in marketing lines developed in the
past week.
Retail dealers in the lines of material for
Sunday dinners tell the same story as job
bers, namely that trade is very quiet, not
having vet fully recovered from the holiday
boom. At the fish and oyster stalls a fair
weeks trade is reported, with supplies fully
equal to all demand, for everything suitable to
the most fastidious taste.
The trade with hotels has very much i'm
proved since the opening of the new year But
outside trade with country towns, which was
large up to and through the holiday week is
only fair to middling in the line of fish and
oysters. The demand for some has very much
declined but comfortable business is still re-
ported by dealers.
At butcher stalls the feeling is not iuhllant
over the situation. Diminished demands for
game and poultry has thus far brought no great
activity TO retail meat trade The heavy drop
in eggs the past week or two begins to be felt
in retail markets.
Butter that retails below Soc per pound gives
Hust cause to be viewed with a suspicious eye
a
the want of respect for law, the bulk of the
product going into the average citizen under
the gulse of butter is considerably mixed. Iti
highly probable that the biscuit spread at the
breakfast table of the multitude contains as
large proportion of tallow and cotton seed oil
as the product of jersey cream.
A leading produce merchant said within
day or two: Il do not believe that one-tenth Of
the so-called butter which goes into the
stomachS of the people is the genuine article"
Pure creamery butter and fancy country
Country
who are known to bring the genuine product of
cows milk to market find little trouble dlspos-
ing of their goods at 5Oc pound, while sus-
picious article of country butter is slow at one
half that figure.
There are no changes to be noted in the
prices of vegetables and fruit. 1t is not often
that the market basket can be filled at this sea-
son of the year with fruit and vegetables at as
low figures as now. Prices range very little
from those which ruled in the harvest time.
Flowers have experienced another drop from
fancy holiday prices as will be seen by quota
tions below. The feeling among dealers in
market basket materials generally is that the
trade is now at its lowest ebb, and that another
week will show revival and greater activity,
especially if cold weather happens to inter
vene.
The prices called for at the Diamond Markets
remain unchanged. The best cuts of tenderloin
steak range from 20 to 25c, with the last figure
for very fancy, which are very often no bet
ter than the 20c article; sirloin, best cuts,
from Is to zoe; standing rib roast Is to 20c;
chuck roast. 10 to l2c; best round steaks, l5c;
boiling beef 3 to SC; sweet breads, 25c per
pair: beef kidneys, l0c apiece; beef liver, SC a
pound: calf liyers. 25c apiece; corned beef
from to lOc per pound. Veal for stewing
commands lOc: roast, l215 to l5c: outlets. zoe
per pound; spring lambs, fore quarter, l2]5 10
l5c: hind quarters, Is to 20c. A leg of NUT
ton, hind quarter, of prime quality, brings
l215c; fore quarter, Sc; loin of mutton, I5c.
Vegetables and Fruit.
Jersey sweet potatoes, Csc 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 zoe half peck; bananas, Is to 25c
adozen: lemons. % to SOC per dozen; oranges. 359
Soc; Malaga grapes, 25c per pound; onions, &c
half peck; spinach, 25c per peck; lettuce l0c per
bunch, tor 25c; radishes, &c per bunch; cram
berries, l5c per quart: cucumbers, 25c piece.
Game.
Plovers 81 90 a dozen; woodcock, Sc 50
a dozen. Ducks. 75c to 81 90 a pair
Pigeons, Soc a pair. Squirrels 4Oc a pair.
Mallard ducks,Sl pair; quail. SO 00to3 50 dozen;
reed birds, 81 co per pair. Teal ducks Csc a
pAir: canvashack ducks. s. 90 per pair; red
head ducks, 81 30 per pail. Pheasants, 81 % a
pair. Rabbits, 25c pair. VenisOn, 35c pound
steaks; Shole deer, l5c to lSc. Prairie chick
ems, 81 25 pair. Bear steaks, Soc per pound
Butter, Eggs and Poultry.
The best creamery butter is 4Oc Fancy
pound rolls of country butter are 50c
The ruling retail price for eggs is 2Oc
Choice country eggs bring 25c.
The range for dressed chickens is 75c to
81 90 per pair. Turkeys, l5c per pound.
Fish and Oysters.
Following are the articles in this line still on
the stalls with prices: Lake salmon, PIC; Cali
fornia salmon, 40c pound; white fish, l215c; her.
rings pounds for 25c; fresh mackerel, Zoe apiece
Spanish mackerel. 55c to Soc a pound: sea sal |
mon, 40c a pound; blue fish, zoe; perch l0c: |
halihut 20c rock bass 3Oc: black bass 2Oc: lake |
trout l21@c: HOLSTERS. 25c; green sea turtle CSC.
Oysters: standard 81 per gallon; select 81 50 |
10 81 IS; \. Y. counts, 81 % per gallon; snaps |
Soc: shell oysters. 25c dozen; smelts, 20 to 25c /
pound; clans, 81 25 gallon; scollops, SOC a |
quart.
La France roses, S3 90 per dozen; Bride |
roses, 81 75 per dozen; Perles, 81 90 per dozen;
Niphetos, 81 so per dozen; Bennetts, 81 25
per dozen; Magma Charta roses, 81 25;
American Beauty, 81 25 apiece: Mermets,
81 IS per dozen; DE Wattvile, S2 90; carnations,
80 cents dozen; Marguerites, 80 cents per
dozen: NiOlets, 81 50 hundred; Lily of the |
Valley, 75c per dozen; Maiden Hair fern,
Soc per doz. fronds. Bermuda Easter lilies,s3 so |
per dozen; tulips, 75c per dozen.