Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-07
A CANADIAN MARKET.
Prices at Belleville, Ont, Compared
With Those of Pittsburg.
FIGURES THAT EXCITE ENVY.
Customs That Are an improvement on
Those That obtain Here.
FARMERS SELL THEIR OWN PRODUCTS
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE D1sPArcH.l

CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DIsPATcH.1
BELLEvILLE, ONT, Dec. 4There is .
marked difference in the prices of every
thing eatable in the markets Of Pittsburg
and those of this Canadian city, Belleville,
Ont, and in the markets themselves. Pitts
burg's large market buildings afford warmth
and shelter for the sellers as for the buyers,
as also do the covered stalls out of doors,
though in lesser degree; but there a finer
display is made of the products of farms or
orchards and vineyards, and it is pleasure
to stroll among the stalls even if no
purchases are contemplated.
The market here consists Of large open
common, much like the Haymarket square,
of Chicago, which in Pittsburg or Allie
gheny, would be considered desirable ground
for park One large brick building 'front.'
| ing the main street. has accommodations for
about 100 market women, who stand in rows,
behind long narrow tables, their wares e1-
| posed for sale IN the space before them.
| There butter, eggs, cheese, turkeys, ducks,
| chickens and fancy articles from stockings
and mittens to small rustic tables are to be
procured at prices which make Pittsburg
eyes open very wide in astonishment not
because of the high price but because Of
i LuCAE CucapueSSs
| DISPLAYS ON THE WAGONS.
Out of doors, upon the market days, Tues
| days, THURSDAYS and Saturdays, there are
row upon row Of farm wagons, carriages and
buggies of every description, their tongues
turned to the street, and in them the various
wares are displayed. The horses are un-
hitched and fastened to the wagons, while
| their owners stand beside them and await
purchasers. In cold weather all horses are
we'll blanketed and the farmers and their
wives warmly clad, many of them in great
fur coats and cloaks which give them an
amusing resemblance to bears.
Saturday is the great day at the market.
There are no vacant places that day, and
purchasers crowd the streets, market bas-
kets are numerous and obtrusive, and their
various owners usually good-natured. No
one seems in such 3 great hurry as IN the
| cities of the States. Everything is to be
had in the market but clothing, furniture
and hardware, from bunch of grapes to a
load of hay or wood. No middle men here!
There is a wagon with load of beef spread
out on clean white cloth. The butcher is
the farmer in big fur coat and cap, long
apron covering his clothes, and he will cut
and weigh the meat for you and do it up
and deposit it in your basket as deity al
any professional butcher.
| SOME wAY-DowN PRICES.
The best beefsteaks from round to porter.
house are 10 cents to Is cents a pound. A
rib roast is 10 cents pound. Down farther
is another wagon which displays pork in
tempting array, and all the products of
pork-sausages, lard, head cheese and pigs
feet, fresh and picked. Pork, all cuts and
parts, is 10 cents to II cents pound, lard is
cents per pound, sausage 10 cents per
pound, head cheese only cents a pound.
Next is a wagon load of vegetables. Potatoes
are selling for IS cents per bushel; cabbages,
8 cents each; celery, 10 cents per dozen
punches; turnips, 10 cents peck; sweet
potatoes are 40 cents a peck; tomatoes, 80
cents peck; beets, six bunches 10 cents;
onions, 5 cents a quarter peck; parsnips,
carrots, squashes and pumpkins in proper
ton.
Now comes a wagon filed with fall fruits;
apples 40 cents peck, beautiful grapes 25
cents a basket. Herbs and nuts may be the
stock in trade of the next dealer; apples and
nice sweet cider of another; cider at 20 cents
gallon, cider vinegar at 25 cents a gallon
and wine vinegar 80 cents q gallon. A load
of -four is offered by a farmer farther down
the line at 81 25 sack of 80 pounds for fine
wheat -four, and 81 a sack for buekwhest
-four. Bread OF the best quality is sold st
the bakeries in two-pound loaVes at cents
loaf.
THEY DOTE ON POULTRY.
Poultry is abundant. Every other person
who goes to market seems to purchase fowls
of some description, and it is one of the
most common of sights to see well-dressed
persons with dressed poultry dangling from
their hands or obstinately sticking out of
crowded market baskets. By making a
single purchase at certain stores upon the
market streets, you can have any quantity
of market produce sent to your address, so
YOU will meander through the market fill
ing your basket, then carry them to the
store and purchase perhaps can of fruit,
eggs butter or flowers and within two hours
all the purchases are at your door.
The tenderest OF chickens are 40 cents a
pair; ducks are very abundant and can be
had for 25 cents or 30 cents each, according
to size Turkeys are constantly in the mar
ket at 10 cents pound. Quaiis are 81
dozen, pigeons are the same, but are not
often seen in the market Rabbits and
squirrels are 20 to % cents pair; Yenison
the same as in Pittsburg. Oysters are so
cents a quart, higher than in Pitts
burg, but there is less demand for
them here. Fish, however, are cheap
and delicious, as we are very near
the lakes White fish are cents pound,
and all others in proportion. Cranberries
are sold by the pound here, at II cents a
pound. Eggs are 20 cents a dozen at present,
and the choicest butter 20 cents pound, the
highest price; at wholesale it can be had for
IS cents pound in tubs.
DAIRY PRODUCTS AND FRUIT.
The purest OF creamery milk is to be had
for cents quart, and is delivered every
morning and evening. Cheese manufactured
here sells for 10 cents pound. Honey is
cheap and delicious, being II cents pound.
Lemons are 40 cents dozen, oranges are not
in market and we hardly ever see a banana.
California grapes, however, are quite COM
mon, retailing at 20 cents pound.
A Rhode Island gentleman, confec-
toner, who every year buys great quanti-
ties of eggs here, says that besides being
cheaper the Canadian eggs have body, or
strength, that makes them very desirable
for confections. He now has to pay the
Mckinley law duty, but he still takes the
eggs. Turkeys and eggs are being shipped
to Great Britain from here. The turkeys
cost 90 cents each in Montreal, and should
they survive the journey they are expected
to bring 81 or S. each. Large quantities Of
eggs are being shipped also, packed in
straw. They command high prices, and
there is no reason why farmers should cur
tail their egg production.
But there are two things in this part OF
Canada which are certainly higher than in
Pittsburg; they are coal and kerosene. Coal
retails at S5 so ton in the fall. Kerosene
, from the Canadian oil wells is % cents
gallon; the American product, j. e.: the