Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-07-10
ansrn Rsn RnHInR.
The Condition of Trade for tho
Past Six Months.

Past six Months.
4. @. Dun u 90. (mercsntile agenoy)
represented in Wilmington and the
Peninsula by G. G.. Oameron--have issued
circular giving general review OF basi-
ness for the past six months. Under the
head of wilmington, Del" the circular
says:
tThe condition Of trade, generally
speaking, in this district, which covers
the Delaware, Maryland and Virginia
Peninsula, is somewhat better than that
of year ago. In the two counties in
eastern Virginia last year the crops were
good and fair prices realizsd. The pros
poets this year are excellent; larger
acreage has been planted, and the crops
Rre in good condition. In these counties,
and those in Maryland adjoining, berries
are almost raised extensively, and the
farmers receive usually good prices this
spring. Traders here are not making
much money, but they are reported as
paying their debts with average prompt
ness, and as rule are in good condition
financially. The oyster beds, in Mary
land, bordering in the Chesapeake
Bay were unusually productive this
year, and the owners of fishing
boats and packers received higher prices
| tnan usual for their product, aud oonsid-
cradle money was distributed by them on
the eastern shore. The storekeepers in
that section report trade good, and they
have made some money. In lower Della
ware and parts of Maryland the traders
| depend entirely upon agrioulturists for
support, and trade has been slow, ooilec-
tions difficult to maize, and there has
been o scarcity of money. There were
| no crops last year from which anything
of consequence could be realized, and
| very little business was done. Whining
ton turns out over $40, 0e0, 900 in manr-
features during the year. Iron workers
report a prosperous year; work hes Eeen
plentiful, and iron shipyards, oar wheel
| works, aud machinists have been fairly
busy since July 1889. Most of them
have enough work on hand now to keep
them going for several months. Oar
building has been active, aud our
wooden shipyards have been busy.
Iron bridge builders, and bolt
and nut works have been running con-
stantly the entire year, and prices have
been such as 10 yield fairproft. Leather
manufacturers say the business is not as
active as it was several yeR.s ago, but
there seems to be more doing this year
than last, and diHp osition on the part of
buyers to pay better prices than for
merly. Onr cotton and woole mills have
not been busy, and manufacturers tell MS
that there was no profit in last years.
business. Carriage man Gfacturers report
au unusually brisk trade Bincs the lat
of January, and profitable one. Whole.
sale dealers in groceries aud hardware re.
port the volume of business as little
greater than that Of year ago, and say
that money has been easier collected, and
Losses smaller than those of yeor ago.
There will be no peaches on the PENN
sula this year, which means loss to the
farming oommu lily. Small fruits thus
far have brought better prices than last
year, and there has been some morey in
them for the growers. Wheat is now
being harvested and the crop is q fail
one, but very little is grown here, Fol
the past six months, eight failures arc
reported in Delaware with aggregate lia
bilities of $46, 800 against 10 failures and
STAG, 900 for nrst half of last year.