Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-08
THE TRADE OUTLOOK.
The Creamery Butter Handled in
Pittsburg Now Comes
PRINCIPALLY FROM TIE FAR WEST
The Quality of Tropical Fruits on the
Market Below Par.
BACKWARD SEASON FOR GARDENS
OFFICE OF PITTsBURe DISPATCH
TUESDAY, AprilZ
Crea rnner.H, RnffRr-

OFFICE OF PITTsBURe DrsPATcH,t
TUESDAY, AprilI.
Creamery Butter.
1t will be seen by reference to our domes-
tic market column that supply of country
butter is on the increase, and prices on the
decline. Creamery butter Is active, but
prices tend lower, in sympathy with weak
ness of country. There are in round num-
bers about $500 tubs of creamery butter
handled by Pittsburg jobbers weekly, or an
equivalent of 15O, 600 pounds. Nearly one
hall of this amount is from the region which
centers at Elgin. All made within 20 miles
of EIgin carries the Elgin brand, and, alas |!
for the weakness of human nature. some that
is made hundreds of miles away is sold as
Elgin creamery.
Said member of Pittsburg firm which
handles from 800 to 400 tubs weekly: "Our
trade is now at its best. We cannot rely much
supply of butter from nearby sources at
this time of the year.
The Product Is Moving Westward.
'As the path of empire is westward SO is the
manufacture of creamery butter tending in the
same direction. Ohio manufacturers of the
article are not prepared to do much in this
line during the winter season. The general
run Of them shut down for three
months of the year. But in the re-
Gions which contribute to Elgin markets
provision is made to produce the cream all the
year round. In the early part of last winter a
prominent firm Of Elgin arranged to furnish
l5O0 fresh cows to the different farmers from
whom the supplies were obtained.
The winter feed necessary TO keep The fresh
COW in good condition is of course less ex-
pensive in the far West than in this vicinity.
Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa are
nf
in this line, while Ohio and other Eastern
States are barely holding their owu."
Tropical Fruits.
A leading dealer in tropical fruit lines had
this to say of trade yesterday: There are very
few good bananas or oranges coming to our
markets of late and trade is slow principally
for this reason. California oranges are coming
in freely the past week or two, but quality of
arrivals is generally low. As to bananas very
little good fruit is showing up Good stock is
worth s. 50 per bunch, but large proportion
OF that now coming is worth less than
half this amount. The trouble is that
consumers not willing to pay
the high prices necessary to secure the
prime stock. The only article in our line that
is on the boom is the lemon. In the past two
or three weeks lemons have advanced from 81
10 81 90 per box. Sicily is the chief source of
supply in this line, and untimely frosts of late
in that island have been very injurious to
crops Much of the fruit which was well on
toward maturity was frozen on the trees 1t is
now difficult to get good stock, and the out
look for The balance of the year is for scarce
and high-pricet lemons. Until the Rodi
lemons appear, which will not he for a month
or more, look for a scarcity OF good stock"
Market Gardening.
A Neville Island gardener reports that the
season for early vegetables is unusually back
ward. There have been fewer days of SIM
shine the past month or two than for the CORE
spending period in the past decade. A day or
two of sunshine in weeks time is a mighty
help to hothOuse plants. The last two OF three
weeks the days of bright weather have been
few. Continuous cloudy and wet weather at
this time OF the year is adverse to
the interests of the market gardener,
as his great point is to get his stuff
10 market early in the season. According TO
general views of market gardeners in this vlcin-
ity, early vegetables will be couple of weeks
later than the average time in coming TO the
'front.'