The Washington times., 1894-03-18
An Attractive and Gorgeous Display
for Easter.
FLOWERS FROM THE SOUTH.
The Careful Housewife Finds the Place Where
Her Money Will Last the Longest--Ths
Big Days at the Central--It is Not Econom-
ical to Live Near the Market--Fresh
Vegetables from Florida.


strawberries, fresh vegetables from the ia
South, and their charming collection o
Spring flowers. beauty spots in the marke
house, an almost irresistible temptation to al
sorts and conditions of buyers. The othe
morning there was a big wooden bucket full
of long-stemmed Easter lilies standing on
market stall that fairly glorifed the place
and beside it there were stalls and stalls O
sweet violets, yellow tulips, hyacinths, roses
ionquils and daffodils enough to furnish dec
orations for hundred weddings. and al
most as many more thousands Of homes.
Almost every passing woman bought some
thing IL nothing more than a carnation pink
| The eatable things on other stalls looked SC
very fine, best side out with care no doubt
but good and of variety enough to suit all
tastes and any length of purse. And there
were some promenaders who bought neither
fruits nor flowers. but who carried away with
them an abiding sense OF their loneli ness.
Did you know there are seven big markets
in the District, each great convenience to
the people near it? Capitol hill has one on
Ii and Seventh streets. n. Q. There Is the i'm
mense affair at and Fourth streets. n. W..
There is one al o and Seventh streets. n. w.,
and one at X and Twenty-second streets. n
W. There is one in Georgetown on King
street, and last and biggest, there is Center
Market The smaller market dealers, or many
OF them, also have stalls in the Central: while
many others draw the bulk of their supplies
from the Central or the wholesale houses in
that vicinity.
All the markets are literally supplied with
fruits and vegetables from the far South,
since as yet it is u little too early for the Nor
folk supplies to come in. II is not so gener-
ally known that many Of the finest salads sold
in our markets. such as lettuce. cress. cucum-
bers, beets. radishes mushrooms and the like
are grown under glass by the garden market
farmers Of Anacostia. Mr.. Fred Bryan and i
DR.. Leach, OF that fine suburb. each has not
only growing plants but a new dollhouse
coming up every season to accommodate their
growing business. Anacostia is also the home
OF several OF the prominent flower exhibitors.
There are the Dropagating gardens of GUIDE
and Bros. and Mr.. Gardner, with their glass
houses almost Us big as circus. the first sup
plying TO an extent the demand for hothouse
vegetables. and the others flowers for the
market and city stores, all the winter through.
The careful little housewife soon learns
where to go and what to buy and what she
can afford to pay. One may spend ilye-dol-
lar bill and not have much to show for it.
Strawberries "A salad, some fruit. a few flowers.
tomatoes, and such things out Of season 1t
is not so easy to spend q iudiciously Just
for the things one really needs and not
for wha: one may take fancy to- because
it looks so temptingly nice, To be a real sue
cess ut marketing one must make up her
mind before leaving home what is really
needed, and to say "No" to herself when the
needs are to be supplied. There are plenty
OF buyers who can well afford to eat straw
berries at 80 cents box. and these are they
who ought to do it, They sin grieyously
when they do not eat vegetables out of season
and fruits when they are "a luxuryi'' For
these Centre Market is well supplied with
fresh-grown reas. beans. caulifower. egg
plant. cucumbers. teets. and other green and
t0othsome stuff brought from Florida. the
Bermudas or California. People with means
cannot spend their money too lavishly on
table luxaries in times like these. when other
folks have to deny themselves almost every
thing.
Yes; money should oe kept in circulation.
The other day u little woman told me how
she found out that it isnot always economical
to live too nea- 10 the market she likes to
90 o market. She says. but she is certain the
market men all know how to pile their vege-
tables and arrange fruits so as to eajole the
last cent out OF woman's purse. She has
learned that-as we ali learn cur best remem-
bere6 lessons-by experie nee.
Il generally carried iive-dolar bill to
market with me- said she, after we were
married some years ago. intending to divide
it between the marketing and some little
things which a woman is always needing
about the house or for herself. would 20
through Centre Market-(we lived on Eighth
street not far up)-and l bought whatever
pleased my fancy whether it was in or out of
season. and consequently l was often COM
PEELED to 90 nome with a basket full and not
a nickel lett for the little thinSsl
Tom and l would talk it over sometimes
OF evenings. and how much more it cost to
keep house than we had any idea of before
we were married. lie would say:
Something must be wrong about our
way of doing things. and We uust make an
effort to do better even if we have to make
change OF some sort in our way of living.
I'VE finally decided we would buy q little
place. for il seemed to us that we had been
eating up our surplus after our rent and
months expenses had been paid, and we
certainly must have made wrong calcula-
tons ii we made any. and Tom said: If we
should move farther out and had Il big yard
we might have little garden by and by. and
then vegetables, and after awhile grape
vines and fruit trees of our own, and keep
few hens
'.We had enough to make first payment.
and we chose place go far out l could not
20 to market but once week Sure enough,
l fouEd out THAT had been Il most extrava-
giant buyer. l soon found that by being care
iul and paying cash could DO almost US well
buying at the corner grocers; and us for
Tom, he brought home just what / told him
to now. and no more. Each morning made
a memorandum for him of the ''must-haves,"
Just the things We needed. You see we found.
on comparing notes, he also had bought lot
OF things We did not need. just because they
cod oil
to go cheer.uliy without things we once
thought we couldn't live without at all
We had to do it TO meet our monthly
payments, our taxes. gas bills and water rent.
But we pulled through. After awhile we
seemed to live just as well as when we had no
plans. nothing - come round to with regu-
larity, Just as well as when went to market
with a five-doliar bill and bought roasts of
beef and veal so big we couldn't eat them
Just because they were the choicest cuts"
We do not eat porterhouse steaks or things
out of season now for everyday fare. For
one thing learned is, nothing is ever quite
so really good out OF season as it is
ripened according to natures own plan. Be-
sides. l long ago learned how to select |
other choice pieces OF meat. and to look out |
for good bargains.
''Ou Tuesdays. Thursdays, and Saturdays
it is big market day at the Central. These |
are the best days to go. for the countrymen |
and old mamnies, with punches OF herbs, |
eggs, cottage cheese, and vegetables
of their own growing, give a careful buyer |
ample opportunities to pick out good bargains
almost at ones own price. One has to live |
and learn even how to go to market. Tom |
says VIC began to prosper when 1 quit mar
keting regularly, but say we began to pros
per when we both learned that you cannot |
spend your dollar but once. and to divide |
your weekly wages up SO as 10 cover just what |
you can afford, with small margin left over.
We never have economical on our needs, but |
draw the line on our wants. Now. when work |
is dull or one of the children has the measles, |
we are not worried to death about our living |
or the doctors bill. We own our house, and |