The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-08-06
OF FINE QUALITY.


OF MeiOus anu Othcr fruits.
The discussion of choice, ripe fruit Is
always an agreeable occupation, whether
from a gustatory or mental standpoint,
but when the grade OF fruit runs as high
as at this season its contemplation be-
comes unusually pleasurable.
OF course, just now peaches "rule the
roost," being the most plentiful and most
generally sought after. A visit to the
principal wholesale fruit dealers this fore
noon revealed some interesting facts
about peaches In particular and other
fruits In general We are right between
two peach seasons. For that reason
peaches are high today, but prices are
liable to take q sudden drop tomorrow.
The peaches that are I'm the market today
are the last OF the Georgia crop. Tomor-
row the first OF the Delaware peaches
will arrive, and by next week the market
will be filed with Delaware and Maryland
peaches OF extra fine quality, and the
prices will be reasonably low, probably
starting at from 81. 20 TO 81. 80 per basket.
For the past few days prices have ranged
from &. 90 TO $500 per crate. The height
of the peach season will be from August
10 TO September 10, approximately. The
Delaware and Maryland crops will be
about medium. The Georgias are said TO
have been the finest that ever came to
Providence. Peaches not only monopolize
everything else in the fruit line, but as q
rule everything else falls in line as regards
prices. II peaches are high, so are plums,
pears, etc. This receiving peaches direct
from Delaware is practically new thing
for Providence of only two or three years
duration. Before that, this city was be-
hind New York and Boston in that re-
spect. Now, however, from five to eight
carloads a day are received direct from
the local wholesalers, one firm alone dis
posing one car at least every "a hours.
Three steamers q week have brought
Georgias into port since the season
opened. The first large train OF Delawares
will be shipped to arrive here Monday,
but tomorrow three cars, the first, will
arrive. Last year there were no Della
wares.
Bananas are good now at easy prices,
which will MAINTAIN until the first of Sep
tember. They are worth from 60 cents to
y. 90 per bunch, and Providence alone
consumes about ID, 900 punches per week.
Bananas are about the only fruit that
stay all the year around.
California oranges are about done for
the present, although there are some ex-
cellent ones In the market, at prices rang
ing from ~. rs TO s3 a box. They are
fully as fine as Floridas, which are scarce
this season owing TO SO many blossoms
being killed by the frost and freezing last
winter. But "what is ones loss is an
others gain," as one dealer puts it, SO
the CALIFORNIA; are on top. The Rodi
oranges will soon begin to come In abun-
dance from Italy, although there is not
an extensive market here for Italian
oranges. Rods, 1000 in box, bring e. 20
and So.
Lemons suggest cooling summer bever-
ages, ices, ETC., and the market is full Of
some very fine ones. They are NOT very
high, the large sizes, 300 in case, bring
ing about $3.50 and 80. Others bring
from "a TO "a. %. The demand for lemons
is not as brisk as it has been, but II is
fair.
Watermelons are abundant, OF good
quality and cheap. The early arrivals,
though, were poor, one carload being half
rotten. They are all sound now, however,
and can be bought for IS and 20 cents a
piece The best bring S25 per hundred.
Plums are as fine as any received at any
previous season and prices are up just
now, because peaches are up, as noted
above. Plums of excellent and luscious
quality cost S1.50 and II. 20 per crate. OF
course, they, too, come from California.
California pears abound'now and, con-
trary to the rule that their flavor does
not equal our own product, are said to
be exceptionally fine. There is but half
a crop, however, cold weather having
killed the other half They bring from
81 to s2. so a case.
Cantelopes, Japs, Gems, and other crate
melons are not much in evidence yet, 1t
being rather early, but there are some
good ones TO be had and prices are not
We y stiff. Cantelopes are worth y 90 TO
s..
1t is we'll known that peddlers take
great deal of fruit, and they sell way
below the regular retailers. The reason
for this is said to be because they get
from the wholesalers what stock the latter
cannot otherwise dispose of, most of it
being over-ripe. That this arrangement
IL satisfactory to both parties can be seen
at a glance. An attempt was made by
the retailers, II will be remem mbered, to
have peddlers pay license of ~ per
annum. The bill passed the House, but
was lost somewhere in the Senate.
For information on fruit, The NEWS
is indebted to Preston & Brown, Cooper
q Sisson, George f. Bateman d Co.,
Eddy Brothers and j. III. Preston d Co.