Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-21
LILIES FOR EASTER
Thousands Ready for Big
Easter Market.
GOOD PRICES EXPECTED
ROSES IN DEMAND AND BUT FEW
TO BE HAD.
Fresh Fish Scarce-All Meats High
Butter Market Wild-Egg
Prices Firm.
GOOD PRICES EXPECTED

Thousands of Easter lilies will be banked
along the benches of florists in the Center
market tomorrow for the holiday trade.
Some Of the dealers had their holiday garb
on their stands this afternoon and will
put on the finishing touches early in the
morning. 1t is said by the dealers that
flowers will bring better prices this year
than they have at any Easter season for
many years past. This is the result OF the
holiday season coming later in the spring
than usual. Volets are about gone and
there are no hyacinths, jonquils or tulips
to supply the trade and make other cut
flowers cheaper. Lilies, spirea aponica
and rhododendron are the chief plants on
hand for the Easter trade, and there will
be scarcity of them. The absence OF
violets and other early spring flowers, the
dealers say. will have the effect of run
ming up the price of roses and carnations,
which will be in great demand.
II refused big order for roses today
remarked a florist to a Star reporter. II
happen to have a fairly good supply Of
them on hand today, but l know my trade
will want them tomorrow, and for that rea-
son I held them
He predicted that there will be very few
roses to be had tomorrow morning after 10
o'clock. The choice stock, he said, will
bring from 50 to So a dozen. Carnations
will sell at from 81 to So a dozen. Plotted
lilies were quoted at from 80 cents to S1.50
spirea at 90 cents each and rhododendron
at from So to 50 a plant Lilacs and wild
flowers will be found along the line OF
country people tomorrow and will find
ready sale The showing that will be made
by the dealers inside the markets tonor-
row will be well worth seeing.
Scarcity of Fresh Fish.
With the closing of the Lenten season
G.-l,
kets and the prices are higher than they
a short time ago. Shad were in great
demand for the Good Friday trade and will
also be a good seller tomorrow, as the last
day of Lent is day on which many Chris
tians content themselves with fish instead
of using meat. Sunday the season for fast
ing will be over, and stuffed hams. roasts
and fowls will find ready sale for the table
on Easter. All meats are high, and some
are even higher than they were last week
Spring lambs were bringing 81 each in the
wholesale market this morning. This means
that prime roast is not to be had for
small price. This mornings trade showed
that there was great demand for hams
and other smoked meats. There is some de-
mand for turkeys but fresh picked stock is
scarce, and dealers have to rely largely
upon frozen fowls for the trade. Turkeys
are selling at % cents a pound. Chickens
are scarce, and are by means cheap.
There is scarcely any game to be had at
cents each, are taking the place of most
kinds of game. The butter market is wild,
and dealers hardly know where to look for
supplies. One dealer said this morning that
he was about two hundred pounds short in
his orders and was unable to purchase this
amount of butter at the local wholesale
places. Retail prices ranged from 80 to 40
cents today Eggs are firm at 90 cents, and
selected stock sells at % cents
Fruit Variety Not Great.
There is not a great variety of fruits in
the market now, but there has been an i'm
provement in the vegetable line Strawber-
ries are better and in greater demand, at
from 20 to 40 cents a box. Pineapples are
scarce and high, and apples are about play
Ing out, California oranges and grape
fruit are plentiful and fairly cheap The
frosts in the south played havoc with toma-
toes. and while there is supply enough on
hand for the Easter trade they are higher
Next week. dealers think, there will be very
few tomatoes on the market. Asparagus is
also scarce and higher, the prices ranging
from 40 to 60 cents a bundle. Green peas to
accompany the spring lamb dinner are to
80 cents quarter peck, and early York
cabbage are to be had at from 5 to Is cents
a head. Lettuce and cucumbers are chean-
err and kale, spinach and cress are plentiful
and cheap
The Fish Market.
In the fish market there is quite a con-
trast as compared with the stock that was
on hand two weeks ago. At that time shad
were selling at almost any price the deal
ers could get for them, but today the roe
Shad were bringing 70 cents each and bucks
30 cents Shad roe were selling at 40 cents
pair. Salmon steaks are 80 cents a pound,
rock are 20 cents, perch are Is cents a
pound. Other prices are quoted as follows:
Halibut 10 cents: cod and bluef1sh ioH
cents and haddock 10 cents. Live Holsters
from the Boston market are to be had at
~ cents pound. Soft crabs are in better
toiiuitlon ana higher In price. Last week
they were as low as 50 cents. but TODAY
they are bringing 75 cents a dozen Frogs
as big as ever reached the local market. are
selnng at 90 cents pound. There has also
Deen an Improvement in the crab r,aot ,,a