Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-29
DEALERS LOOK AHEAD
MARKET MEN PREPARING FOR
FOURTH OF JULY TRADE.

Market dealers are looking ahead to the
Fourth OF July in anticipation of the usual
big holiday trade. Spring chickens. canned
goods. cake and fruit have always been
In demand by picnic parties but the elm
nation Of large percentage OF the canned
goods this year. 1t is thought, will cause
the picnic people to incrsase the demand
for spring chickens that are not to be
found in cans. The young chickens are
more plentiful than they have been. and
the prices have slightly decreased 1t is
thought the dealers will make an effort
to keep up the prices until after the Fourth,
and that then there will be decline. Some
OF the dealers are already selling them at
Is cents pound. but most of them are
asking Is and 80 cents Young chickens
are being brought from different sections OF
the country, most of them from Maryland
and Virginia. Fowls are unusually scarce,
and dealers are experiencing considerable
difficulty IN getting enough Of them to sup
ply the demand
The reason for It," remarked a local
dealer. is that this is the harvest season,
and farmers are putting away their grain.
The grain must be put away at the proper
time, but the chickens will keep"
A few turkeys are being received by the
local dealers. and ducks enough are being
received from poultry raisers in Maryland
and Virginia to supply the demands.
Fruits and Vegetables.
There has been a decided Improvement
In the fruit and vegetable market during
recent weeks, the vegetables from local
gardens increasing in number the sea-
son advances. The latest additions to the
local crops are tomatoes and string beans.
Tomatoes from the gardens along the East
ern branch are not yet in splendid con-
dition on account OF the continued wet
weather, but the string beans are as good
as those from the south. Beans are plent-
full and dealers are selling them at 40 cents
peck. A few cucumbers are also being
sent to market by the local growers, and
the heavy shipments from the south has
resulted in a decrease in the prices
Plenty of good cucumbers are to be had
at the rate Of 80 cents dozen. Lettuce
Is by no means plentiful and higher prices
prevail. The early crop of spinach is about
gone, and 1t will not be plentiful again
until fall. Dealers are getting tomatoes
from Texas, and they are said to be al
most as good as the branch tomatoes.
They find ready sale at 211a cents pound.
Fruits are plentiful and dealers are able
to make good showing upon their market
benches. Melons from Georgia are getting
more plentiful and cheaper selling at from
thirty to sixty cents They are in splendid
condition and are regarded as being su-
perior to the melons that are grown In this
section. Cantaloupes are also getting more
plentiful and better. AS the supply in
creases the prices show decrease.
Berries of all kinds, with the exception
of Strawberries, are plentiful and sell at
reasonable prices. There are but few
strawberries to be found in the markets
and their scarcity has caused an increased
demand to be made for them. June apples
are plentiful and are selling at fifty cents
a peck.
Marine Products.
The fish market is quiet and the demand
for marine products, other than crabs, is
not great. Soft crabs are decidedly more
plentiful this week than they were week
ago and the prices are correspondingly low
er. Crabs from the Potomac river sold as
low as thirty-five cents a dozen to dealers
this week, and those from Annapolis
brought about fifty cents. The retail prices
range from sixty cents to 81 dozen. Crab
meat is plentiful and in great demand, be-
Ing used to a great extent in place Of soft
crabs. In many of the gardens and dining
rooms the meat is being served by the
plate.
Dealers are getting shipments of small
rock from the Potomac river and are sell
ing them at fifteen cents a pound. There
are no bass or other fish being caught In
the Potomac. Bluefish, Spanish mackerel
principal fish for the summer trade These
fish are plentiful enough to supply the de-
mand Live Holsters are to be had for
twenty-five cents a pound.
The butter and egg market has undergone
but little change during the past week.
Eggs are retailing at about twenty five
cents. The price of butter is the same as 1t
has been for month or more.