Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-01
ADVANCE IN PRICES
MARKET DEALERS HAVE LITTLE
CHEAP PRODUCE.

Market dealers say there is but little
cheap produce to be had this week, prices
of many of the necessaries of life having
advanced since the first of the year Deal
ers in marine products are laboring against
the odds caused by the frozen rivers: vege-
tables are scarce because OF the condition
Of the ground; the supply OF butter Is not
equal to the demand, and the egg market
Is unchanged. Poultry is plentiful. with
the exception of broilers, which are scarce
and high.
THE butter market is wild" remarked
dealer this morning. 1T Is simply a case
of the producer being unable to furnish
enough butter to supply the demand"
Elgin butter has advanced Pa cents a
pound during the past week and lower
grades OF butter are scarce. Fancy June
butter that was quoted at 81 cents last
summer is now quoted at 30 and 81 cents.
There is some cold storage butter on
hand but not enough to relieve the market
to any extent. Eggs are selling at from
80 to 30 cents dozen. the latter price
being charged for fancy special stock
Enough to Supply Demand
Fruits and vegetables are plentiful
enough to supply the demand at the prices
asked.
THE great trouble regarding fresh prod
uce at this season of the year." said
| dealer this morning, lis that buyers who
| never had anything but canned goods dur
ing the winter until a few years ago expect
the prices to be as reasonable as they are
In the summer when they are grown in this
section
He said he considered 20 cents a pound
for tomatoes as being reasonable. People
he said do not stop to consider that the
vegetables have to be shipped here from
Florida or California and that they have to
be handled several times. Then. too, the
dealers have to suffer losses when part of
the shipments are spoiled
Here he said, holding I'D a caulifoyer
from Florida. lis a fair sample of the
Florida stock at this season. This one is
to be sold for Is cents. and it Is large
enough for meal for small family. The
price ! have quoted seems to me to be
cheap
Lettuce is particularly scarce at this sea-
son, the best headed bringing as much as
~ cents. The snow will cause a scarcity OF
some OF the vegetables for a short time
and prices may go little higher than
tney We're earlier in the week. Oranges are
plentiful and cheap. apples are selling at
about the prices they have brought during
most of the winter, and Malaga grapes are
~ cents pound.
Fish and Oysters.
1t Is reported that most Of the creeks
down the Potomac river are coated with
Ice, preventing the fishermen from operat-
ing their small seines. Potomac fish have,
therefore, become scarce. A few single
rock arrived here from the lower river this
week, and dealers got as high as ~ cents
pound for them. Red snappers from
southern waters, and salmon trout and king
mackerel. from the vicinity of Norfolk, are
plentiful, and are supplying a greater por-
ton of the trade. Oysters are still scarce,
and dealers are experiencing some difficulty
In getting enough to supply the trade.
IF 1t were not for the tub oysters that
are being received here from the oyster
BEDS. remarked a dealer in marine prod
ucts to Star reporter this morning, the
supply of oysters would not be anything
like equal to the demand"
CLAIMS are becoming more plentiful, and
they find ready sale at 10 cents Dozen
HOLSTERS are selling for 30 cents a pound
Shad are scarce, the few Shad that were
brought here this week selling at from $I5O
to 50 each. 80
Game Equal to Demand.
Game is not plentiful. but the supply is
more than equal to the demand at the prices
asked. There ere more ducks in market
than dealers were able to get earlier in the
season. but the demand for them will soon
be on the wane. Quail are still command
ing 35 cents each. The rabbit season closed
yesterday, and dealers were glad of it.
There was so I 'ch warm weather earlier
in the season that thousands of the rabbits
that had been shipped here were con-
demned, dealers losing money.
Turkeys are more plentiful than they were
two weeks ago, and lower prices prevail
Dealers quoted them at IS and 20 cents a
pound this morning, and they may be even
IL and 20 cents, fowls bringing only 10
cents. BrOilers are scarce at % and 30
cents pound; capons. 20 and % cents and
ducks are to be had at 20 cents pound.