Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-05
LOCAL MARKET SUPPLIES
INCREASED DEMAND KEEPS UP
PRICES IN SOME LINEs
Fruits and Vegetables More Plentiful
and Quotations Lower-Dairy
Products Scarce.

there are many strangers in the city. the
demand for supplies being larger than
usual just after the Easter holiday. 1t 10
the belief Of many that the summer trade
this year will exceed the average sales In
hot weather because the Indications are that
the city will be filled with strangers on the
way to and from the jamestown EXPOSE
ton. 1t is stated that practically all the
hotels In the city are filled with guests
now, there being many strangers here.
Several big excursion parties have been
here the past ten days and others are eX-
pected from time to time during the whole
of the summer season. 1t goes without
saying that too many strangers cannot
come here for the market dealers.
But Slight Decrease In Prices.
AS the season advances the supplies Of
vegetables, fish and other products that
are to be found in the markets increase,
but there has not yet been much of a de-
crease in prices noted. Shad and herring
have been exceptionally slow reaching the
Potomac this season, and prices have been
unusually high, but the increased receipts
this week have been followed by a reduc-
ton In the prices. Market dealers are SELL
ing them at from 80 to 10 cents EACH the
shad roe selling at from Is to 81 cents
Herring have been higher this season than
local dealers ever charged for them be-
iore at this time of the year. This morn
or about 3 cents each smoked Potomac
herring selling at 10 cents each.
Shipments, 1t is expected, will increase
each day until the herring will exceed the
demand. 1t Is not likely, however, that
shad will get as cheap as they did last
season. Rock. perch, catfish and cells are
quoted at lower figures. Dealers are smok-
Ing most of the cells that are being caught
cents a pound being much greater than
that for the fresh stock. Some small
sturgeon reached the market this week.
the fish weighing from l to 8 pounds each
and selling at 20 cents pound.
Smoked sturgeon Is selling at 40 cents a
pound being 20 cents a pound cheaper than
last year. Smoked whitefsh are out Of
season, and there are but few ,bloaters left
for the spring trade. AS soon as the
weather becomes warmer the demand for
smoked fish will increase.
The Crab Supply.
Free crab feasts will soon be in order.
Hard crabs are coming in large quantities,
and they are in good condition. Some soft
crabs reached here this week from North
Carolina, but they are so small that they
are hardly fit for anything but bait for
perch. Dealers are asking from 81 to
$3.50 dozen for them, and there is a de-
mand for the Spiders" at such prices,
1t Is feared by some of the dealers that
SOFT crabs will not be SO plentiful and
cheap this summer as they usually are.
because there will be such great demand
for them at Norfolk and other cities in
that section during the time the visitors
to jamestown are there.
Poultry is nothing like plentiful, but
the market is easier than 1T has been, and
there is a great demand for fowls Of all
kinds. Spring chickens are in greatest
demand, and they are becoming more plen-
tiful as the season advances, but they
are not yet cheap. Dealers are getting
from 25 cents to So cents a pound for
them. A few Long Island ducklngs have
been received this week by local dealers,
and they found ready sale at % cents a
pound. Turkeys are % cents a pound and
other fowl are selling at IS cents. Game
is out of season squads being used in
place Of birds. They are quoted at IS
cents each.
Fruits and Vegetables.
There is nothing new in the fruit and
vegetable line this week. Strawberries
and green vegetables Of all kinds are also
getting more plentiful and cheaper. There
has been a decided improvement in the
quality and prices of asparagus, tomatoes
are especially plentiful and of good quail
ity, selling at from Is to 20 cents a
pound. Radshes, lettuce. spring onions,
cucumbers and new potatoes are more
plentiful and cheaper.
The butter market is firm, good dairy
products being scarce and high. 1t Is a
difficult matter for the local dealers to get
enough OF the good quality butter to sup
ply the trade, and prices are a trifie high
er than they were last week Eggs are
plentiful and reasonable, dealers retailing
them at 20 cents Some of the more ex-
tensive dealers are storing eggs for the
winter trade, and 1t Is the taking of
these eggs from the market that keeps
the prices as high as they are The meat
market is about the same as it was last
week.