Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-09
SUPPLIES IN THE MARKET
LOCAL DEALERS COMPLAIN THAT
BUSINESS Is SLACK.
Tomatoes Now Plentiful - Prices of
egetables-Condition of Poultry.
Butter and Eggs.

think that the thousands of visitors who
are filling the hotels should more than COM
pensate for the residents who are away on
summer vacation. Most of the hotels have
been filed this summer with eXcursionists
on their way home from JameS;oW and the
majority of the visitors, it is stated remain
here several days at least 1t is probably
true that many of the hotels are making
larger purchases than IS habitual al this
season of the year. but. nevertheless deal
ers in the local markets think business
should be better. The suggestion was made
today that perhaps the large number Of
stores throughout the city may have some
effect on the market trade. buyers doing
their shopping at such places in prefer
ence to walking these hot days to the
larger markets.
1t is stated that buyers are still complain
Ing of the high prices charged for fresh
meats, orders being smaller and fewer than
formerly Many buyers are using more
smoked meats and larger quantities of veg
etab!es, the cheap prices charged for most
vegetables enabling them to reduce the
amount of their market bills.
Tomatoes Are Plentiful.
1t has been only a few days since to-
matoes We're selling high as % cents
pound. and now a bushel may. be had
for about that sum. Retail dealers are
getting - cents a peck for the best to-
matoes. and. it is stated, they would be
selling much cheaper at this time II it
We're not for the fact that commission men
are salpplns from 500 to 1000 boxes of the
vegetable away. Every day farmers would
find 1t difficult thing to dispose of their
stock at any price. Canning factories are
experiencing no trouble this summer get
ting what tomatoes they want, AMI there
is no reason why canned goods should not
hat ri
vate families consuming q great many
OF the tomatoes for canning purposes and
that Will have a tendency to lessen the
demand for canned goods from dealers in
the winter
Il don't see why more canning Is not
done by private families. a farmer re-
marked to a Star reporter at the Center
market today. With tomatoes selling at
from 70 to 80 cents a bushel they can be
canned at very little cost, and the vege-
table is better than many of the canned
goods that are put up at the factories"
Cucambers and string beans are also plen-
tlful and cheap and dealers say they would
be much cheaper if 30 many of them were
not shipped away every day.
AS many as 100 barre,s Of cucumbers
have been shipped away from here a day
during the past two weeks" a shipper ex-
planned, land because Of the demand for
them elsewhere growers have been able
TO get about 81 barrel. The tomato,
string bean and cucumber crops In Penn
local growers have reaped the benefit. Were
1t not for shipping cucumbers away in
great quantities they would not be bring
ing more than so cents a barrel
Cucumbers and Peaches.
Cucumbers are retailing at 20 cents a
dozen and beans are go cents a peck Peas
are not quite SO plentiful and higher prices
rule. There Is an abundance of other prod
uce in market, the prices varying accord
Ing to quality. Onions have not been SO
plentiful as usual, but the supply is in
creasing and prices are correspondingly
reasonable. Truckers in this section are
supplying market dealers with eggplant
That sells at from to 10 cents each Good
sugar corn is scarce and high 40 cents a
dozen being charged for the best
reaches are more plentiful. but the prices
charged for them are much higher than
they usually are at this season of the year
The high prices, it is stated, are the result
or the shortage of the crop in this section
TINS year. Peaches that are now being sold
are coming from distance, the prices
ranging from 90 cents a quart box to IS
cents pan. Apples are more plentiful and
cheaper, but growers say pears will be
scarce this fail. There are plenty of black
berries still in market, the cultivated stock
selling at from 1211 to u cents a box and
the field berries at 10 cents. Huckleberries
are still plentiful and reasonable. Water
melons and cantaloupes are fairly plentiful
Melons are considered reasonable at from
% to 90 cents. but the finest of the canta-
loupes are high. selling at 20 and 3O>cents
Oranges are still scarce and high, selling
at from 90 TO 90 cents dozen. Lemons are
20 cents dozen. and bananas find slow
sale at from 10 TO 20 cents.
Prices of Poultry.
Prices of poultry have kept up longer this
season than dealers have known to be the
case for many years. A local dealer said
this morning he expects the poultry mar
ket will experience break during the next
week or ten days.
IF a break does not soon occur" the
dealer said. Il fear the prices next winter
Nill be higher than they were last winter"
There has been decided increase in the
quantity Of poultry received here from
states and distant points, 1t is
stated and there is no reason why chickens
should not be cheaper than they are. Deal
ers are selling spring chickens at 20 cents a
pound. some few Of them having decreased
the price to % cents. Ducks are quoted at
20 cents a pound, and there are few
turkeys to be Lad at 20 cents.
Marine products are plentiful dealers be-
ing able to get supplies greater than the de-
mand. Some fine rock are being caught
III tiie foloindC river ana tney are HnQlnR
ready sale at Is and 20 cents a pound, but
Potomac perch and other fish are scarce.
An occasional sturgeon is caught and the
demand for the fish Is great at 20 cents a
pound. Some fine soft crabs have reached
the local market this week from Crisfield
and other places, and they were quoted at
from 80 to 10 cents a dozen this morning.
There has been practically no change in
the butter and egg market since last week.
Eggs are selling at from % to % cents a
dozen. Butter prices remain the same as
for the past two months.