Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-27
PRICES IN LOCAL MARKETS
DEMAND FOR MEAT INCREASES
AS LENT WAVES.
Fruits and Vegetables Shipped From
Florida-Game Season Draw
ing to a Close.

| High prices charged for beef products
| by local butchers during the past week
| drove the consumers to the pork market
| for relief. and now the price of pork has
| advanced. Lamb and mutton are also
| high. while veal is regarded being rea-
soma BILE at prevailing prices. The demand
for meats has increased since early in
| the lIenten season, when the demand
was unusually slight. Dealers say there
| has been an improvement during sAe
past two weeks. the trade shortly be-
! fore that period having been exceptionally
quiet. 1t is explained by the dealers that
the increased demand is the result of an
| increase in the number Of persons en-
ployed. Eggs about the cheapest
! food product in the market. and it is ex-
| pected that fish Will soon be cheaper than
| they are now. There are new vegetables
of almost every variety to be found in
the local markets. and dealers consider
! the prices charged for them as being rea-
sonable. This is the off season tor
| fruits. although the fruits that are In
| season are of good quality and fairly rea-
| Sonable
Dealers in fruits and vegetables are
getting early stock from Florida and
mand for such produce. Strawberries
from Florida are getting more plentiful
as the season advances. and prices are on
| the decline. Today dealers were able to
| offer good berries as low as 30 cents a
quart. the best stock bringing as much
as 80 cents. Florida pineapples, oranges
and grape fruit are also plentiful and
reasonable. Growers along Indian river
| are shipping grape fruit that is about
Iine as any that has ever been offered in
| the local market. and while they are not
| large, they are solid and have a delicious
flavor. The choicest stock is quoted
at two for % cents today. Pineapples
| from the same section are quoted at from
10 to so cents.
Florida Celery in Market.
| The first Florida celery of the season
has reached the local market. 1t is said
| to be much better than the western stock
at this season, and finds ready sale at 10
| cents a stalk. There is quite a demand
| for new potatoes at 20 cents a quarter
| peck. Peas are to be had for 30 and
| string beans for 40 cents quarter peck.
| Asparagus is selling at from Is to IS
cents bunch: caulit1OWer. ID to 40 cents:
beets. 10 cents a bunch; peppers. 30 cents
dozen; egg plant. 3 to Is cents; spin
| ach % cents peck: kale. 10 cents
! ishes are plentiful. Lettuce is selling at
from to ID cents head. onions are 90
| cents dozen punches, and radishes are
80 cents a dozen punches.
Marine Products
| The season for wild ducks is fast draw
| ing to close, the law prohibiting their
sale here after the last day of this month.
| Dealers still have a supply Of canvas
| backs, mallardS and redheads on hand.
and they find ready sale. the prices rang
| ing from 80 cents to $2.25 each for them.
| There is nothing particularly cheap in
| the poultry market. Turkeys are selling
| at from 90 to % cents a. pound; fowls at
from 16 to 1S cents: broilers from D to 30
! cents. and frying chickens at from 20 to
- cents a pound. Capons are % cents
pound and geese are 1S cents.
| Dealers in marine products able to
| make attractive displays with their spring
stock. Shad and herring. perch and rock
| and small fish from the Potomac are get
ting more plentiful as the season ad-
| vances and cheaper prices rule. 1t is ex-
pected that there will be a decided in
| crease in receipts during the next few
days and a corresponding decrease in
prices Roe shad We're quoted this morn
| ing at from IS cents to ST. while bucks
| were selling at from 40 to go cents. Pan
| rock were selling at 10 cents pound
dealers experiencing no difficulty in get
| ting 20 cents pound for boiling rock.
| Perch are IL cents pound. and the usual
| prices for salt water fish prevail. Deal
| ers are making arrangements with crab
| shippers for their stock this summer
1 / d
mand for the shell fish this season than
| heretofore. the number of restaurants
| handling crabs promising to be greater
| than the number last year. Some OF the
, restaurants are already handling them
| and others have notified dealers that they
| will begin to handle them earlier this year
| than heretofore. They are much better
quality at the opening of this season than
| usual. it Is said and there Is already
| quite demand for them.
Crab Meat Plentiful
Crab meat is plentiful for so early in
the season. and the demand for 1t at 30
| cents a quart is on the increase. crab
| flake selling at 30 cents. Soft crabs are
also to be had. but they are so small that
only few hotels are handling them. They
dealers find no trouble selling them at
from 81 to s15O a dozen. Frogs are also
to be had of the local dealers, the big
ones from Texas bringing as much as
| 81 o. Dozen while the smaller ones from
this section can be had for 50 dozen.
| The season for snappers is about open.
| and they are to be had at the rate of 10
| cents a pound.
| The stock Of eggs is good. at prices
| ranging from IL to p cents. the latter
price being charged for specials. Pack
ers are buying them as low as IL cents
| dozen and are putting them in storage for
the winter trade. 1t is believed by deal
ers that they will get cheaper than
| they are now on account of the heavy de-
mands of packers at this season. The
butter market is firm. high-grade butter
being scarce and hard to get. Prices of
| pn