Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-24
King of Fowls Very Much in
LimeIight Just Now.
READY FOR THANKSGIVING
Market Dealers Say Low Prices Will
Prevail.
TWENTY CENTS A FAIR PRICE
Other Things Less Expensive In
clude Chickens, Ducks, Geese,
Keats, Rabbits and Little Pigs.

| "Turkeytown, the name applied to
| Center market and vicinity during the
| holiday season. was, in the words of
| dealer, both alive and dead with the king
OF fowls this morning. Dressed turkeys
| were piled high upon the benches in and
outside the market. while along Louisiana
| avenue coops Of live fowls unknowingly
awaited the eXecutioner. There were no
! indications of scarcity of turkeys to-
| morrow for the Thanksgiving trade, and
| dealers were inclined to believe that prices
| are going TO be easier than they were
year ago.
| Turkeys are coming in rather lively"
one Of the dealers remarked, land unless
there Is sudden change In weather con-
ditions I see no prospect of an expensive
market"
| No dealer was found who suggested
| anything higher than a twenty-two-cent
| market tomorrow. Several expressed the
belief that the fowl will be bought as low
as Is cents, with a charge a. low as 16
f>r inferior stock. Twenty cents a pound
was the prevailing price today. and some
dealers had stock to offer at Is cents.
No Reason for High Prices.
"As matter of fact" one explained.
there is no reason why high prices should
|
plentiful. and poultry raisers say 1t is
more profitable to feed poultry than it is
to sell the grain, especially western ship
pers. Turkeys have been much more
plentiful this season than for several
years, and haulers say nearby farmers
are better supplied than in recent years.
But" he added 30 cents a pound is
falr price for turkeys: Consumers sell
dom stop and think Of the trouble and
cost of raising fowls, nor do they seem
to realize what has to be done to get
them on the market at the right season.
Little do they think of the amount of
handling: of the shipping and killing. Aft
er the turkeys leave the hands of the
| farmers several persons have to handle
them and there is cost attached to each
handling. Then. after the fowls have
been killed. unless the weather is cold.
| finally it costs something to deliver them,
SO that before the dinner table is reached
several persons have reaped profits from
the handling.
Shipments to New York.
| IF all the turkeys that are brought
here were sold to resident consumers"
the dealer added. there would seldom be
any reason for complaint. but New York
buyers usually come here and buy up
much of the choicest stock and ship it to
| the metropolis, prices In New York usu-
ally being much higher than those in this
city. Maryland and Virginia turkeys are
as good as those raised In any other
states. although the New Jersey and
Rhode Island fowls enjoy widespread
reputation, and 1t is fact that thou
sands Of turkeys shipped from this city
are sold In New York as having come
from other states
"And If turkeys are too high to buy"
he continued there are other things less
expensive to take their places. Chickens,
ducks, geese. keats, wild ducks and rab-
bits are plentiful and reasonable in price.
and there would be no cause for complaint
| if they were served instead Of turkey.
| And what Is the matter with a nice. fat
Il little mig? One that will serve a big fam
lily may be had at from 81 TO 81. and
with 1t may be served apple sauce in
stead Of the cranberries which are more
expensive.
But l suppose 1T is the season for
turkeys and people will have them at any
! cost