Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-06
SUPPLIES IN LOCAL MARKETS
DECREASE IN PRICE OF MEATS
AND OTHER COMMODITIES.
Fish, Oysters and Crabs-Season for
Game Is Drawing to
Close.

| Meat prices last year. it is stated by
| dealers. caused cattle raisers TO double
! their efforts this year. and the result is
! that there is sufficient meat on the mar
| ket to warrant a decrease in prices Cost
! of other commodities. dealers report has
| decreased enough to make it possible for
! persons earning small salaries to live
/ comfortab bly,. Storehouses are filled with
| merchandise. and merchants realize the
| necessity for getting rid of it. All pork
| products have been reduced. Beef deal
ers say. is much cheaper than it was a
! few months ago. and most other neces-
| sites are 'correspondingly reasonable.
Delicacies. such are not supposed to
| be found on tables in homes of salaried
| people. are naturally high. Dealers in
the local markets are complaining that
| business has fallen off during the past
year. some of them saying their safes were
only about 80 per cent of what they were
| the previous year. The opening of the
Lenten season has had the efYectof causing
still further dropping off of trade. 1t
| has decreased the demand for meats, but
| there has come a corresponding increase
| in the call for fish and eggs. Fish are
high. but eggs are more plentiful and
cheaper.
While fish are scarce. the market pre-
sents an unusually attractive appearance
| the weather being cool enough to permit
display of the fish without covering
them with ice. Oysters and crab meat
are plentiful. and the prices charged are
at the regulation prices and the same is
true of crab meat and crab flake. This
winter has been the first season that
| dealers have had fresh picked crab meat
n 10 ~ 4 a
| has increased since the beginning of
| Lent.
Hard Crabs in Winter.
Years ago. a dealer in marine prod
| ucts explained to a Star reporter, no
| body ever thought of offering hard crabs
or crab meat for, sale during the winter
months. Oystermen would get them in
their scrapes, but they promptly threw
| them overheard. but oystermen at this
| season frequently get more money for
| crabs than for oysters There has been
| no frozen crab meat on the market this
winter. and it is as fine now as it is in
| the summer"
| Crab meat is quoted at 30 cents quart.
30 cents being charged for the fake meat.
| Hard crabs are by no means plentiful,
| but a few of them are coming from Nor
| folk and vicinity and are selling at from
| % to 10 cents dozen. Dealers in marine
| pIouuClS were disappointed dt IDe scarcity
! of shad for the Ash Wednesday trade,
! and the fish is still scarce. A few are
| being received from North Carolina. but
the prices charged put them beyond reach
| of the average buyer. roe Shad selling as
| high as $50 and bucks at IS cents each.
North Carolina herring are selling at 80
| cents a dozen, and are in splendid condi-
| ton, making as good an appearance as
the Potomac stock. Dealers say the
| flavor is as good as of those caught in
| the Potomac later in the season.
| Dealers in marine products are getting
a few rock, perch and bass from the Po-
| tomac fisheries and are receiving high
| prices for them. They are charging as
much as 30 and 30 cents a pound for rock,
| 10 cents for perch and from 20 to % cents
| for bass. Some fine white perch are to
| be had at from Is to 20 cents pound.
| New Spanish mackerel reached the local
! market this week, selling at % cents a
pound.
Several Grades of Meat.
Beef is to be had at almost any price.
| There are several grades of the meat and
| the price depends entirely on the quality.
| Rib roasts are to be bought at from 121s
| to 20 cents. Steaks are cheaper than they
| were a few weeks ago. choice porterhouse
| selling at 20 cents and sirloin at from u
/ to 10 cents. Other grades are selling sew
eral cents cheaper.
| All pork products are cheaper, fresh and
| corned hams selling at 121s cents, smoked
hams at 121s and IA cents and bacon at IL
cents. Sweetbreads and calves lfvers are
| in demand at advanced prices. the former
| selling at from Is cents to $1.25 and the
| latter at ID cents pound.
Poultry Is not so cheap Small turkeys
are quoted at p cents a pound. 20 cents
| being charged for the larger ones. Big
| turkeys are not in demand at this sea-
| son. however, and dealers do not find it
| an easy matter to dispose Of them. Fowls
| are selling at IS cents: Droilers, % cents;
| baking chickens 20 cents: capons, %
| cents: ducks, 20 cents, and geese, 16 cents
a pound.
End of Season for Game.
| The season for game is drawing to a
close. Quail will be outlawed the 18th of
| this month. and the season for wild ducks
will close two weeks later. There are not
many quail in the local markets and what
the dealers have on hand are in poor con-
dition. They are selling at from So to 81
dozen. but there Is not much demand
| for them.
| I'VE do not figure on much of a game
season after the beginning of Lent a
dealer in poultry and game remarked
People do not entertain to any extent
during Lent, and there Is no demand for
game Of any kind during the season of
| fasting
There are plenty of wild ducks in the
market. They are in good condition and
prices charged for them are not consid-
cred high.
Fruits and vegetables are plentiful and
reasonable. There are plenty of apples t.
! be had, but many of them are Of inferior
| quality. The best are selling at - cents
peck, and others low as 40 cents
| Florida strawberries are quoted at 60 cents
box. Oranges are plentiful and in splen-
did condition. the smallest selling at II
cents Gozen and the best at 10 cents
| Shattucks are not so plentiful and higher
| prices prevail, the fruit selling at from
| 10 to 70 cents. Bermuda potatoes are 10
| cents peck and California cauljflower at
| from 20 to 30 cents.
Butter Market Steady and Firm.
The butter market is steady and firm
fine quality butter being hard to get. The
prices are about the same as they have
! been during the past winter. creamery
! butter selling al from 20 to 20 cents.
Eggs are much more plentiful than thew
| have been and lower prices prevail Epps
were selling this morning at - cents a
dozen. 80 cents being charged for sne
Gals. 1t is believed they will sell as low,
as 20 cents tomorrow or early next wee,,
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