The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-06-05
fruit, LIKE BEEF,
IS Up IN THE AIR
Lemons From Palermo Come
High-Strange Demand for
Hothouse Stuff.

While advices come from Washing
ton that II people do not eat less meat,
they Will soon be eating none at all.
the local dealers report that the sum
mer season likewise fails to bring the
reductions In the price of fruits that
/, should. All in all. 1t looks bad for
that goat of the situation. the ulti
mate consumer Peaches and cherries.
which ought to be coming in with "A
rush about this time. are SO scarce and
high that few of the grocers have them.
while Strawberries and blackberries
are Finishing season In which they
have never cost less than IL l-2 cents a
quart. at the price of ID cents IA quart
Citrous fruits are taking jump
which makes all of their former stunts
look feeble. Lemons are 80 cents n
dozen and oranges 80 cents, with few
TO be had at that rate The reason for
this is neither trust nor tariff. accord
ing to retailer. who discussed the
matter; but is due to the complete fail
ure of the California crops Nearly all
OF the lemons now on the market are
from the vicinity Of Palermo. Italy.
"hich is n long and expensive trip for
any lemon to take. The oranges now
being sold are Florida "Valencias." a
new variety of late fruit grown In that
state But for this new invention, no
oranges would he obtainable. az Cali
iornia has been depended upon for the
late crop heretofore
HiEh-Br0w Fruit
me only other variety of fruit on the
market are the dollhouse grapes and
peaches which come TO the gentle tune
OF 80 dozen, Wholesale. and 81 a
pound, respectively. At that, the deal
crs admit that they are insipid and
tasteicss. and that better eating fruit
may be obtained for 30 cents. Yet
mere is a constant and heavy demand
Tor me glass grown stun right In Rich
mond. II is used ut entertainments.
n =. inn to eli.
variety OF other purposes where dis
play is the chief object
rms demand for stun that s not
good 10 eat at enormous prices Illus
'rates what one retailer considers the
chief cause OF the high cost OF living
namely American extravaganza. The
PEOPLE. according to this retailer, will
always Eroan at the prices and then
buy the very thing that is the highest
AS soon as something goes up. they
are sure that they must have it, and
TINS. he says applies TO staples as we'll
as TO hothouse Injuries AS an exam
pie he cites the fact that early in the
winter when the price OF -four was
forced up 10 $3.50 a Darrell by the
heavy demand that the Balkan War
made on the wheat crop. everybody
wanted TO buy -four, and there was a
tremendous run on the market Now
that the price has slunped to SIS a bar
rel no one seems TO think OF laying in
an advance supply.
rms aforesaid astute grocer, in de
nance Of the muck -rakers thinks that
the tarin and the trusts have very lit
tie to do with the high cost of living.
his own observation showing that such
trfing things as the weather inter
national politics and the habits Of the
people are what really affect prices
Thus the present relatively low price
OF staple groceries is due In great
measure to the fact that we have just
had very mild winter He asserts
mat the falling off in the amount Of
food purchased when the weather is
relatively warm is amazing The peo-
pie did not have TO eat much heavy
rood last winter 10 keep up their Gallo
re. ana consequently the market for
many staples is easy