Evening star., 1927-03-19
WHOLESALE TRADE
IN MARKET DROPS
Lenten Season Cuts Deal.
ings, But Marine Products
Are Moving Well.

| out the week a condition that is not
! surprising during the Lenten season,
81 period of fasting for thousands of
Christians, Dema nds for meats were
| especially slow, according to reports
OF dealers. and not until the Easter
| holiday season is business expected to
| become active
| 1t is expected by dealers that the
| Good Friday trade for Easter sunday
VIII make the market unusually aC-
| tive, being n time when foods;uns s
| of all varieties are in demand. Meat
| dealers and dealers in poultry are
| confident of having more than ample
| supplies to meet all demands Of the
| Easter trade and there also will be
abundant supplies of all varieties of
| fruits, vegetables and other food
! stuffS
| Just now the dealers at Municipal
| Fish Market. on the river front, are
reaping a harvest Not only are ma
| rine products much In demand. accord
| ing to dealers, but there is such an
abundance of fresh caught fish on
hand from points along the Potomac
from Alexandria to Chesapeake Bay.
Shad and Herring Abound.
Shad and herring. attractive Spring
product Of Potomac waters, are much
In evidence and in demand at prevail
ing prices, Herring are fairly plenti-
iul, but there are not a great many
shad here. AS the season advances,
however, increased catches will result
in lower prices and packers of both
the fish and roe will get busy.
Both white and yellow perch, cat
fish and carp are being received in
large quantities. mostly from nets
within so miles Of the city, and prices
IA
for small perch to 80 cents for rock.
fish.
Absence Of plymouth bass from the
local market already has increased de-
mands for other varieties of fish.
Under the provisions OF a recent act
of Congress it is made unlawful for
local dealers TO handle these bass.
There are some dealers who are heart
lily in favor of the law, realizing the
danger OF the fish becoming extinct
Not only does the law prohibit the
handling OF such fish from the Po-
tomac and its tributar ries, but it also
applies to such fish from distant
points
Fresh caught fish from waters in
the Northwest have become plentiful
the past week and are in demand at
prices considered by dealers as very
reasonable. Frozen fish from the
same section continue plentiful, but
not much in demand, consumers being
better satisfied with fresh. caught
stock from nearby waters
Dealers at Municipal Fish Market
are deeply interested in the question
of supplies of crabs the coming Sum.
mer. None has appeared in the local
market this season and crabmeat is
exceptionally scarce and high. 1t is
reared by dealers that dragging the
crabs from the beds of Chesapeake
Bay and its tributaries during the
Winter months will seriously affect
supplies during the approaching Sum.
mer season
Lobsters unusually high a month
ago, are getting cheaper and dealers
say prices probably will take addi.
tional drops as the season advances,
Scallops and shrimp are fairly plenti-
ful and in demand at prevailing
prices, small scallops selling at So
and large ones at 81 gallon
IL is regretted by dealers that the
oyster season Is fast drawing to a
close. The bivaIves have been par.
ticularly plentiful and Of good quality.
1t is stated by dealers, but the appear.
ance In market of large quantities of
fresh fish has materially reduced the |
demand. While the season is not
supposed to close until the last of |
April, dealers hardly expect to make |
many more heavy sales of them.
Poultry Market Draggy.
Poultry dealers report draggy con- |
dition this week, the same as meat
dealers, but the market has continued |
steady. Receipts have been large |
enough to meet demands, it is stated, |
and dealers were able to clean up
their stocks at the close of each days |
trading. A decrease in the price of |
fowls was the only appreciable change |
IN poultry prices during the week.
Spring chickens are gradually be. |
always are in demand during the |
Spring and Summer seasons. This !
season they came earlier than usual, |
due, 1t Is believed. TO the good luck |
experienced by raisers during the |
open Winter, and prices this season |
arc lower than during opening sea-
sons of the past few years Two years |
ago they reached a high price OF 72 |
cents. Last season 60 cents was the |
high price, and this season they are |
quoted at so cents. Broilers on hand |
this morning weighed from III to 2 |
pounds.
Butter prices this week remained |
almost stationary, as did the price of |
eggs. A tendency toward lower but. |
ter prices was mentioned by a dealer |
this morning, quoting a drop of frac- |
ton of cent in big butter centers |
the past two days. Growing grass. |
feed for cattle, probably |
will increase supplies of cream and re. |
suit in lower prices in the butter mar.
ket.
Eggs At Low Level.
Dealers say prospects of change in |
prices Of eggs in the near future is
Price of current re-
ceipts hit the low mark of 231A cents
this week, the week end finding the
market a trffle stronger with pros
poets of higher prices in the near
future. Packers soon will begin stor-
ing the product for next winters
trade, waiting to make certain that
frost TO longer affects them.
Apple receipts continue heavy, and
prices are much lower than usual at
this season, 1t is reported. Many
nearby growers are continuing to
make cider in an effort to get rid of
their apples and reap fairly reason
able return for their labor. Only
moderate demand for the fruit is re-
ported.
Moderate supplies of strawberries
are reported, many OF them not being
in the best condition. They are re
ceived In pony refrigerators from
Florida growers. best quality mission
arys bringing 80 and 35 cents this |
poorer quality selling as low Il
as 20 cents. Louisiana Klondikes, "a /