Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-04
MEAT TRADE DULL
IN LOCAL MARKET
Grapes, Melons, Peaches and
Some Fish Are Cheap.
Supplies Good.

Merchants at Municipal Fish Market
already are looking forward to Septem-
Der l, opening of the oyster season,
when returned vacationists and i'm
proved weather conditions are expected
| to result in improved trade conditions.
Continued high temperature has pre-
vented shipments of fish from Florida
and other places In the South, accord
ing to reports, but receipts from the
North have been more than ample to
supply demands.
Several times during the heated Pc
Rod there has been scarcity of fish,
which resulted in increased prices.
This week, however, receipts of fish
from Boston. New York, New Jersey
and points as far south as North Caro-
| lima have been heavy enough to more
than supply demands at greatly reduced
prices.
Appearance of boatloads of water
melons from North Carolina and ex-
press and refrigerator shipments from
Georgia the past few days, followed with
supplies of cantaloupes from North
Carolina and the lower counties of Viz
ginia. served to attract larger numbers
of patrons to the market and increase
the volume of business there.
Grabs More Plentiful.
Dealers have displayed an unusual
amount of interest in the crab industry
| the past month, crabs having been much
more plentiful this season than during
a number Of years past. Hard crabs
have been particularly plentiful. Dut
the demand for them has not been as
great as formerly A price of SIS a
barrel has been quoted for them most
of the season.
| Cpft Prah boyn MT hcat1 So f1ipntiffil
this week. Earlier in the season prices
dropped as low as 50 cents a dozen for
the small soft crabs, the large ones
selling at SO and so cents. Lately
however, they have not been so plenti-
full, and dealers the most of this week
offered them at $3.50 dozen.
Turtles and frogs, other marine deli
cacieS, have become scarce, dealers re-
porting their scarcity being due to
weather conditions. Holsters also have
become scarce and higher than early in
the season 1t is expected that in
creased receipts of the three delicacies
will be in evidence when weather con-
ditionS improve. Practically all the
frogs offered are from the South
Fish Come From North.
Boston and New York shippers this
week supplied most of the fish offered
in the local market. Swordfish, leader
of the marine supplies, one OF the
varieties received from the two supply
places, proved more plentiful and
cheaper this week, selling as low as q
cents pound.
Haddock reached the market in such
large quantities the past few days that
dealers offered them at 3 cents a pound.
the filet of haddock, always good
seller, being offered at Is cents, low
price Fresh cod sold at Z cents. halibut
at 90 and 25 cents, salmon at IS cents,
Boston mackerel at Is cents and
| founders at 10 cents pound
Chesapeake Bay fishermen this week
| furnished the local market supplies OF
Spanish mackerel. croakers and butter
fish. The croakers sold at S cents,
hutterfish at 8 cents and Spanish
mackerel at Is cents a pound. Prac-
tically no Norfolk spots we're received
this week.
wholesalers reported a decidedly dull
condition of the meat market the past
week. consumers purchasing only actual
necessities, according to the dealers.
and most of them looking only for the
best cuts. High prices and absence OF
thousands of persons from the city are
the reasons assigned by certain dealers
for the prevailing dull condition Of the
| market.
Little Rough Meat Offered.
1t is said that prices in the wholesale
houses are about the same for choicest
meats. and there is very little rough
meat being offered. Retailers prices
differ, however. their prices covering a
wide range Prices of some of the
choicest cuts are so high that con-
sumers consider them almost prohibi-
tive. Just how long the high prices
will prevail is problematical.
Beef and veal prices have undergone
very little changes the past two or
three weeks, according to dealers, while
the price of lamb has taken several
drops. Lamb is said to be the cheapest
meat offered the past month.
Pork and pork products continue
scarce and high. and because of the
high prices, it is stated. stock Is not
moving rapidly. Dealers are not looking
for largely increased trade until after
/ the end of the Summer season.
/ Poultry dealers are not burdened
with lively demands for the lines OF
goods carried by them. The demand
| the past week has been only fairly
good. not great enough to enable deal
erS TO clean up at the close OF each
days business.
Spring Chickens Lower.
| Last weeks decrease in the price Of
| Spring chickens was followed by addi-
tional decreases this week slightly in
creasing the demand, many consumers
turning to the poultry market as a
result of high meat prices,
A slight advance, fraction of cent,
In butter prices this week had but little
| effect upon the local market, Egg
prices have remained practically the
same the past several weeks. Hot
weather increased Gambling losses, and
probably would have meant an advance
! In prices had there been much of O
demand for the product Of the hennery.
Western eggs appeared here the past
! few days. They were termed t1rsts,
according to dealers, and were offered
at prices about the same as local dealers
we're quoting current receipts.
| Peaches, waternelonS and canta-
loupes, coming from various sections of
the country in large quantities, are
virtually Cutting the fruit market, ae-
cording TO merchants, and cheap prices
are reported Georgia, North Carolina
and South Carolina are supplying most
OF the watermelons offered In the local
market at this time, II being too early
for Maryland and Virginia melons
Melons Are Cheap.
4 Numerous melons of various sizes are
| being received prices covering wide
range and they are so cheap that
street hucksters are offering them as
low as quarter. Prices quoted by
wholesalers this morning ranged from
20 cents for the smallest. and perhaps
not the freshest, to SIS cents for the
choicest of the receipts.
Arizona and North Carolina growers