THE CITY MARKETS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1366, 17 February 1912, Page 8

THE CITY MARKETS.

HEAVY - SUPPLIES OF FRUIT.

The past-week-has been an exceptionally busy one at the iilair and Allen Streets markets, large quantities of New Zealand ii'iiit having arrived, also supplies fioni' Australia ai\d 1 the Cook Islands. Tho market is glutted with peaches. Over 1000 cases arrived from the ilawke's Bay yesterday morning, and about the same quantity reached the market during the week from Motueka. First-grade dessert sorts bring 3s. to 55., but tiie bulk of the fruit being hard and small were quitted at Is. Gd. to 2s. per case. The market is well supplied with plums of all descriptions, with the exception of Blue Diamonds, values ranging from Is. lid. to 2s. Gd. per half-case. Blue Diamonds are inquired for-at 3s. to 3s. lid. Apricots are almost over for the season, so far as Nelson is concerned, tho few coming forward now being grown at Teviot. Nectarines are very plentiful. Half-cases realise from 3s. to 3s. Cd. for choice fruit. The price of New Zealand grapes has fallen considerably, owing to the large quantities coming to baud from New South Wales and South Australia. ITutt-grown grapes sold yesterday from Cd. to Sid. net lb. Apnles 'from Nelson are now coming forward in fair supply. Cookers are ill good demand at -Is. to Is. Cd. per case. Cox's Orange Pippin are ns yet without any colour or size, but some high prices have been obtained during the past few davs, values ranging from 7s. to 12s. .per bushel case. The market is finite oversupplied with local pears, and this fruit is in very poor demand. Choice W.B.C.'s aro selling from 53. to Cs. Cd. per bushel case. Owing to the wet summer tomatoes are still very scarce. Consignments from Nelson and tiie Hutt, which _were sold yesterday, realised from Ks. to "s. 6d. peT case. At this timo last year from Is. Cd. to 2s. fid. per ease was the ruling price, trawke's Say cucumbers are selling at 3s. per half-case. Consignments of Cool; Island bananas, transhipped at Auckland, reached the market on Tuesday, but the whole shipment arrived very much overripe, and the highest price obtained was about 2s. fid. per case, the bulk selling at a shede less. '■ No Island oranges aro available yet. Heavy shipments of water melons continue to arrive from New South Wales, and these are quitting at from !)d. to Is. Cd. each, according to size. New Seuth Wales grapes sold dnring the week at 7s. to 10s. per lfilb. box. Tliey were principally muscats. South Australian grapes sold at 9s. to 12s. per box. A shipment of Melbourne pears came to hand yesterday morning, many of them being over-ripe. Prices ranged from 7s. Cd. to 12s. Cd. per bushel case. This price left a heavy loss to shipners, as !)s. t« 10s. is being obtained in Melbourne for tho same class of pears. A few Messena lemons are now on the market, and cases containing 301 to SCO are easily realising from -255. to 275. Cd.

The vegetable market is fairly well supplied with practically all lines. Onions are the only offering at all scarce, Auckland and southern sorts being worth Bs. to os. per cental bag. Spring onions are selling at fid. to Is. per dozen bunches, and marrows aro plentiful at 3s. per case. Cauliflowers are worth Cs. to Bs. per sack, and cabbatres aw in over-supply at 2s. to 3s. per sack. Heavy supplies of potatoes oto available, best samples being qnoted at -Is. Cd. to ss. per cwt. Small and inferior lines soM nt 3s. to 3s. 6d. cwt. There is a good sale for green peas at Bs. to 10s. per three-quarter sack. French beans are worth ss. to Gs. per half-sack, parsnips ss. to. (!s„ carrots 3s. to 55.. white hirnitw 35., and lettuce 3s. to Gs. per case. Tlnnd beans are selling at 3s. to ss. per half-caw>. swedes nt 2s. Cd. to 3s. per cwt., and garlick 7s. to fs. per cwt. Fresh eggs ere scarce, yesterday's values being. Is. 3d. to Is. 'l-d. per dozen The market for poultry is w«ll supplied, and the demand poor. Walnut" are bringing 7d. to Bd. per lb. for bright samples, and peanuts are dull of sale at 2!-d. to 23d. per lb.