FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 48, 21 November 1918, Page 4

FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

LOCAL MARKET CONDITIONS: ,

Fruit inspectors of the Horticulture Division of the Department cf Agriculture report as under on the condition of locally-grown fruit and vegetables in shops and auction rooms, and.- the market conditions for tho month of October, 1918.

Auckland— Th» business for the month has been fairly good, but the supplieshave been on the light side in most lines. Many of the lines of apples coming from the cool stores have been in rather bad condition, and even the Dougherty has not kept as it usually does. There have been some good samples of Stunners, for which the demand has been good. This variety has proved the best keeper. Pears have' been very scarce and in bad condition/ A good clean sample has seldom been marketed. Several consignments of sweet oranges from AVhangarei have been very good, for which 21s. for bushel case.? was realised. Strawberries are now on the market, but better weather conditions are needed to give colour, flavour, and quality.

The month has experienced a great scarcity in most lines of vegetables, and consequently there has been good competition among the buyers. New potatoes iire now coming forward in small lines. The following are the average prices for the month:—Apples, dessert 10s. to lis., cookers Bs. to 10s.; pears, 13s. j sweet oranges, 10s. to 215.; lemons, 10s. to lis.; passion fruit, 12s. to 135.; tomatoes, hothouse, id. to Is.; strawberries, Is. 3d. to 2s. Id. per chip; cucumbers, !ls. per doz.; tree tomaioes, 10s. Cd. per half-case; potatoes, lis. to l"s. 6d.; potatoes, new, s}d. to fijd. por lb.; onions, 30s. to 405.; cabbages, ss. lo Bs. per doz. ; cauliflowers, Bs. to 10s. per doz. Christchurch —The- demand for all classes of fruit and vegetables during the past month has been fairly good, and m some lines the demand has been very keen. Apples, ex cool-stores, are forward in sufficient quantities to meet demands. A few pears are still on the market. Host vegetables are later coming forward than usual. • Average- prices for the month aro:—Apples, dessert 12s. to 145., cooking, 7s. to 10s.; gooseberries, 4d. to lid. per lb.; tomatoes, 2s. Cd. to 3s. per 11).; asparagus, ss. to Ss. per doz. bundles; cauliflowers, 2s. Od. to IGs. per doz.; lettuce, 6d. .to 2s. per doz.; cucumbers, lOd. to Is.' per lb.; onions, to 30s. per cwt.; potatoes, IGs. to 20s. per sack. Dunsdin.—The following are the wholesale prices:—Apples, dessert, choice Sturmers: Otago Central 15s. 6d., Canterbury 13s. to 145., Rokevoods 10s. to' 125., French Crabs to lis., Jones's Seedling 10s. (id.; pears (these are just about finished, very few. remaining in cool eiore), 135.; cabbages, 3s. Gd. per doz.; cauliflowers, choice to Ss. 6d. per sack, good ss. lid. per sack; parsnips, 3s. per bushel 'case; spinach; Is. 2d. per doz.; spring onions. Ss. per doz. bunches; radishes, 'Jd. per doz.; lettuce, Is. per doz.; rhubarb, Id. per lb., in saclte lis. per ewl. A line of new potatoes reached the market last week, and sold at Is. Id. per lb. Old potatoes are beinj sold at X'M per ton, but good clean lines are hard to secure.