HOLIDAY FRUIT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 310, 31 December 1940, Page 4

HOLIDAY FRUIT.

PEACHES MORE PLENTIFUL STRAWBERRIES PAST PEAK. Mainly on account of the holiday tomorrow and the difficulty of keeping stocks fresh, several lines of fruit cased in vaftie on the Auckland city markets to-day. While the demand generally .was not equal to that just prior to Christmas, there was, nevertheless, spirited inquiry for berry fruit. Though the quality of strawberries' is now deteriorating and this popular delicacy on the tea table will soon be no more than a memory, the demand remains fairly keen, especially for good quality lines. Prices to-day were from 1/4 to 1/9 a chip, with better berries bringing up to 2/1. Since last week there has been a considerable increase in supplies of outdoor tomatoes, with the result that values for both these and the hothouse variety (now almost finished) eased somewhat. Values.for hothouse ranged from 3d to 1/ a lb, and from outdoor from 3d to 7d. Peaches are much more plentiful and prices are low. They are making from 2/6 to 5/ a i J.se, the proximity of the holiday obviously affecting the market. Plums are another seasonal fruit now coming forward in large quantities, Sultans, Billingtons and Santa Rosas being the main varieties, and bringing anything from 1/6 to 5/ a case. Few of new season's apples are expected in quantity on the market until February, and old stocks are practically exhausted. Despite the holiday demand, bananas and oranges are still available in ample quantities. Cherries remain in short eupply and are bringing high prices—:up to 28/ a case.