WELLINGTON FRUIT AND PRODUCE MARKET.

Colonist, Volume LV, Issue 13645, 10 February 1913, Page 8

WELLINGTON FRUIT AND PRODUCE MARKET.

.ttpecial to "Tha Colonist.")

Wellington,.Feb: 7: Messrs. Griffiths and Co., Limited, ■report a more. tiiah' ordinarily Itusy *vyoek on the iruit exchange, •ihe--nna paving put through between four and **ive thousaiKl packages of .'fruit ftnd vegetables. The recent-general rise in values all round has directed "consignn;ciits to Welli-ngixjii, but tiie demand

*s quite equal to the increased supply, and the floors are cleared every, xlay; with. 1 in firm, crisp demand, woll maintained from the start to the termination of the sales. Weather conditions .have never foecn more favourable from a retailer's standpoint, consequently the fruit is gciiig into immediate consumption from da,y to day, and nothing approaching «. stock is being accumulated, except in odd lines. Lai-o pouches are coming to liand in more plentiful quantities from tluwke's Bay, out most of them Ate

class three,^a_ i'ew seconds, and very few firsts. liwitod, fcho best peaches for dessert are being sent from Nelsoii or-Motueka, nnd,any siich are competed for with a groat enthusiasm. Wo are still getting , moderate quantities of apricots from Roxburgh. About itX) cases to-day met with a M'bnderful demand :it 4d to s<l par pound; the condition of wlrioh, considering the distance travelled, and the amount, of .handling -fen.d transhippiijg involved, was'^siinply • ■T-iCi'Vijllbus, and o:iJy.go to show that ■a^areful" picking packing.^iro'-two '•' o:;idiJial points as well--srorth;'culiivat-,'*ng by any oreharctist ;js the trees tiiema&lvos. The high prjee for tomatoc-s, - reported in our Last report, has drawn :«i ilKMOased supply from every iivaiit'.h['.' quarter, but the longer the supjjly tho- higher th-;; price ' goes. Recent sales of Hawke's Bay and Motueka consi^inionfcs reached 11s to 12s for half ■cases i'or ripe, and 8s to 9s for green fruit. There is every indication of the high standard being well maintained. Nectarines' a.re in plentiful supply, and

Jlariy Rivers and Nowboy.are-.amongst tizc loading sorts for dessert, and Gold-r.un-f.>s lor culinory purposes. "Some of t_& lines firs very coars'o and ill-shapea, C'JJOKK' desserts ara fetching 4s to os,

o;£cr;>, ;ii>od ss, wliilo st-owers vary from L's 'J.l to 3k 6d. Plums seen to havft had :•. ratlior sliort run this , season, mul prit t-s are hardening up rapidly. -Blu<*DiumoiKls are eagerly sought after at 4s co os for largo choice, -while 2s Cd to '.'/■■ Gd is rer.dily taken for smaller'and inferior fruit. Good Ogans: make 4s to "ss, seconds 3s to 3s <xl. This pluui is oojtiing into favour at last—a well de-tisri-ed merit too. Prunes make;2s 9d to 4-s, and a few. Burbanks are: still available at 4s to 5s 6d for Jarge, and tin <>d ta 4 -s- for smaller; October- Pinpl-t-s 4s to ss; Pond's Soedlings, 2s 9d to 3s Cd; purple gagGSj 3b, to, 3s Gel; and«r<k'»gaji;es, Gs to 7s'J':'Dessert appk'K at\" scarce,'find in extra h.euv py.demand. !g» ■ • ':■' ■■- - ■ ' ■■■'•':.- '■v--. ""■;'

1 , r W© got1 6s to 7s for half dump.s of Cox's to-day, Ribstons ss. and .Gravensteins os to 6d, equal to 12s ,p6r bushel * Beauty of Bath, '8s to 9s.' 'Cooking apples are very plentiful, and a largo percentage are baUly hail marked, and buyers mistake this for scale, and are shy to purchase, hence- the price being low at 3s -to 4s, and very clean 5s to 6s 6d. v William pears in half dumps are realising 3s 6d to 4s 6d, a higher price for medium sizes, bushels 6s 6d to 7s 6d; Louise-Bons. 3s to 3s 6d in half dumps; cookors, 2s to 3s; other varieties at relative values; Melbourne and Sydney poars, W.8.C., 13s to 16s the bushel. Tho demand is excellent. Messina lemons make 11s to 13s; Island oranges, the first this season, are arriving on Tuesday, and are expected to realise 12s or over; bananas, the market is cleared; Capo gooseberries will realise fabulous rates for early shipments ; blackberries 3® 6d to 4s 9d per bucket, well filled; walnuts, 5s to 7d per lbl Vegetables are about the same as an our last report. The supply is only moderate. Eggs in chaff make Is 6d to Is 8d; crated Is lOd to 2s; dairy butter, 9d perlb. -