Apples Scarce And High

"I ve been in the apple business for tliirty years," said an old dealer in the vicinity of Washington market, "and I don't remomber that I eversaw all sorts of apples so scarce and high, at this season of the year, as they are now. Yon seo the general erop feil short. In Niágara and Orleans countics, about Rochester, and all upthatway, whereNew York can in most years calcúlate on get t in w a great many good apples, a hard frost killed every blossom in one night. In other places, fortunately, it wasn't qnite so bad, but it was bad enough all over. And now New York is drawing her supply of apples from a wider range of territory than ever beforc to get what she requires, or as near to it as she can. They are coming in considerable quantities from Missouri, out about St. Jo. and that way, and from Illinois, and Michigan, and Canada, and Vermont, and around Lake Champlain, and the St: Lawrence, and the middle of the State of New York. About the best come from the Lake Champlain región this year. They are generally Spitzenbergs, Baldwins, Greenings, and Gillyflowers. The pretty little Snow apples come mostly from Canada, and somo from northern New York. The best Kings, the most delightful apple for taste just now, we get from Tompkins county, but they are a general favorite, and are grown all over the country. Saratoga and Albany counties and the Thousand Islands have thrown in a good many nice apples this year of almost all sorts yon can name. ' 'As for prices, they are away up, and are going to be clear beyend the reach of a írood manv ueonle bef ore np.xt. spring. They should not be worth more ïiow than 2 to $2.50 a barrel, the latter the outsidc price - except for very prime fancy fruit. But thej are. Baldwins, Greenings, aad Gillyflowers are worth 4 a barrel; Snows, $5, and Spitzonbergs and Kings, $5 to 7, according to size and quality. That, you understand, is in small lots of say ten to twenty barrels. The retailer expects to makc from 50 to 75 cents a barrel on that, selling by tho quart and peck, and so on, in stores, and when they are worked off singly or by twos and threes from strMt stands, that profit may be doubled at least. "But, talking about high prices, look at tho Ncwtown Pippins. Choice prime ones packed for export to Europe are worth $20 a barrel, and by spring thoy will be np to nobody knows wherc, for they are scarce. I have never seen them higher but once. That was during the War, in 18G3 or 1864 I think, when they ran up to 825 a barrel. And Baldwins' then were worth 14. Another apple that is getting to be high in the spring is tho Northern Spy. You have got to keep them until spring to bring out their virtues, and then they stand away up, if not quite at the head. Last spring they sold for $9 a barrel, and this coming spring they will be worth much more, I have no doubt, unless people stop buying apples altogether, which I don't suppose they will, for thcro's always a sort of folks who will have what they want. no matter what it costs. And if there's anything aman shov.ld humor himself in it is a good apple, It is not only a delicious but a most healthful thiug. If people would eat an apple or two each before breakfast every day, they would prolong theiv lives more than they have any idea of, and : good many doctors would have to walk who now ridc in thcir carriages. It's fnnny how people in tropical climates love apples. l've seen them in South America and tho West India Islands pay ten cents each, gladly, for apples not worth more than a cent apiece here, when right alongside of them fine oranges went a-begging at about ten cents a dozen. But do j7ou know that they have down there, in some parts, a banana that they cali the manzana, or apple banana, the flavor and perfume of which is exactly that of a delicious ripe apple? I'vo never seen them here at all. The most of the bananas that come here are what they know in the tropics as burro, or jackass bananas, biT, navorless things."