NEW YORK MARKET. 99 
stocked. If occasionally prices range low, or re- 
ceipts from the sale of fruits are lessened by some 
exceptional cause, we should not feel discouraged,— 
similar occurrences happen in all branches of trade. 
There are but few merchants or manufacturers who 
have not been compelled, at times, to sell their goods 
below the actual cost. This does not dampen their 
enthusiasm, it rather stimulates their efforts to make 
up for bad seasons. 
The subjoined list of the prices per barrel, for 
which pears were sold in the New York market in 
1866, ’67, °68, I obtained from a responsible fruit 
merchant, who kindly placed his sales books within 
my reach; thus enabling me to get accurate data on 
this important point. These figures also show the 
comparative market value of the leading varieties of 
pears for the last three years. It will be observed 
that the prices for 1868 averaged higher than the 
two preceding years. This was, in a measure, owing 
to a partial failure, both of the peach and pear 
crops, last season, in the Eastern States. Where 
there are three prices per barrel, opposite one variety, 
such as $10 to $16 and $25, the first two apply 
to the main crop, and the third, to choice fruit of 
extra size, or else to a portion held back, until the 
chief supply was out of market. 
