PROCEEDINGS OP THE WINTER MEETING. 33 



one in each pocket and went home. The markets in England were very- 

 full of fat stock, in the finest condition, very carefully attended and treated 

 as though pets. Market days are set so as to alternate in neighboring 

 towns, three days in each week. The stock are carefully led or carried to 

 the markets, and the people are clad cleanly, the men all wearing collars, 

 and seem to take pride in going. There is a less variety in the markets 

 than in our own, but there is much less of inferior goods. On down to 

 London we found the market places very much alike, being simply a 

 widened street or at four corners. At all of them there were plenty of 

 snap games with which to get the countrymen's money. 



The great market of England, at London, is most interesting. It is 

 held on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday of each week. Here there is 

 great bustling, no courtesy, much quarreling, but no police. The market 

 men prefer to have none, but to settle their quarrels themselves. The 

 packages used are clumsy, largely made of willow, and all things are sold 

 by the pound. This is the Covent Garden market — Convent, originally, 

 having been established in 1560, when it was known as the Westminster 

 market. The fruits, vegetables, flowers, etc., are kept in separate parts of 

 the market, and there is not the least effort in display of the wares, or at 

 least no taste is shown in this direction, even with the fruits and flowers. 

 Quality only is relied upon for effecting a sale. When we returned to 

 London in the fall, we found American apples, both from the United 

 States and Canada, the latter greatly superior. Ours were all poorly 

 packed. If we expect to make anything from our fruit in foreign markets, 

 we must improve our methods very much. Kings and Baldwins sold for 

 $4.25 per barrel, but were retailed by the hucksters at the rate of $12. In 

 July all the peaches in this market were from France, except those grown 

 in hot-houses in England, the former selling at from 12 to 35 cents per 

 pound. While we were there some California peaches came in, and the 

 next day the French fruit was down to 3 and 4 cents. The California 

 fruit was ten times as good as the French, and it was in perfect condition. 

 Grapes were attractive, but poor in quality, having been grown under 

 glass, and were very inferior to the French Sweetwater grapes, yet they 

 sold at a higher price. Dukes and lords grew these hv'.t-house grapes, and 

 were proud to be known as farmers. A grapevine at Hampton Court had 

 on it 1,200 pounds of grapes when I was there. It was -of the Black 

 Hamburg variety. The loads carried by the wagons in these English 

 markets were tremendous. Cabbages were piled up till they were in size 

 like our loads of loose hay. But the roads are like floors, and these great 

 loads were not a severe tax upon the strength of the horses. From the 

 opening of Covent Garden market, till 9:30 o'clock, the trade is wholesale. 

 After that the retailers take their places. But one could get single baskets 

 of produce from the wholesalers. The bananas, oranges, and lemons 

 offered here were nowhere nearly equal to our own. The bananas were 

 grown in some of the eastern countries. Men carry enormous loads upon 

 their heads, from the wholesalers' trucks to their retailers' donkey carts. 

 The big wagons extend outside the market and down the street, side by 

 side, half a mile or more, and one can not go till all go. 



In Holland the markets are very different from these in England. The 

 people are more cordial in their treatment of strangers and of one another, 

 and all are courteous. In Botterdam we found an annual market, the 

 people bringing great loads of odds and ends, spending several days and 

 having a good time. Citizens of the place were there in goodly numbers, 

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