512 Covent Garden Market. 



Observations. — The prices stated in the list are those of the preceding 

 fortnight ; the differences during June have been too considerable to admit 

 of being determined with any degree of accuracy ; occasionally affected 

 for a day by the excessive wet preventing a supply, and again fluctuating 

 from the opposite cause. — July 10. 1830. 



July 14. Since my last report, the season has been unfavourable for ripen- 

 ing the various fruits that have, nevertheless, come to hand. Strawberries 

 have been of bad quality and flavour generally. The crop has not been so 

 large as was expected, in consequence of frosts prevailing during the time of 

 flowering ; many were also rotted and destroyed by slugs as they ripened : the 

 earliest varieties brought to market this season were, the Old Scarlet and 

 Keen's Seedling, both of which were brought from the open ground on the 

 22d of May. Gooseberries have been brought in great abundance, the crop 

 being very generally good : the large Lancashire varieties, owing to the pre- 

 valence of moisture throughout the month of June, are now very large and 

 fine, but deficient in flavour. Currants are in fan- supply, but not so plenti- 

 ful as last season ; the bunches are much injured by the frosts so prevalent in 

 April : the berries are, nevertheless, large and fine, owing to the same causes 

 mentioned regarding the gooseberries. Pears are, in general, a good crop, 

 but have not yet been brought to market in any quantity. Apples are partial, 

 particularly in the London districts, where the earlier varieties are generally 

 obtained ; the crop farther off is better, but not equal to a third of last sea- 

 son. Plums are much better in all their varieties, which will make up for 

 the deficiency of supply in early table-apples, and keep our market tolerably 

 well furnished throughout the months of August and September; after 

 which, apples and pears will be sent from greater distances, as by that time 

 they will better bear the carriage ; and fair prices will, doubtless, afford the 

 growers a remuneration for then' expenses, which was not the case last year, 

 when the greater proportion of common apples were converted into cider, 

 in consequence of the very low prices barely covering cost of carriage and 

 incidental charges. The crop of wall-fruit, such as peaches, nectarines, 

 apricots, and grapes, is tolerably good; but, from the great want of solar 

 heat, is very backward, and will require a long continuance of the present 

 fine weather to bring it to perfection. For the table, melons have been 

 produced earlier this season than might have been expected from its back- 

 wardness. Pine-apples have been furnished in good supply and quality ; 

 but, owing to the putting off of many public dinner-parties during the time 

 of the late king's illness, have not been in demand. Grapes have latterly 

 been plentiful and reasonable. In general, the supply of fruits may be con- 

 sidered quite equal to the demand, its consumption being materially dimi- 

 nished by the total absence of sun and warmth during the whole of the last, 

 and the early part of the present month. Early peas have not been so 

 plentiful as usual, in consequence of the prevalence of wet, which, although 

 it increases the luxuriance of the haulm, lessens its' fruitfulness ; in 

 many cases, the pods have rotted before being gathered, and in no case 

 have the peas yielded the usual quantities. The later varieties are now in 

 good supply, but have been subjected to the same deterioration as the ear- 

 lier : the incoming crops are expected to be much improved by the present 

 favourable appearance in the weather. Windsor and other table-beans are 

 not so abundant as usual, the late wet season having materially affected 

 them during the time of blossoming : the pods are to be found on the top 

 of the stems, where the blossom is necessarily more exposed to the action 

 of the atmosphere. Cauliflowers, although later than usual, have been 

 abundant, and the prices, consequently, low for a short period j but they are 

 gradually getting higher, a difference in value, from 9d. to 3s. per dozen, 

 having actually taken place between the 24th of June and 21st of July. 

 Potatoes have become very plentiful and cheap, being very much increased 

 in bulk by the continued rains throughout June : the quality indifferent. 



