December 22, 1892. ] 
641 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
A S a centre for the disposal of garden produce Covent Garden 
is unquestionably one of the finest markets in the world. 
Apart from its historical connection, which is of no mean interest, 
there is a certain charm about the place if only regarded as a 
great depot for fruit, flowers, vegetables, and evergreens. To the 
ordinary sightseer there may appear to be a sameness about the 
market at all periods of the year, but to a keen observer matters 
are entirely different. As the seasons change, so does the produce 
in Covent Garden Market. There is always something fresh to 
be seen ; there is ever a lesson to be learnt. Day after day, week 
by week, and year by year there is, it is true, the same busy 
scene, and at no time is the market more attractive, or its habitues 
more active, than during the week preceding Christmas. The 
demands for fruit, flowers, and other produce naturally increase 
considerably just prior to the festive season, and to meet the 
requirements of the millions of consumers in the metropolis the 
producers must necessarily increase their consignments accordingly. 
This year is no exception to the rule, and a visit to the market 
early on Tuesday morning, long before the sun had riseD, proved 
both interesting and instructive. 
At an early hour the flower market first commands attention, 
for at no other time can this be seen. Scarcely have the numerous 
residents of the metropolis gone to rest when the flower market 
men commence to be busy. This goes on two or three mornings 
a week, and from as early as three o’clock till seven the scene is of 
the liveliest nature. Men and youths, women and girls, are making, 
or trying to make, bargains, and thousands of pot plants and 
innumerable boxes of cut blooms change hands in a very short 
time. By eight o’clock the most important of the business is 
over, and the majority of buyers have departed from this great 
floral emporium, which at 9 a.m. is closed for the day. It is 
impossible for those who have never seen it to form an adequate 
idea as to its magnitude. It is one of the best and most interesting 
sights of London, and yet, apart from those whose business it is 
to be there, comparatively few people have ever seen it. Imagine 
a vast hall filled to overflowing with banks of flowering and foliage 
plants all in the pink of condition, and myriads of cut blooms 
arranged so as to be seen to the best advantage, and even then one 
can only form a poor idea as to the splendour of this floral scene. 
Palms, neat in habit and of fresh appearance, are sold in 
thousands, and the same may be said of Dracaenas, Ficus elastica, 
Ferns in variety, and other foliaged plants. Of flowering plants 
there are Primulas, Arums, Ericas, Lily of the Valley, Cyclamens, 
White Marguerites, Hyacinths, and Tulips, the majority of the 
latter being in shallow boxes. Poinsettias, too, are well represented, 
and show up splendidly amongst the light coloured flowers. And 
what plants they are ! Not the long straggling leafless specimens that 
are too frequently seen in private gardens, but dwarf and sturdy, 
seldom exceeding 18 inches in height, and carrying brilliant heads 
at least a foot in diameter. The red-berried Solanum capsicastrum 
is a great favourite in the market just now, and may be seen in 
immense numbers and splendid condition. 
Cut flowers are also represented in bulk. Although late, Chrys¬ 
anthemums were fairly numerous, the white and yellow and bronze 
coloured varieties being the most plentiful. These, of course, are 
from home growers, but not so the neat boxes of Tea Roses and 
No. 652.—Vol. NXV.. Third Series. 
Narcissi, that are so conspicuous in the flower market. These, or the 
bulk of them, come from sunnier climes than ours, and find a ready 
sale here. They are carefully packed, and in most cases are as fresh 
as if just cut from the plants. Other cut flowers are Eucharis, 
Gardenias, Camellias, Violets, Bouvardias, Christmas Roses, Lily 
of the Valley, Carnations, and a few Orchids. This concerns the 
flower market proper, which, as already said, closes at 9 a.m., but 
the florists’ shops in the central avenue are open and attractive 
all through the day. 
Turning to the fruit department the visitor finds a similarly 
busy scene. What a babble of tongues ! How bewildering to 
those who look on for the first time ! Thousands of barrels of 
Apples and boxes of Oranges are sold by auctioneers, all shouting 
against each other as if their very life depended upon it, so keen 
is the competition. To those unacquainted with market phraseology 
the words and expressions are unintelligible. But not so to the 
regular buyer. Watch for a moment and see how rapidly 
the bidding goes on ; and quite as quickly the barrels 
and boxes pass out of sight to give place to more. It is a 
significant and regrettable fact, however, that English Apples 
are most conspicuous by their absence. The bulk of the Apples 
now in the market are Baldwins, Newtown Pippins, and other 
American varieties, the best of these selling freely at from 12s. to 
15s. per barrel. Pears did not appear to be so plentiful, a few 
hundred boxes from France and some from California being all 
that were noticeable. Pine Apples, on the other hand, were 
numerous and cheap. These come to hand from Madeira, and are 
sold for 3s, to 6s. each. English Pines are apparently very scarce, 
and good samples of these would doubtless realise remunerative 
prices. Bananas were not so well represented as they are some¬ 
times, though probably the supply is equal to the demand. The 
same may be said of English Grapes, well-grown samples of Gros 
Colman and Muscat of Alexandria being principally seen in the 
leading fruiterers’ shops. The Almerian and other foreign Grapes, 
however, which come to hand packed in baskets of cork dust, are 
numerous, and are sold at cheap rates. Nuts of various kinds 
are to be seen in plenty, with the exception of Kentish Cobs. 
Good samples of these are scarce, and they sell freely at Is. and 
upwards per pound. 
What has been sail in regard to the flowers and fruit applies 
with equal force to vegetables. Here, perhaps, the apparent 
confusion is trebled. This department is not, as the uninitiated 
may suppose, confined to the market proper, but extends to the 
whole of the adjoining streets. These are almost impassable during 
the early morning'hours, so numerous are the heavily ladened vans 
of produce. The trade is carried on briskly, and the competition 
is keen among the sellers ; for soon after daylight at this time of 
the year all must be cleared away to make room for the ordinary 
traffic. Time and space will not permit the enumeration of the 
different kinds of favourite vegetables, but it may be said that in 
this case, as in fruit and flowers, the best produce realises the 
highest prices. 
Perhaps, however, the most striking features in Covent Garden 
Market during the week preceding Christmas are the huge masses 
of evergreens and the thousands of crates of Mistletoe. The trade 
done in these is enormous. Although far removed from the spots 
where such grow naturally, Londoners will not pass a Christmas 
without the customary and time-honoured decorations. Piled vans 
of evergreens of all descriptions are brought into the market, and 
most of the produce is eagerly sought after. The Holly appears to 
be exceptionally well berried this season, and is selling freely. The 
bulk of the Mistletoe comes from Normandy and the other fruit¬ 
growing districts of France, and this, like the Holly, is literally 
covered with berries. If, however, there is any truth in the report 
as recently published in a daily contemporary, that an edict pro¬ 
hibiting the culture of the Mistletoe has been issued by the French 
Government, it is very probable that we shall have to obtain our 
No. 2308.—Vol. LXXXVIL, Old Series. 
