Jane U, 1888.] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
431 
S OME -weeks ago it ivas proposed by Mr. Howard, of Southgate, 
that an evening Fete should be held in the Covent Garden Flower 
Market for the benefit of the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund, and as the 
idea at once received the hearty support of the Committee, the 
market authorities, and the growers, the project speedily developed 
into one of considerable importance. By arranging the Fete for 
Wednesday evening, the Gth inst., it was only necessary for the 
market growers who occupy the 370 stands for plants and flowers 
"to bring in their -wares an hour or two earlier than usual, the 
following being a market morning. This they readily agreed to 
do, and they entered into the spirit of the idea with most com¬ 
mendable energy, arranging their plants as effectively as possible 
-upon the formal stages devoted to that purpose. No charge was 
-made for admission, but large numbers of tickets were distributed 
free, and collecting boxes were placed at intervals throughout the 
building, to which the visitors voluntarily contributed, and it is 
highly satisfactory to learn that a sum of £227 was thus collected, 
including a handsome gift of £100 from the Duke of Bedford. 
When the Market was opened to the visitors at 9 p.m. it pre¬ 
sented a novel and brilliant spectacle, and never has this portion of 
Covent Garden been seen under such favourable circumstances. 
Hvery available space was filled with flowering plants of the richest 
■and most varied colours, with groups of Ferns at intervals to 
relieve the preponderating brightness, and if it had been possible to 
obtain a general view of the whole market at once it would have 
had a wonderful effect. There were six avenues between the 
stands besides the end avenues, and each of these was a floral ex¬ 
hibition of a remarkable character, for the growers had not only 
brought freely from their stores, but they had also brought some 
of the best examples of their cultural skill. Beautiful and in¬ 
teresting as this Market always is, its appearance on ordinary 
occasions was far surpassed at the Orphan Fete, and it was esti¬ 
mated that the total value of the produce was something like 
£10,000, which must be considerably above the average. Buyers, 
no doubt, recognised their chances, and a most successful sale was 
held the following morning, nearly the whole of the enormous 
quantity of plants and flowers being cleared out before 9 a.m. on 
Thursday. 
The Fete was visited by some thousands of persons, including 
many of the nobility, and the avenues were so densely crowded for 
two hours that locomotion was exceedingly difficult, and it was 
impossible until after that time to take a leisurely survey of the 
Market. The discomfort was partly caused by having two en¬ 
trances' near together, the streams of people converging into a 
third avenue a short distance from the doors, which for some time 
occasioned a rather serious block. In other respects the arrange¬ 
ments had been carefully made, the Market was well lighted, and 
an excellent band was provided, so that, with the exception of the 
crowding, the visitors could spend a pleasant hour in traversing the 
half dozen alleys or avenues through banks of plants and flowers. 
The stands are upright wooden erections with three broad 
shelves, and all these, including the ground space in front, were 
closely packed with the specialties of the various growers ; masses 
of the brightest scarlet Pelargonium alternating with golden 
Calceolarias, graceful Fuchsias, and the bluest of Lobelias, from 
which the eye turned with relief to cool fresh banks of Ferns or 
No. 41G. — VoL. XVI., Thibd Sehies. 
Palms, the elegant fragrant Lilium candidum, or what was clearly 
in the majority, the Marguerites, or varieties of the Chrysanthemum 
frutesccns. The latter constituted the most conspicuous plants in the 
Market, and it was surprising to see such fine healthy bushes covered 
with their white flowers in 48-size pots, while some specimens in a 
somewhat larger size assumed quite arboreal proportions. There is 
no question about the popularity of the Marguerites, and an enor¬ 
mous number must bo grown, smaller plants than those named 
being employed in thousands for the window boxes of houses in 
the West End of London. 
Pelargoniums of the Zonal, Show, and Decorative varieties were 
magnificent, and very rarely can these plants, especially of the 
last-named type, be seen so well grown as those brought into 
Covent Garden for sale at this time of year. They are grown on 
the rapid principle, for no time can be lost in market gardens, the 
space and labour are too costly, but the plants are sturdy, compact, 
vigorous examples, with dense heads of large richly or delicately 
coloured flowers, such as will endure the conveyance to market and 
some rough usage in the house decoration for which they are mostly 
purchased. Few- varieties are grown, but these are selected for 
their combination of good qualities. Clear well marked colours! 
substantial durable flowers, and co.mpact habit, are the points 
looked after, the finer qualities that commend themselves to the 
florists cannot be regarded. 
Hydrangeas afforded another feature, the plants having huge 
heads of pink or blue flowers, over a foot in diameter, in small 
pots like the Marguerites, most telling in groups of foliage plants, 
and useful for the decoration of recesses in rooms. In marked 
contrast to these were the graceful specimens of Saxifraga pjma- 
midalis, which were admirably represented on the F^te night, and 
this plant has evidently become a great favourite within recent 
years. The majority of those sent to the Market had many 
branched conical panicles of small white flowers, 2 feet or more 
high, arising from a neat rosette of leaves, 60 and 48-pots being 
the sizes employed. A year or two since much attention was called 
to these plants by the groups sent from the Royal Horticultural 
Society’s gardens at Chiswick to the South Kensington meetings, 
and under the name of S. nepalensis it is also occasionally seen in 
gardens. As an easily grown plant of exceptional beauty at this 
time of year it is worth the attention of all who have large con¬ 
servatories to fill, and it is abundant in nurseries now. 
Charming little bush Heaths of tie Erica ventricosa varieties 
were numerous, Roses in pots, Pansies of surprising size. Spiraeas 
and Petunias, all occupied considerable space. Rhodanthes in 
thousands and Lilies comprised the chief of the plants in pots, 
but there were a few groups of a choicer character, consisting 
of Ferns and Orchids, for some of the latter plants have now 
become recognised as possessing “ market value ” amongst some 
purveyors. 
One of the characters of market plants that strikes a horticul¬ 
turist who seldom visits Covent Garden is the uniformity of quality 
prevailing. Inferior produce has no chance of commanding a sale, 
and growers soon find that out. The most successful are those who 
have taken up the culture of any class of plants coming into 
popularity, and gia’ing them their best care, have made them 
specialties, at once commanding the attention of buyers. The 
selection or raising of improved varieties has also helped some men 
considerably, while throughout good culture is essential. There is 
no room for the laggards and the lazy, it is a smart contest betaveen 
wits and energy in market aamrk. 
The cut flowers included hundreds of boxes of Roses, Irises, 
Forget-me-nots, Pelargoniums, &c., but as might be imagined the 
effective portion of the display depended mainly upon the plants 
in pots. 'Ihe cross avenues, which are open on ordinary market 
days, were closed avith groups of large Palms and Ferns, and in 
the recesses so formed were the collecting boxes, presided over by 
twenty-eight young ladies who had volunteered their services in 
No. 2072.—VOL. LXXVIII., Cld Seeies. 
