546 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 28, 1389. 
because retail florists find they command a more ready sale and at 
a higher price, owing to their better colour and firmer texture. 
Other Roses are also fairly numerous. Chrysanthemums are still 
in much request and abundant supply, white incurved and Japanese 
predominating, but yellow and bronze Japanese are also in demand. 
Christmas Roses (Hellebores), Yiolets, Bouvardias, Lily of the 
Yalley, Pelargoniums, Azaleas, Eucharis, Gardenias, Tuberoses, 
double Primulas, Carnations, Roman Hyacinths, and Paper White 
Narciss, Mignonette, Orchids (Dendrobiums, Odontoglossums, 
Cypripediums, Laelias, and Zygopetalums chiefly) are the prin¬ 
cipal flowers, and some of these are seen in very large quantities ; 
but Poinsettia heads are much valued, and sell at as much as 
Is. 6d. or 2s. each. They are used rather extensively for table 
decoration, and large orders are received for them. They require 
very careful packing, however, a piece of cotton wool being usually 
placed in the centre of the head, and the bracts tied upwards over 
this, and surrounded by a large piece of wool to prevent the bracts 
being damaged. A number of heads can then be packed closely 
together in small compass, and keep well. It is common to dip the 
ends of the stems in hot water to prevent the milky sap oozing 
out, but another method has been found a good one—namely, 
searing the ends of the stem with a hot iron. 
In the florists’ shops of the central avenue are found some of 
the most tasteful Combinations of the flowers at command imagin¬ 
able—bouquets, wreaths, buttonholes, sprays, baskets, crosses, in 
fact every form in which flowers are employed. Many an excellent 
lesson may there be learned in the art of floral decoration, as the 
most experienced hands are constantly engaged upon the work, and 
the taste of the great refined has to be studied. The left hand 
corner sketch shows a portion of one of the shops (Mr. Dickson’s). 
White flowers are largely used for the various purposes at this 
season, and Christmas Roses are in great favour for wreaths and 
crosses. A soft grey lichen is a favourite just now as the base, 
and very beautiful the Hellebore or Eucharis flowers look upon 
this with a little foliage. Dark Roses are also in much demand for 
buttonholes, but never too abundant. Yiolets, however, make up 
for any deficiency, and Bouvardias furnish some useful colour for 
bouquets and sprays. 
A small treatise could be written upon the Christmas fruit 
supplies, for this department is a scene of special activity. The 
spacious Floral Hall is now devoted almost exclusively to the auction 
sales of fruit, and there during the past week have been huge piles 
of barrels and boxes of all descriptions containing Pears from 
France ; Apples from America; Pine Apples, Bananas, and Oranges 
from various regions. The Pears merely come in shallow boxes 
and are nearly all labelled “ Doyenne ” and Duchesse,” but the 
varieties are occasionally somewhat mixed. The American and 
Canadian Apple barrels are now familiar objects, and many 
thousands of these have changed hands within the past few days. 
Newtown Pippins are in most demand, but Baldwins are the most 
abundant, cheaper, and are liked by many for their colour. It is 
strange to note in passing through the other market how few good 
samples of English Apples are seen ; these, however, fetch sub¬ 
stantial prices. The Pine Apples arrive in boxes somewhat like 
Orange cases; they are cut with a good stem attached, the crown 
and this being secured to cross pieces, so that the fruit is kept 
steady in one position. Cheap Pine Apples are now one of the 
features of the market, for grand fruits can be purchased for 6s. 
or 7s., as good as English grown samples that only a few years ago 
realised 30s. each at Christmas time, and good fruits can be had as 
low as 3s. In Madeira and neighbouring islands Pine Apple culture 
has been greatly extended of late, and we are not now dependent 
upon West Indian supplies for imported fruits. Most of these 
in the Western Isles are grown under glass, and consequently are 
thoroughly ripened. The Bananas are sent in somewhat conical 
deep baskets of split bamboos, one bunch in each basket, and these 
tco “ go ” at moderate prices ; in fact, fruits are retailed in some of 
the shops at Gd. a dozen, which at one time, not so long since, 
would have brought as many shillings. Oranges, of course, consti¬ 
tute an important Christmas supply. They are in many varieties, 
the Jaffa, the St. Michael's, the Mandarines and Tangierines pre¬ 
dominating. The former come in large cases, the latter in small, 
neat, shallow boxes, each fruit wrapped in gold or silver paper, 
and having a very ornamental appearance. When half a dozen 
auctioneers, each attended by a huudred or more probable pur¬ 
chasers, the Floral Hall is a perfect Babel, shouts of sellers, 
buyers, and attendants, the rapid opening of barrels by herculean 
porters armed with axes, and the general commotion of arrival and 
removal constitute something that is quite indescribable. 
Grapes, chiefly Gros Colman and Muscat of Alexandria, are in¬ 
cluded in the shops, average samples of the latter realising 7s. or 
8s. per lb., the best being proportionally higher. Some consign¬ 
ments of Easter Beurre Pears from California look promising, but 
we have seen some unpacked in very bad condition. Pomeloes, 
Litchees, Custard Apples, and Mangoes are amongst the tropical 
fruits that occasionally find their way on to British tables, and all 
have been in the market during the past week. Nuts appear to be 
abundant, but they are scarcely equal to the demand, and prices rule 
high for good Walnuts and Cob Nuts. Barcelonas, Chestnuts, 
Almonds, and Brazils are abundant and good. 
Concerning the vegetable supplies little need be said, as they 
are of the ordinary wdnter character, except perhaps that Brussels 
Sprouts are more in demand, and good samples have been the rule. 
It may have occurred to some who visit horticultural shows that 
considerable taste is frequently displayed in the arrangement of 
vegetables in competition, and very bright effects are produced in 
large classes. Yegetables have, however, recently been utilised for 
a very novel purpose—namely, the decoration of a dinner table, 
and the result was so satisfactory that it will probably soon 
find some imitators. During the recent visit of the Prince of 
Wales to Easton Lodge, Dunmow, Lady Brooke suggested an 
experiment of this kind, which was carried out by Mr. H. Lister 
to the entire satisfaction of all, including the Prince. Only small 
neat samples were employed, and as many bright colours introduced 
as possible, vegetables being exclusively employed. The idea is 
worthy of mention now when novelty is so eagerly sought in such 
matters. 
What may be termed the miscellaneous special supplies consist 
mainly of Holly, which, by the way, is neither abundant nor good \ 
evergreens of various kinds, and the indispensable Mistletoe. The 
last-named has given the auctioneers plenty of work lately, as the 
crates have arrived in piled-up vanloads, and have been disposed of 
in several thousands at each sale, the average from 7s. to 10s. each, 
the crates being 4 or 5 feet square, and closely packed with Mistle¬ 
toe, the value depending upon the quantity of berries to some 
extent. Much of this comes from France, chiefly from Normandy 
and adjoining district?. “ Christmas trees ” (Abies) also arrive in 
immense numbers, and a sketch of one of the “ forests ” has been 
caught and shown at the lower part of the illustration. Most of 
these have been rather ruthlessly torn from the ground, are devoid 
of roots, and are not intended to survive the festivities of the 
season. 
Altogether Covent Garden Market is a wonderful emporium, 
and an hour can be profitably spent at this season in inspecting its 
stores. 
AMERICAN BLACKBERRIES. 
Have you not made a jumble on the above subject ? If 
“ South Wales’ ” remarks were meant strictly to apply to the 
American Brambles I fancy he is about the mark ; but if he in¬ 
cludes the Parsley-leaved Bramble then he is decidedly wrong in 
supposing no good oropsare grown. There are many places where 
this variety is grown to perfection, where the fruit is gathered by 
the hundredweight, and it is certainly his own fault if lie has 
failed to grow and fruit this variety well. But then it is, I believe, 
not an American but an English-raised variety, and so he may 
purposely have omitted it, though this is not likely, as it is always 
called American. Your hit at him on page 509 is very good, but of 
