78 
THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. 
November 4. 
to be made for such remarks coming from such quarters, 
for there is certainly never any appearance of scarcity 
in our markets; and we know frequent instances where 
country produce is poured into Eondon, and sold to be 
transmitted to the country again. 
We have been led to make these remarks, that our 
readers may understand how it is we always speak of a 
“ plentiful supply.” It is an expression which we might 
as well discontinue; for whenever an article is in sea¬ 
son, here it is sure to be. It matters not how scarce it 
may be elsewhere, it is safe to find its way to this great 
whirlpool of consumption, and that, too, in such quan¬ 
tities as would at first appear almost incredible to 
those who are unacquainted with such matters. Walk¬ 
ing along Piccadilly one evening, a year or two ago, in 
company with a friend from the northern provinces, we 
met one of those immense four-wheeled waggons, drawn 
by three horses, and laden with lettuces, on its way to 
Covent Garden. My friend was attracted by w'hat was 
to him an unusual sight, and after wondering first at 
the quantity, and then at . the ingenious architect who 
could build a load of lettuces as high above the sides 
of the waggon, as the sides of the waggon were above 
the ground, he asked, “ Is that all one man’s growth ? ” 
We were, of course, a little amused at the question, 
which wo answered by pointing his attention a few 
hundred yards further, where there were two more 
such waggons of the same article, and “ all one man’s 
growth,” and such was this “one man’s” contribution 
in this one article every market-day during the lettuce 
season. But this was only one man’s. How many 
more such waggons passed along Piccadilly that same 
evening, on the same errand, we could not undertake to 
say ; and how many more passed along a dozen of the 
other great metropolitan approaches, we are afraid to 
say. And thus it is in proportion witli all other garden 
produce. 
Hui'ing the past week, then, the supply both of fruit 
and vegetables has been plentiful. Api’les continue 
to advance in price since last week’s quotations. Blen¬ 
heim Pipinns are very fine, handsome, and highly 
coloured; when fully matured by keeping, they will, 
after assuming their yellow hue, bo very beautilul. 
Some of them brought from 7s. (id. to 8s. per bushel. 
Ribston Pippins have also been very fine, and made 8s. 
We were rather surprised to see a parcel of Golden 
Knobs so early; the usual time for them to make their 
appearance being about Chilstmas. Kentish Broadend, 
a good kitchen apple for present use, was sold at 4s. 
and 5s. per bushel. In the centre arcade, we found 
the first e.xposition of imported Newtoivn Pippins, 
and the Ladij Apph —both from America. We shall 
have to remark upon these on a future occasion. 
Fearn’s Pippnn is abundant; and there are a few 
Golden Reinettes. Some small Fjviperor Alexanders 
tried to introduce themselves as Ribston Pippins; but 
notwithstanding their very elegant card and gay exte¬ 
rior the hoax was too apparent. Such stratagems 
won’t do; wo would ratlier have the genuine article from 
the apple-woman’s tray, with its “ Ribsone Pippings” 
on a piece of dirty whity-brown, than patronize such i 
dishonest attempts. In Pears wo have nothing new | 
to notice in addition to what has been stated in former ! 
reports. Beurre Gapiaumont continues plentiful, of fine ' 
quality, and some very beautiful, suggesting, by tlieir 
fine, glowing, clear orange-russet coat, the adoption of 
one of its other names — Aurore. Duchess d'Angoulcme is 
fine and tempting. Marie Louise good and handsome ; 
and Beurre Bose rich and melting. These constitute 
the principal of the choice varieties; there are, however, 
several other inferior orchard varieties, which it would 
be neither pleasant nor profitable to enumerate. There 
have been some very fine hothouse Grapes offered 
during the week, as Black Hamlntrghs, Muscats, and 
White Frontignacs, the prices varying from Is. Od. to 
Cs. per pound. 
Of Vegetables we have nothing to say beyond what 
we stated last week ; prices are the same, and there is 
nothing new in the supply. Potatoes have bad a bad 
sale during the week, in consequence of an unusually 
great supply brought by the Great Northern Railway, 
so that while last week Regents made from T7 to T8 per 
ton, this week they have with difficulty made ^5 to 
T5 1 Os. This is a common occurrence in our markets; 
a sudden rise invariably produces a great arrival, and 
tlie supply being greater than the demand, salesmen, 
to save demurrage on vessels, railway trucks, &c., must 
force a sale, and so the markets fall. 
Cut Flowers consist of Camellias, Scarlet Geraniums, 
Ileliotrogies, Fuehsias, Roses, Cbierarias, Violets, Ver¬ 
benas, and Ceanothus azureus. By way of giving our 
friends in the country the modes as regards the arrange¬ 
ment of bouquets, we shall, from time to time, furnish 
descriptions of any which strike us as being jmrticularly 
chaste or elegant. One, from its simplicity and beauty, 
attracted our notice during the past week. It was of 
the usual size, viz., about eight inches in diameter. The 
centre was a double White Camellia, round which were 
arranged a double Red Camellia, and a bunch of double 
Blue Violets alternately, to the number of six in all; 
the bunches of Violets being of the same size as the 
double Red Camellia; between the Violets and the 
Camellias on the outer margin, was a spike of Migne- 
nette, and the whole fringed round with leaves of the 
Rose-scented Geranium. Next week we shall give some 
more illustrations. H. 
GOSSIP 
The value of Orchids is still well-sustained, for at a 
sale of an old-established private collection of them on 
the 22nd of October, by Mr. Stevens, at his auction 
rooms in King Street, Covent Garden, tlie following 
prices were realised;— Aerides quinquevulnerum, T1414s.; 
Lclia superbiens, a fine specimen, £ L; Coelogyne cristata, a 
large and beautiful plant, TS 5s.; Dcndrohiuniformosurn, 
healthy and noble jilant, with eight flowering bulbs, j 
.=6 LI 10s.; Dendrohium albo-sanguineum, fine specimen, ' 
T7 15s.; PhaUenopsis grandijlora, a splendid plant, ; 
El 3 10s.; Vanda teres, & very large plant, E7; Saeco- j 
