8 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
September 4, 1886. 
AUCTION SALES AT COVENT 
GARDEN. 
“Draper’s sellin’, Draper’s sellin’ ” yells a young 
fellow as he rapidly threads his way amongst the 
multifarious packages piling the floor of Covent Garden 
Market. Mr. Draper is one of a firm of fruit brokers, de¬ 
voting themselves to the sale of foreign imports only. 
The sound of a hammer rapped in quick succession guides 
the would-be buyer to their stand, which is situated in 
what is known as the “ Long Market,” as distinguished 
from the “ Apple Market ” on the north of the Central 
Arcade, and the “Short Market” fronting the church 
of which Inigo Jones was the architect, and beneath 
whose broad portico many an early bird takes his ‘ 1 forty 
winks ” just before dawn. If all Covent Garden were 
as well lighted and as spick and span as the Long 
Market, there would probably be less public abuse 
heaped by Mr. Punch and others upon that institution. 
Ten or a dozen years ago it was roofed with iron and 
glass, and made weather-tight, and it is a satisfactory 
thing to know that his Grace the Duke of Bedford, has 
it in contemplation to provide both the Apple and the 
Short Market with a similar roofing, which will be a 
great improvement. 
Attracted by the rapping of the hammer, a miscel¬ 
laneous throng gathers about- the auctioneer’s stand, 
which consists of a long elevated desk furnishing 
accommodation for four persons. Affixed to it are little 
boards having thereon the names of the auctioneers ; 
and there is also a large slate notifying that cases, 
baskets, pads, and barrels of fruit just arrived in the 
Thames will be offered for sale. There is also a placard 
of the “ conditions,” which set forth that a deposit, of 
£2 is required on lots of £5, and of £1 on lots under 
that sum. Goods are to be removed at purchaser’s risk, 
with all defects of marks, quality, and inaccurate des¬ 
cription. Balances of cash are payable in coin or Bank 
of England notes ; in cases of dispute the lot is to be 
put up again ; and lastly the auctioneer reserves the 
right to refuse the bidding of any defaulting or ob¬ 
jectionable person. Underneath the auctioneer’s pulpit 
is a broad ledge or counter, behind which stand 
two white smocked men, each armed with an iron 
■wrench. In front and around, standing on forms and 
packing cases, and even perched upon lofty tiers of 
fruit boxes, so as to occupy a commanding position, 
the buyers station themselves. 
The Sale begins. 
Business speedily commences, and the bewildered 
stranger presently hears something like the following:— 
“Now then, five long cases of Pears, ten in a lot, 
first bid, 3s. 6d. ; 3s. 6tf. bid, 3s. 6 d. bid ; 4s., any 
advance on 4s., any advance on 4s. ; 4s. 9d., 4s. 9 d. in 
two places, 4s. 9 d. bid ; 5s. (rap). Ten more, last 
buyer (rap) ; ten more, ditto, ten more, ditto ; ten 
more, last buyer. Away with ’em. Next lot. Large 
cases of Walnuts, ten in a lot, 3s., Robinson, Thomp¬ 
son, Jacobs ; last buj r er, 3s. (rap) ; ten more, 3s. 3d., 
ten more, 3s. 3s., ten more, ditto (rap, rap, rap). Two 
boxes of Peaches, marked 40 extra, 2s. These are 
extra, gentlemen, two lots, eight and seven.” 
This does not proceed simply from one man for all 
four occupants of the desk, together with the package- 
openers, engage in the hubbub, and sometimes all four 
join in chorus. The reason for this is not at first 
intelligible, but the explanation rests in the fact that 
whilst only one man has the hammer it is the task of 
the other three, including the booking clerk, to discover 
the bidders, and to shout out their advances. Thus all 
four may simultaneously notice a bid and publish it in 
a united bellow. The four pair of eyes sweep the 
crowd. A gentleman of military aspect, with arms 
crossed, will scrutinise one half of it; the auctioneer 
will follow his example in the centre, his other colleague 
will take the remainder, and the clerk looking up from 
his book will drop in at unexpected moments upon 
buyers in the same way. The latter has not much 
leisure for it whenever bidding is brisk ; and, some¬ 
times the hammer falls and rises to fall again con¬ 
tinuously. The rapidity with which hundreds of parcels 
are knocked down is surprising. Yery little breathing 
time is allowed. Mistakes are, of course, inevitable, 
but the more serious are avoided by the buyers calling 
out “How many does that make?” and the clerk 
shouts back again the total number of packages which 
have been knocked down to the enquirer. Fractional 
differences as to price when they occur are generally 
settled by comparison with the values of similar lots, 
but on the whole there is seldom a necessity for the 
salesman and buyer to disagree. Rough and ready 
though the system of sale is, it seems to be effectual. 
Buying in Silence. 
It will have been observed that the buyers appear to 
take almost a silent part in the business so far as 
bidding aloud is concerned. Lots may be sold one after 
the other without a clue as to the identity of the pur¬ 
chaser ; names are only given when there is room for 
any doubt. Indeed, purchasers seem to distrust the 
sound of their own voices, or perhaps they wish to 
conceal from their neighbours what they are doing. If 
they wish to make an advance they signify it by 
holding up their fingers, or in a variety of mute ways 
perfectly familiar to the eagle eyes of the auctioneers, 
but not so easily discoverable to the observation of the 
public. Hence, it follows, that an auctioneer knows 
every accustomed buyer, and can immediately detect 
the presence of a stranger. These buyers are dealers, 
who buy goods in London to despatch to provincial 
markets, speculators, greengrocers, and costermongers. 
The Jewish element is strong. Chaff is not very 
plentiful, nor very witty ; but on the other hand there 
is a minimum of bad language, except under provo¬ 
cation, such as when a corner of a box is jammed into 
a person’s eye. Boxes or cases carried on the heads of 
licensed porters are always on the move, giving the 
heaps of packages the appearance of their being alive, 
for the porter is more or less hidden by them as he runs 
in and out the alleys which are formed. 
Selling by Samrle. 
All foreign fruit is sold from the sample. Two pack¬ 
ages taken at haphazard are roughly opened in sight of 
the buyers. If their inspection of these two is not 
satisfactory, then two more are ordered up. Purchasers 
are assisted in their judgment by an intimate know¬ 
ledge of the marks. These marks represent the several 
French packers or growers. The English buyer does 
not stop to enquire who “ P. H. ” is ; it is sufficient for 
him to know that “ P. H. ” sends good Pears to market 
well packed. As a rule the coster dislikes to see any 
great quantity of paper shavings in a box. He calls it 
“fluff,” and he imagines it is put in it to hide short¬ 
comings. One seldom sees a buyer handle a sample ; 
but he takes the word of the package-opener that a case 
of Pears somewhat “gone” at the top “are all right 
underneath.” 
Sale Days. 
There are eight or nine firms who sell by auction in 
this manner, and it may happen that as many as four 
auctions are proceeding together, two in the Long 
Market and two others in the Apple Market. When 
such is the case, the confusion of the whole business to 
the uninitiated is quadrupled. It is a veritable Babel. 
These sales are not held before ten a.m., and, generally, 
they do not take place on market days—Tuesday, 
Thursday and Saturday—when English fruit pours in 
abundantly. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Thurs¬ 
days, however, great quantities of Paris fruit are dis¬ 
posed of at Covent Garden—much more than meets the 
eye of the public. It is only possible approximately to 
estimate the extent of this importation, as no distinction 
is made in the returns between home-grown and 
foreign fruit ; but the great bulk of the trade has 
sprung up during the last ten.years, chiefly owing to 
improvement of the means of communication by land 
as well as by sea. The market toll of ^d. per bushel 
is payable only upon stuff brought into Covent Garden, 
and the amount of the toll does not represent the 
aggregate sales. For instance, on a recent occasion 
over 39,000 bushels were entered in one day—-rather a 
heavy average ; but the actual sales covered a much 
greater quantity. A ship may be in the Thames with 
a cargo of Apples ; a lot of one hundred barrels is 
brought to market, sold by auction, and the price for 
the whole is thus determined, so that the Apples may 
be sent into the provinces without coming to Covent 
Garden at all. It is fortunate that it can be managed 
in this way, for the accommodation at Covent Garden 
is admitted to be much behind the necessities of the 
trade, which is far in excess of what was originally 
contemplated. 
Packing: English and Continental. 
In the fruit market the auctioneers’ stands are placed 
in moveable pens built up in the centre of the building, 
and surrounded with sieves, half-sieves, long baskets, 
besides the neat wooden boxes, and natty looking 
pads which are used by the foreigners. There is a very 
great difference between the English and continental 
systems of packing, as anyone can see at a glance. 
Here, Greengages and Plums, with some exceptions, 
are thrown into the sieves without any pretence of ap¬ 
pearances, whereas, the Frenchman exercises the 
greatest possible care in sending fruit to market. 
English growers would do well to take a leaf out of 
their competitors book, for a tasty arrangement has a 
real cash value when goods are submitted to auction ; 
and it is well to remember that although the trade in 
English fruit which commences at four a.m. is con¬ 
ducted by private barter, it not unfrequently happens 
that salesmen will put up a portion of their consign¬ 
ments to auction. Consequently there may be several 
such small sales going on from nine p.m. until midday. 
Market “Characters.” 
It is amusing to note the peculiarities of the several 
auctioneers. There is the gentleman who runs on 
without break, with more than a suspicion of a Jewish 
lisp, and wilding and balancing his hammer incessantly. 
He is the reputed “King of the Market,” and his 
voice may be heard all over it, crying, “ Four' bid, 
four bid, any advance on 4s. ; four and three bid, 
four and three bid, any advance on 4s. 3d. ; going at 
4s. 3d. (rap). Then, again, there is the gentleman who 
has a pronounced nasal twang, another who has a very 
loud voice, and a third who has a gleaming set of teeth, 
and is not above cracking a joxe. You have also the 
melancholy man, the amusing man, familiarly known 
as “ Simmy,” and a smart young fellow whose charac¬ 
teristics are not unlike those of Edward Terry, the 
actor. 
A hundred types of character may be picked out in 
the crowd. The suburban greengrocer is not usually 
in strong force after nine a.m. ; still, he may here and 
there be seen. Not a few of the bystanders smoke 
short clay pipes. Most of them wear shockingly 
tattered coats, and every description of head-gear, the 
flat market cap, perhaps, predominating. The coster 
may always be discovered by his neckcloth. A silk 
handkerchief for the throat is indispensable to him, be 
the weather as hot as it may, and if in addition he can 
boast of a thick winter overcoat, and tightly buttoned up 
to the chin, he seems better able to bear the sultry heat 
of August. He is a decent fellow, however ; still, the 
general public will not gain much by bidding against 
him. He has been known to run up a lot, in con¬ 
junction with his friends, to an exorbitant figure, in 
order to prevent an outsider from entering the ring, 
and the loss incurred has been shared amongst the 
clique afterwards. Costermongers, when they cannot 
take a large lot themselves, will divide it among their 
fellows. Sometimes as many as forty packages or, 
perhaps, twenty bushels constitute one lot; but it may 
happen that a single box of, say, eighteen giant Pears 
is put up. For the reason given an ordinary pur¬ 
chaser would have no chance of buying it. 
Growers and Salesmen. 
"Whatever the disability to which the consumer may 
be subjected by market usages, the grower has no 
ground for complaint. The spirit which is at the 
foundation of the management of the market, despite 
its critics, is that it was chartered for the public good. 
A grower who imagines that a salesman is not making 
fair prices is at liberty to take his stand in the market 
and sell without the intervention of any middle man. 
There are several English growers who actually follow 
this course, and they are better able to judge of the 
fluctuations which occur in prices and of the causes of 
a glut. About half the area is let at annual rents, and 
these tenants are not charged toll, bringing into the 
place whatever they choose ; but the weekly tenants 
recoup the proprietor of the market by paying toll 
levied on their consignments, and it is on the latter 
system that the foreign trade is chiefly rated. 
->Xo- 
THE QUARRY, SHREWSBURY. 
In our report of the annual summer exhibition of the 
Shropshire Horticultural Society, held on Aug. 18th 
and 19th, brief allusion was made to the beautiful 
site on which the annual fete is held—the far famed 
Shrewsbury Quarry, and by the courtesy of Mr. Adnitt, 
of the firm of Adnitt & Naunton (the indefatigable 
joint honorary secretaries of this flourishing society), 
we are now enabled to place before our readers two 
views, prepared from photographs taken by Mr. Adnitt 
himself. Both of the illustrations depict views in that 
part of The Quarry known as “The Dingle,” and which 
