December 25 , 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
263 
The Fruit Sale Room. 
From the show-room to the sale-room, with his 
catalogue properly annotated, is but a step for the 
fruit merchant, fruiterer or costermonger, and the 
latter class of buyers is by no means the least important 
or the least esteemed. Costermongers, as a body, 
deserve the praise which the late Earl of Shaftesbury 
was never tired of bestowing upon them ; they are keen 
judges, prompt payers, and good business men. Tem¬ 
porarily, the fruit sale-room is now entered from • 
Pudding Lane, the passage from Monument Yard being 
closed whilst there is any danger from falling bricks to 
be feared. By this latter entrance it is necessary to 
ascend a flight of stairs, which leads to the upper tier 
of the amphitheatre, the seats being arranged in this 
form. The room, or hall, is oblong in shape, and 
what with oak panelling, crimson curtains in the 
alcoves, and silver-grey tinted walls, it has quite an 
aristocratic appearance. It is far more imposing than 
the Commercial Sale Rooms in Mincing Lane, and not 
less handsome than the Stock Exchange in Throgmorton 
Street, although, of course, far less spacious. In the 
well of the amphitheatre, and cutting it into a semi¬ 
circle, is placed the rostrum, which, in this case, is not 
a pile of boxes with a rough moveable desk at top, but 
a broad gallery of such a height that the auctioneer 
and his assistants have full command of every corner, 
and are able to detect every strange face. As there is 
no necessity for a second showing of the samples, the 
attendant litter of unpacking is avoided, and there is 
no check upon the putting up of the lots as quickly as 
may be desired. Without a catalogue it is in vain to 
attempt an understanding of the transactions which 
succeed each other with marvellous rapidity. No time 
is lost in puffing goods, nor in “nursing” bidders ; and 
there is less of market chaff than at Covent Garden. 
Yet a very quick eye is needed to discover the buyers, 
for here, as elsewhere, they are sometimes “tricky.” 
But what strikes the observer most, is the decorous be¬ 
haviour of the costers, the attention which they pay to 
the prices made, the carefulness with which they record 
them on their catalogues, although this is hardly 
required, for at the close of each day a second edition of 
the catalogues are printed, and in these are inserted the 
prices realised. 
Close to the sale room there is an office at which 
purchasers pay for their lots, and receive the delivery 
notes ; and in this apartment may be often noticed the 
well-known character, “ Old Phil,” whose fur cap, 
coloured neckcloth and long overcoat dragging to his 
heels, contrast strangely with his profuse jewellery. 
His iron-grey hair fringing his skull beneath his cap, his 
lantern jaws and sunken cheeks, his strange tongue, 
combine to make him appear to the fancy as some land- 
born Yanderdecken, and mayhap the Oranges which 
he sells have, for his customers, a more luscious flavour 
than fruit retailed by less mysterious-looking hawkers. 
-- 
GARDENING W OTES FROM 
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to 
COTLAND. 
Galashiels Horticultural Association.— 
At a largely attended meeting of this Society on 
Saturday last, the 18th, the Rev. Dr. Gloag read an 
interesting paper on British Ferns. The Rev. Doctor, 
who is an ardent admirer of all nature’s works, takes 
a special interest in Ferns, and has eagerly sought for, 
and, when found, duly prized, some of the rarer varie¬ 
ties of British Ferns. 
Dr. Murray then followed with a lecture on “ How 
to supply a moderate-sized family all the year round 
with fresh vegetables from a plot of ground 12 yards 
square.” The doctor began by drawing attention to 
the fact that in many small gardens the entire space 
is devoted to Potatos, late Turnips, late Cabbage, Leeks 
and Onions. 
He said in a small garden, such as he was describing, 
it was nonsense to have Potatos, as they could be 
obtained, better than they could be grown in garden 
ground, from the produce of the field. He said late 
Cabbages of a monstrous size were a great mistake, 
and could not be eaten in less than two or three days 
by an ordinary family ; and, in consequence, the virtue 
of freshness was wanting in at least a portion of them. 
Late Turnips and big Onions could easily be bought, 
and do not come into the category of vegetables that 
need to be, or ought to be, eaten when pulled or cut. 
What the doctor would like to see is a proper arrange¬ 
ment and system of cropping and rotation, whereby a 
small piece of ground might produce all such vegetables 
as Peas, Beans, Cauliflower, early Cabbage, early 
Turnips, Carrots, small Onions, Beet, Parsnips, Celery, 
Rhubarb, Greens, Brussels Sprouts and Leeks. 
By the aid of a large diagram, the doctor showed 
how he would place the different vegetables in the plots 
of ground, the different space required by each, and 
rotation of crops. 
All the vegetables were recommended to be grown 
in lines running north and south, so that the most 
benefit would be derived from the sun. Dr. Murray, 
who is a keen amateur gardener, entered very fully into 
the various kinds of vegetables best suited for such a 
piece of ground as he was referring to, and remarked on 
the best times for sowing, &c. Altogether the lecture 
was very interesting, delivered with marked ability, 
and in a manner that showed the very keen interest in 
gardening that the doctor takes. 
It is to be hoped that his efforts to improve the 
gardening in and about Galashiels, in regard to a good 
supply of fresh vegetables, in greater varieties than most 
people attempt who have only a small piece of ground, 
maybe successful. It has been said, that “the man 
who makes two blades of grass grow where there was 
only one before, is a benefactor to the race ” ; I think 
it may be said of Dr. Murray, that if he causes a more 
varied and more wholesome lot of vegetables to be 
growm in and around Galashiels, he is a benefactor. In 
most towns, and also in country gardens of the cottager 
class, there is often to be seen a great want of variety, 
and a very poor succession, if any at all, of vegetables. 
Such alecture as Dr. Murray gave would be extremely 
useful, if read and thought over by many, who, pos¬ 
sessing a small plot of ground, either from want of 
knowledge or want of interest, do not make as much 
of the ground as they might. 
It is to be hoped that an improvement may soon be 
noted in this respect; and such advice as given by Dr. 
Murray is, undoubtedly, valuable, and goes a long way 
towards enabling all who want to improve to do so.— 
J. Thomson, Clovenfords. 
North of Scotland Horticultural Asso¬ 
ciation. —The usual monthly meeting of the North 
of Scotland Horticultural Association was held on 
Friday evening, the 17th inst., in the hall of the 
Christian Institute, Aberdeen. There was a good 
muster of members, and the president, Mr. A. Robson, 
occupied the chair ; Mr. A. Gillespie, Aberdeen, and 
Mr. Peter Elder, gardener, Daneston House, were 
admitted new members. Papers were then read on 
novelties and specialities in fruits, flowers, vegetables 
and plants. Mr. J. Wilson, Charleston Gardens, led 
off with the first paper on rare vegetables, followed by 
Mr. A. Grigor, Sunnybank, on a similar subject ; the 
secretary read a paper sent by Mr. R. Farquhar, Fyvvie 
Castle, on Potatos. Discussion followed the reading 
of the papers, in which many of the members took 
part, and at the close the authors of the papers were 
warmly thanked. Mr. Robert Mortimer, Aberdeen, 
then opened a discussion on fruit, with some very 
intelligent remarks. At the close of the proceedings, 
which were wound up by a vote of thanks to the 
president for presiding, the members had an oppor¬ 
tunity of inspecting some beautiful specimens of 
Chrysanthemums, plants and vegetables, which were 
forwarded for exhibition. This meeting makes the 
last one for 1886 ; and among the papers which are to 
be read at the meetings of the association in the coming 
year are essays on botanical geography, herbaceous 
plants, worms, formation of lawn-tennis grounds, 
amateur Grape growing, &c., &c. 
The Gros Maroc Grape.— I should be greatly 
obliged to any successful growers of this fine-looking 
Grape if they would kindly inform me how to cultivate 
it so as to render its quality fit for dessert. We have 
information enough of the fact that it suits the market 
men to grow it; but as far as I have ever seen it in 
shops its appearance was only fair, and not at all equal 
to what I have seen in private places. Its flavour, too, 
was never more than of third-rate quality, and such as 
no proprietor -who has been accustomed to high-class 
fruit would care to eat. I have had exceptional oppor¬ 
tunities of testing the quality of this fine-looking 
Grape, both north and south of the border, but have 
always found the primary quality—flavour—wanting. 
Still, though one may have failed in attaining a high- 
class standard with this or any other Grape, that is no 
reason why we should altogether condemn it. I can 
get berries of immense size, colour beautiful, and 
bunches of useful weight, very compact, and suitable 
for sending to a distance ; but the leathery skin, coarse 
flesh, and “Cider-Apple’’-like flavour almost entirely 
divests it of value for tutored palates. In a Muscat 
house Gros Maroc compares most unfavourably 'with 
Gros Colmar and Lady Downes, which do well under 
such treatment. In a late mixed house Marocs are 
even worse flavoured,than those in the Muscat house, the 
berries are smaller, but of average size, and the colour 
under such conditions is very beautiful.— M. Temple. 
-->:£<-- 
The Amateurs’ Garden. 
THE GREENHOUSE. 
Christmas Decorations occupy considerable atten¬ 
tion for several days before the annual festival arrives, 
and though, of course, attention is concentrated on the 
adornment of rooms, yet some care must be devoted to 
the greenhouse or other structures which the amateur 
may possess. Visitors are numerous at this time of 
the year in many families, and if we are proud of 
gardens and plants it is only natural that we should 
try to display them in the best manner, as in some 
degree indicating our horticultural skill. Perhaps, 
too, some of our friends may be critics, who are them¬ 
selves the possessors of carefully-tended gardens, and 
who would detect any deficiencies in our houses with 
slightly irritating acuteness. Thus, for our friends and 
ourselves, we make a special effort to render our floral 
attractions satisfactory, and there is little difficulty in 
the matter, as even if we had not grown quite sufficient 
for the purpose, winter-flowering plants are now so 
cheap that the expenditure of a few shillings supplies 
us with quite a stock of useful little specimens. 
Cyclamens are now in capital condition, Primulas 
also furnish abundance of flowers, for as the earliest get 
exhausted we remove them, and fill their places with 
the successional plants. Ericas, of hyemalis and 
gracilis types, are particularly valuable, and it is well 
to have a plentiful stock of both sorts, as they last a 
long time in flower. Of larger plants, we have some 
Princess of Teck Chrysanthemums, which may prove 
very useful at Christmas time, both as decorative plants 
and for cuttings. Then, to furnish brighter shades of 
colour, Zonal Pelargoniums are freely employed, with a 
few Poinsettias for the back part of groups, banks or 
shelves. Carnations and Mignonette yield a pleasant 
fragrance, and their flowers are also useful for cutting 
either for bouquets or employment in vases or glasses. 
Richardias are very effective when employed judiciously, 
but if crowded amongst other plants their beauty is 
lost; they should be placed -where their white spathes 
can rise above other dwarfer plants, either Palms or 
Ferns, with some brighter tinted plants to relieve the 
quieter tints. When seen peering out from amongst 
graceful foliage in this way the Richardias are very 
beautiful, and cannot be too highly valued. 
At the warm end of the house we have our little 
group of Ferns and Orchids, the latter being now 
principally Odontoglossums ; and near them we 
have another small arrangement of Bouvardias and 
Adiantums, with a few Cyperus and small Palms. 
This system is adopted throughout ; instead of having 
long formal lines of one kind, the display is broken up 
into a series of small groups, which renders the house 
much more interesting and the appearance more tasteful. 
It is always easy in this way also to arrange the plants 
in the part of the house most suitable to them ; those 
that need the most heat can be placed at the warmest 
end, and the more hardy at the coolest part of the 
structure. No ventilation can be given when the frost 
is as severe as it has been in the early part of the week, 
and careful attention to the heating arrangements will 
be necessary to ensure the plant’s safety. Do not, 
however, allow the temperature to rise very high, or 
the plants will be greatly weakened, necessitating 
frequent applications of water. The chief endeavour 
must be to prevent the temperature falling below 40° 
at the lowest, and 45° is far better as a minimum where 
mixed collections like those named are growm. The 
common danger is that during the day the heat will be 
excessive, owing to the frequent attention the fire 
