March  5,  1896, 
JOURNAL  OR  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
211 
some  of  you  young  bothyites  ;  but  I  am  not  going  to  startle  you.  You 
would,  I  am  sure,  be  the  better  for  your  holiday,  and,  moreover,  I  believe 
your  chief  and  your  work  would  be  the  better  for  your  having  it,  or  you 
are  not  what  I  take  you  to  be.  That  it  will  become  an  institution  of 
British  gardening  I  somewhat  doubt,  unless  those  indirect  bearings  I 
have  endeavoured  to  bring  forward  are  made  a  factor  in  the  question  ; 
hence  they  are  respectfully  submitted  for  your  consideration  by — 
An  Old  Boy. 
FRUIT  SUPPLY  OF  COVENT  GARDEN.* 
[Paper  read  by  Mr.  Geo.  Monro  at  a  Conversazione  of  the  Horticultural  Club.] 
To  commence  with,  I  will  state  that  it  is  quite  impossible  to  get  at 
exact  figures  in  regard  to  the  quantities  of  any  one  kind  of  fruit,  or  even 
of  the  whole,  and  I  shall  only  give  as  far  as  I  can  a  rough  estimate.  The 
Market  is  supplied  from  so  many  different  sources,  and  coming  in  at  all 
times  of  the  day  and  night,  although  the  authorities  check  in  goods  that 
bear  toll,  a  great  proportion  is  brought  in  by  yearly  stand-holders  who 
do  not  pay  toll,  and  whose  totals  are  not  checked.  I  understand,  too, 
that  the  Market  authorities  do  not  distinguish  between  fruit,  vegetables, 
flowers,  or  roots  in  calculating  tolls,  so  that  even  if  I  could  give  you  their 
exact  figures,  the  fruit  would  have  to  be  an  approximate  quantity  based 
on  knowledge  gained  by  observation.  That  from  700  to  800  porters  get 
a  living  in  unloading  and  delivering  produce  will  give  some  idea  of  the 
quantities  to  be  handled,  besides  another  150  on  the  average  employed 
for  foreign  trade. 
It  is  the  general  rule  to  employ  a  separate  stafE  of  porters  to  unload 
goods  and  carry  in,  so  that  those  engaged  in  carrying  out  are  not 
hindered.  I  employ  a  man  at  so  much  per  score,  according  to  size  of 
package,  who  is  responsible,  and  he  has  to  employ  sufficient  hands  to 
clear  the  vans  as  they  arrive,  and  the  amount  spent  in  this  way  can  only 
be  judged  by  the  fact  that  the  one  I  employ  often  has  to  draw  from  £20 
to  £30  weekly,  representing  20,000  to  30,000  packages.  Of  course  a  great 
proportion  of  this  is  not  strictly  fruit,  but  in  my  case  would  consist 
wholly  of  either  fruit  or  hothouse  produce,  such  as  Cucumbers  and 
Tomatoes. 
Straioberries  — These  are  the  first  fruits  of  the  season,  and  they 
commence  in  small  quantities  in  February,  increasing  weekly  until  May, 
during  which  month  I  think  I  shall  be  quite  within  the  mark  in  saying 
the  daily  supply  averages  nearly  a  ton,  and  keeps  about  the  same  during 
June  until  the  outdoor  fruits  commence,  when  of  course  the  supply  from 
Hampshire,  Essex,  Middlesex  and  Kent,  is  simply  enormous,  although 
every  year  a  greater  proportion  is  sent  direct  to  the  country  markets, 
whole  trains  being  made  up  in  Kent  for  the  North.  This  also  refers  to 
all  kinds  of  fruits,  so  that  the  quantity  passing  through  Covent  Garden 
by  no  means  represents  the  whole  crop,  even  round  London.  Also, 
Strawberries  particularly,  are  largely  sold  in  other  London  markets, 
especially  the  Borough,  where  many  Kent  growers  Bell  their  own. 
Currants,  Gooseberries. — These  and  other  soft  fruits  at  one  time  used 
all  to  come  to  the  London  markets,  but  year  by  year  a  greater  proportion 
go  direct  to  the  North,  and  this  last  few  years  a  great  deal  has  been 
made  into  jam  in  the  country  without  being  put  on  the  rail  at  all.  This 
refers  also  to  Strawberries  and  Raspberries. 
The  same  can  be  said  of  stone  fruits,  especially  Plums,  and  it  certainly 
is  much  better  to  use  the  fruit  while  perfectly  fresh  than  to  give  it  an 
expensive  ride  for  a  day  or  two,  and  then  into  the  pot  at  the  finish.  If 
there  were  more  jam  factories  in  the  fruit  growing  districts  there  would 
be  less  spoiled  in  wet  or  plentiful  seasons. 
Apples  and  Pears. — These  I  will  take  next,  and  the  quantity  of  each 
received  varies  yearly,  especially  the  latter,  and  1  suppose  no  growers 
are  so  dissatisfied  with  the  state  of  trade  as  the  growers  of  these,  and  it  is 
mainly  their  own  fault,  for  I  must  repeat  what.  I  have  often  stated,  that 
there  is  no  fruit  comes  to  our  market,  either  home  grown  or  foreign, 
which  has  so  little  care  taken  with  it  as  English  Apples  and  Pears. 
While  this  is  the  case  growers  must  not  wonder  at  fruiterers  buying 
foreign  produce  whenever  they  can.  But  this  is  simply  suicide,  as  the 
English  Apples  particularly  are  far  better  in  quality  than  any  foreign, 
and  if  sent  in  unchargeable  boxes,  well  selected  and  graded,  there  would 
be  a  far  more  ready  sale.  I  was  in  a  large  wholesale  co-operative  stoie 
in  Manchester  last  autumn,  where  they  had  English  and  America n 
Apples  side  by  side,  and  on  asking  the  quantity  of  each  sold  was 
informed  about  1000  barrels  (3000  bushels)  American,  against  100 
bushel*  English,  and  simply  because  the  packing  could  not  be  depended 
upon.  This  is  a  point  that  must  be  taken  into  consideration  by  those 
planting  Apple*  and  Pears,  if  they  want  to  hold  their  own  against 
foreigners. 
There  seems  now  to  be  a  decided  step  in  the  right  direction  with 
English  Apples.  They  are  certainly  much  better  on  the  whole.  I  think 
this  iR  partly  due  to  the  season,  and  to  the  fact  that  the  newer  planta¬ 
tions  ot  good  fruit  are  coming  into  bearing,  a*  well  as  the  fact  that  only 
the  best  have  paid  to  grow  for  market. 
Forced  Fruits. — These  are  of  course  received  in  increasing  quantities 
each  year,  until  what  were  at  one  time  luxuries  at  fancy  prices  have 
become  almost  daily  articles  of  commerce,  especially  Grapes,  Tomatoes, 
and  Cucumbers,  and  of  these  it  is  less  difficult  for  me  to  judge  the 
quantity  grown. 
Peaches  and  Nectarines — These  commence  in  small  quantities  in 
April  and  keep  on  till  November,  the  bulk  coming  from  the  beginning  of 
June  till  end  of  September,  and  by  aid  of  a  variety  of  sorts  and  different 
temperatures  some  growers  will  keep  a  daily  supply  during  that  time. 
Of  course  this  wants  a  great  deal  of  management,  as  we  all  know  what 
a  change  in  the  weather  means  to  a  Peach  and  Nectarine  grower.  Last 
year  there  were  often  1000  boxes  of  Peaches  and  Nectarines  on  the 
market  daily,  and  with  the  thermometer  at  80°  and  a  close  atmosphere  it 
is  the  most  difficult  trade  to  manage  of  any  I  come  in  contact  with,  as 
there  are  so  few  buyers  compared  with  other  fruits  ;  but  thanks  to  the 
energy  of  growers  in  keeping  up  a  regular  supply,  the  outlet  year  by 
year  is  widening.  English  Peach  growers  may  be  assured  that  no”  foreign 
fruit  of  good  quality  can  travel  the  distance  and  compete  with  them. 
Figs  and  Apricots. — These  are  still  grown  in  small  quantities,  the 
bulk  of  the  former  coming  from  the  Channel  Islands,  whence  there  are 
about  100  baskets,  containing  four  to  six  dozen,  daily  through  August 
and  September,  outdoor  grown,  and  a  few  forced  ones  commencing  in 
March. 
Melons  are  also  still  limited  in  supply,  as  they  also  are  fancy  fruit 
and  uncertain  in  price,  but  I  daresay  there  are  often  100  dozen  daily  from 
June  to  September. 
Grapes. — As  you  all  know,  these  have  increased  more  than  any  other 
forced  fruit,  and  I  shall  be  well  within  the  mark  in  estimating  last 
year’s  crop  of  English  for  market  at  1000  tons,  of  which  about  three- 
fourths  will  pass  through  Covent  Garden  (besides  Channel  Islands  and 
Belgium),  the  bulk  being  of  late  varieties,  principally  Alicante  and 
Colmau,  so  that  we  have  one  year’s  crop  on  the  market  fully  a  month 
after  the  succeeding  one  has  commenced,  and  in  this  way  have  made  it 
very  difficult  to  import  Grapes  at  a  profit. 
From  the  Channel  Islands  I  estimate  we  receive  quite  1000  tons, 
some  500  to  1000  tons  being  also  distributed  amongst  the  provincial 
markets.  From  Belgium  the  supply  I  should  imagine  has  reached  about 
200  tons,  a  much  larger  proportion  comiDg  to  us  the  last  two  or  three 
years,  owing  to  a  prohibitive  duty  preventing  them  from  going  to  the 
Paris  market. 
Cucumbers. — These  have  also  largely  increased,  the  daily  supply  from 
March  to  the  end  of  July  being  about  1500  flats,  averaging  three  dozen 
each,  and  from  then  till  the  end  of  October  about  half  the  quantity. 
These  last  few  years  I  have  also  opened  a  large  trade  on  the  Continent, 
especially  Germany,  sending  some  days  300  to  400  dozen,  and  this  trade 
shows  signs  of  increasing,  as  fresh  customers  keep  applying.  At  one 
time  the  bulk  of  our  supply  came  from  the  Continent,  but  enterprising 
growers  at  home  have  in  this  instance  turned  the  tables  on  foreign  supply. 
This  great  increase  has,  in  a  great  measure,  been  due  to  the  care  taken 
in  grading  and  packing,  as  well  as  a  suitable  and  uniform  package  being 
used. 
Tomatoes. — In  these  growers  have  surpassed  themselves,  and  in  a 
great  many  cases  driven  the  foreigners  from  our  markets.  The  supply 
from  March  to  November  being  simply  enormous,  and  I  should  think 
quite  2000  tons  passed  through  our  market,  house-grown,  last  season, 
besides  a  very  large  quantity  of  outdoor  ones. 
Large  supplies  also  come  from  the  Canary  Islands  from  December  to 
April,  but  this  fitting  into  the  time  when  our  home  ones  are  off  the 
market  does  trade  good  by  holding  customers  on  to  fresh  Tomatoes 
until  our  next  crop  is  ready.  There  are  also  some  French  and  Spanish, 
but  less  quantities  year  by  year.  I  consider  that  the  trade  in  these, 
as  well  as  in  Cucumbers,  has  been  made  by  a  regular  supply  of  a 
good  article,  well  and  fairly  packed. 
As  everyone  knows,  the  acreage  of  glass  houses  to  obtain  the  supplies 
of  the  last  three  mentioned — viz.,  Grapes,  Cucumbers,  and  Tomatoes,  is 
very  large,  giving  employment  directly  to  thousands  of  hands,  and 
indirectly  helping  a  great  many  other  trades,  especially  the  iron,  glass, 
and  wood,  as  well  as  the  basket  makers.  The  firm  who  makes  most  of 
mine  keep  thirty  men  all  the  year  round  on  to  my  orders,  besides 
which  I  use  a  good  many  made  on  the  Continent.  Go  where  you 
will,  some  people  are  earning  something  out  of  the  trade,  and  I  think 
it  is  becoming  an  important  national  industry  and  deserves  the  greatest 
encouragement  both  from  Government  and  the  railways. 
Foreign  Fruits. 
These  are  an  important  element  in  our  market  and  in  the  trade 
generally,  as  the  continual  supply  from  different  parts  of  the  world 
keeps  many  retail  shops  open  which  would  be  compelled  to  close  if 
depending  solely  on  home-grown  supplies,  and  in  many  kinds  we  are 
entirely  dependent  on  them,  such  as  Oranges,  Bananas,  Lemons,  and  of 
late  years  Pine  Apples.  The  foreign  fruit  and  flower  trade  in  my  early 
days  was  regarded  as  a  nuisance  by  many  market  salesmen,  but  the 
provision  made  for  it  in  the  foreign  fruit  market  has  turned  it  into  a 
blessing.  We  have  converted  a  dangerous  rival  into  a  generous  friend. 
It  is  useless  to  attempt  to  exclude  from  market  articles  the  public 
requires  and  the  producer  can  bring.  The  wider  the  basis  the  more  firm 
is  the  commercial  edifice  you  build  upon  it. 
Oranges — These  are  the  most  important  of  our  imports,  and  come 
from  every  part  of  the  world,  wherever  it  is  possible  to  grow  them, 
commencing  with  Brazil,  Jamaica  and  Florida,  and  followed  by  the 
Southern  Europe  or  Mediterranean,  also  occasionally  from  India  and 
even  Australia.  The  bulk  of  these  arriving  in  the  Thames  used  to  be 
sold  by  the  brokers  in  Pudding  Lane,  but  every  year  a  larger  proportion 
comes  to  Covent  Garden,  especially  the  better  class  ones.  Lemons  also 
come  to  us  in  larger  quantities  every  year,  and  they  also  keep  arriving 
from  new  countries,  such  as  Florida  and  Australia  ;  and  wherever  they 
come  from,  whether  Oranges  or  Lemons,  and  if  only  worth  here  about 
2s.  per  bushel,  every  fruit  is  carefully  wrapped  in  paper,  so  that  if  a 
certain  portion  get  over-ripe  they  do  not  affect  the  bulk  so  much  as  if 
they  came  in  the  way  Apples  are  packed  (save  the  word)  in  England. 
Wbat  would  an  English  grower  say  if  one  asked  him  to  wrap  each  Apple 
in  paper  when  worth  only  2s,  per  bushel  ? 
