A gentleman, one of a deputation for inquiring into the state of foreign
horticulture, visited the Paris fruit and vegetable market in the month
of August, 1821, and having seen Covent Garden market nearly a fortnight
earlier, under peculiar circumstances, was enabled to form an estimate
of their comparative excellencies.
The coronation of George IV. on the 19th of July had caused a glut of
fruit in the London market, such as had never been remembered, and large
quantities of the fruit, which had not met with the expected demand,
remained on hand.
In regard to _Pine-apples_, Mr. Isaac Andrews of Lambeth alone cut sixty
ripe fruit on the occasion, and many hundreds, remarkable for size and
flavour, came from distant parts of the country. One from lord Cawdor’s
weighed 10 lbs.; and, after being exhibited at a meeting of the London
Horticultural Society, was sent to the Royal Banquet. Pine-apples are
not to be got at Paris. When they are wanted at grand entertainments,
they are generally procured from Covent Garden market by means of the
government messengers who are constantly passing between the two
capitals. From our possessing coals, and from our gardeners being well
versed in the modes of raising fruit under glass, it is probable that we
shall always maintain a superiority in the production of this delicious
article for the dessert.
The quantity of _ripe Grapes_ exhibited for sale in Covent Garden market
from the middle to the end of July, in the year alluded to, would, if
told, surpass the belief of Parisian cultivators; more especially when
it is added, that the kinds were chiefly the Black Hamburgh, the white
muscat of Alexandria, and the Frontignacs. Andrews also took the lead in
the grape department; insomuch that while very good Black Hamburgh
grapes, from different parts of the country, were selling, during the
crowded state of the capital, at 4_s._ per lb., his bunches currently
obtained 6_s._ 6_d._ per lb. Their excellence consisted chiefly in the
berries having been well thinned and thoroughly ripened. On the 29th of
July great quantities of grapes, remarkable for size and excellence,
still remained in the market, and were selling at 3_s._ and 3_s._ 6_d._
a pound. At Paris _ripe_ grapes are not to be procured, at this season
of the year, for any sum. On the 14th of August, prince Leopold, then on
his way to Italy, dined with the English ambassador, when a splendid
dessert was desirable; but ripe grapes could not be found at Paris. A
price equal to 12_s._ sterling per lb. was paid for some _unripe_
bunches, merely to make a show, for they were wholly unfit for table
use. On the 21st of the same month the duke of Wellington being expected
to arrive to dinner, another search for ripe grapes was instituted
throughout Paris, but in vain. In short, the English market is well
supplied with fine grapes from the middle of June till the middle of
November; but, from being raised under glass, they are necessarily high
priced; while the Paris market offers a copious supply of the table
Chasselas, from the middle of September to the middle of March, at very
cheap rates,--from 12 to 20 sous, or 6_d._ to 8_d._ per pound; the
coarse vineyard grapes being only 1_d._ a pound.
The Bigarreau or graffion _Cherry_ was still very abundant in Covent
Garden market, and also the black or Dutch guigne: at Paris, however,
even the late cherries had almost ceased to appear in the market.
In the London market the only good _Pear_ was the large English
Jargonelle (or épargne.) The Windsor pear was on the stalls, but not
ripe. The Green chisel, (hâtiveau,) and the skinless, (poire sans peau,)
were almost the only others I could see. The Paris market excelled,
being well supplied with fine summer pears. The Ognolet or summer
archduke, was pretty common: it is named _ognolet_, from growing in
clusters on the tree like bunches of onions. The large Blanquet, and the
long-stalked blanquet, (the latter a very small fruit,) were also
common. The Epargne, or Grosse cuisse Madame, was plentiful. A fruit
resembling it, called Poire des deux têtes, was likewise abundant: it
was large, sweet, and juicy, quite ripe, but without much flavour. The
Epine-rose, (Caillot or Cayeout,) a very flat pear; the Musk-orange,
which is of a _yellow_ colour only; the Red orange, which has the true
orange hue; and the Robine, or Royal d’été, were all plentiful. The
small early Rousselet was exceedingly common and cheap, being produced
abundantly on old standards in all country-places. Towards the end of
August, the Cassolette, a small pear of good flavour, and the Rousselet
de Rheims, made their appearance; and the Poiré d’Angleterre (à beurré)
began to be called through the streets in every quarter of the city.
_Apples_ were more plentiful at London than at Paris. The Dutch Codlin
and the Carlisle Codlin were abundant; and the Jenneting, the Summer
Pearmain, and the Hawthorndean, were not wanting. At Paris very few
apples appeared. The Summer Calville, a small conical dark-red fruit,
and the Pigeonnet, were the only kinds I remember to have seen.
_Plums_ were more plentiful and in greater variety at the Marché des
Innocens than at Covent Garden. At Paris, the Reine Claude, of excellent
quality and quite ripe, was sold at the rate of two sous, or one penny,
a dozen; while the same plum (green-gage) cost a penny each in London,
though in an unripe state. The next in excellence at Paris was the Prune
royale, of good size, and covered with the richest bloom. The
Jaune-hâtive, the drap d’or, the Mirabelle, the Musk-damson or Malta
plum, were common; likewise the Précoce de Tours, remarkable for its
peculiar dark hue; and a deep violet-coloured plum, called Prune noire
de Montreuil. The Blue Perdrigon was just coming in. At Covent Garden
the Primordian, or jaune-hâtive, and the morocco or early damask, were
the only ripe plums to be seen.
_Apricots_ were much more plentiful at the Innocens than at Covent
Garden. The common apricot, the Portugal and the Angoumois, which much
resemble each other, were frequent; these were small, of brisk flavour.
The Abricot-pêche, however, not only excelled the others in size, but in
quality, holding that superiority among the Parisian apricots which the
Moorpark does among the English; and it appeared in considerable
abundance. At London only the Roman and Moorpark were to be found, and
the latter was not yet ripe.
In _Peaches_ the French market most decidedly surpassed the English. The
quantity of this fruit presented for sale toward the middle of August
appeared surprisingly great. It was chiefly from Montreuil, and in
general in the most perfect state. Although ripe, scarcely a single
fruit had suffered the slightest injury from the attacks of insects.
This fact affords satisfactory proof that the plastered walls, being
smooth and easily cleaned, are unfavourable to the breeding and lodging
of such insects as often infest our rougher fruit-walls. The fine state
of the fruit also shows the uncommon care which must be bestowed by the
industrious inhabitants of Montreuil to prevent its receiving bruises in
the gathering or carriage. The principal kinds in the market were the
small Mignonne; the large Mignonne, with some of the excellent
subvariety called Belle Bauce; the yellow Alberge; the Bellegarde or
Gallande; the Malta or Italian peach; the red Madeleine or De Courson;
and the Early Purple.
_Melons_ appeared in great profusion at Paris. In the Marché des
Innocens and Marché St. Honoré the kinds were rather select, chiefly
different varieties of Canteloup. These were not sold at so cheap a rate
as might have been expected; ripe and well-flavoured canteloups costing
2, 3, or 4 francs each. But in almost every street the marchands de
melons presented themselves; some occupying stalls, some moving about
with brouettes or long wheel-barrows, and others with hampers on their
backs, supported on crochets. In general those sold in the streets were
much cheaper, (perhaps not more than half the price of the others,) but
of coarse quality, such as would scarcely be thought fit for use in
England. The fruit is frequently long kept; and in the heats of August
the odour exhaled from the melon-stalls was sickening and offensive. The
kinds were chiefly the following: the Maraicher, a large netted melon,
so called from being cultivated in the marais or sale-gardens; the Melon
de Honfleur, of great size, often weighing from 20 to 30 lbs.; and the
Coulombier, a coarse fruit, raised chiefly at the village of that name.
These were almost the only sorts of melon sold in Paris, till our
countryman Blaikie, about forty-five years ago, introduced the Rock
Canteloup and Early Romana. It may be noticed, that melons of all kinds,
even the best canteloups, are here raised in the open ground, with the
aid of hand-glasses only, to protect the young plants in the early part
of the season. In Covent Garden market a great many small melons,
chiefly of the green-fleshed and white-fleshed varieties, appeared; but
they were uniformly high-priced, though not proportionally dearer than
the Parisian canteloups, considering that they had all been raised on
hot-beds under glass-frames.
_Mulberries_ were much more plentiful at Paris than at London.
At Paris, fresh or recent _Figs_ were, at this time, very common and
very cheap; it was indeed the height of the fig-season, and they daily
arrived in great quantities from Argenteuil. The round white fig seems
to be the only kind cultivated; at least it was the only kind that came
to market. No fresh figs can be expected in Covent Garden till the end
of August, and then only small parcels. To make amends the London market
was supplied with fine _Gooseberries_ in profusion, while not one of
good quality was to be seen at Paris. The same thing may be said of
_Raspberries_ and _Currants_, which are in a great measure neglected in
France, or used only by confectioners. The Parisians have never seen
these fruits in perfection; and it is therefore no wonder that, in the
midst of a profuse supply of peaches, reine claudes, figs, and pears,
they should be overlooked. There exists a strong prejudice against the
gooseberry, which prevents the Parisians from giving the improved kinds
a fair trial: they have no idea that it is possible that gooseberries
should form an excellent article of the dessert; they think of them only
as fit for making tarts, or sauce for mackerel![296]
[296] Mr. Pat. Neill, Sec. Cal. Hort. Soc. in Horticultural Tour.
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[Illustration: ~The Lee Penny.~