Of the Kinds and Quantity of Fruit and Vegetables sold in the Streets

Of the Street-Sellers of Fruit and Vegetables.

There are two kinds of fruit sold in the streets—“green fruit” and “dry fruit.”

In commerce, all fruit which is edible as it is taken from the tree or the ground, is known as “green.” A subdivision of this green fruit is into “fresh” or “tender” fruit, which includes currants, gooseberries, strawberries, and, indeed, all fruits that demand immediate consumption, in contradistinction to such productions as nuts which may be kept without injury for a season. All fruit which is “cured” is known as “dry” fruit. In summer the costers vend “green fruit,” and in the winter months, or in the early spring, when the dearness or insufficiency of the supply of green fruit renders it unsuited for their traffic, they resort, but not extensively, to “dry fruit.” It is principally, however, when an abundant season, or the impossibility of keeping the dry fruit much longer, has tended to reduce the price of it, that the costlier articles are to be found on the costermonger’s barrow.

Fruit is, for the most part, displayed on barrows, by the street-dealers in it. Some who supply the better sort of houses—more especially those in the suburbs—carry such things as apples and plums, in clean round wicker-baskets, holding pecks or half-pecks.

The commoner “green” fruits of home produce are bought by the costermonger in the markets. The foreign green fruit, as pine-apples, melons, grapes, chestnuts, coker-nuts, Brazil-nuts, hazel-nuts, and oranges, are purchased by them at the public sales of the brokers, and of the Jews in Duke’s-place. The more intelligent and thrifty of the costers buy at the public sales on the principle of association, as I have elsewhere described. Some costermongers expend as much as 20l. at a time in such green fruit, or dry fruit, as is not immediately perishable, at a public sale, or at a fruit-warehouse, and supply the other costers.

The regular costermongers seldom deal in oranges and chestnuts. If they sell walnuts, they reserve these, they say, for their Sunday afternoon’s pastime. The people who carry oranges, chestnuts, or walnuts, or Spanish nuts about the town, are not considered as costermongers, but are generally, though not always, classed, by the regular men, with the watercress-women, the sprat-women, the winkle-dealers, and such others, whom they consider beneath them. The orange season is called by the costermonger the “Irishman’s harvest.” Indeed, the street trade in oranges and nuts is almost entirely in the hands of the Irish and their children; and of the children of costermongers. The costers themselves would rather starve—and do starve now and then—than condescend to it. The trade in coker-nuts is carried on greatly by the Jews on Sundays, and by young men and boys who are not on other days employed as street-sellers.

The usual kinds of fruit the regular costers deal in are strawberries, raspberries (plain and stalked), cherries, apricots, plums, green-gages, currants, apples, pears, damsons, green and ripe gooseberries, and pine-apples. They also deal in vegetables, such as turnips, greens, brocoli, carrots, onions, celery, rhubarb, new potatoes, peas, beans (French and scarlet, broad and Windsor), asparagus, vegetable marrow, seakale, spinach, lettuces, small salads, radishes, etc. Their fruit and vegetables they usually buy at Covent-garden, Spitalfields, or the Borough markets. Occasionally they buy some at Farringdon, but this they reckon to be very little better than a “haggler’s market,”—a “haggler” being, as I before explained, the middle-man who attends in the fruit and vegetable-markets, and buys of the salesman to sell again to the retail dealer or costermonger.

Concerning the quantity of fruit and vegetables sold in the streets, by the London costermongers. This, as I said, when treating of the street-trade in fish, can only be arrived at by ascertaining the entire quantity sold wholesale at the London markets, and then learning from the best authorities the proportion retailed in the public thoroughfares. Fully to elucidate this matter, both as to the extent of the metropolitan supply of vegetables and fruit, (“foreign” as well as “home-grown,” and “green” as well as “dry”) and the relative quantity of each, vended through the agency of the costermongers, I caused inquiries to be instituted at all the principal markets and brokers (for not even the vaguest return on the subject had, till then, been prepared), and received from all the gentlemen connected therewith, every assistance and information, as I have here great pleasure in acknowledging.

To carry out my present inquiry, I need not give returns of the articles not sold by the costermongers, nor is it necessary for me to cite any but those dealt in by them generally. Their exceptional sales, such as of mushrooms, cucumbers, &c., are not included here.

The following Table shows the ordinary annual supply of home grown fruit (nearly all produced within a radius of twelve miles from the Bank) to each of the London “green” markets.

A Table Showing the Quantity or Measure of the Undermentioned Home-Grown Fruits and Vegetables Sold Throughout the Year, Wholesale, in the Metropolitan “Green” Markets, with the Proportion Sold Retail in the Streets.

Description of Fruits and Vegetables. Covent Garden. Borough. Spitalfields. Farringdon. Portman. Total. Costermongers.

GREEN FRUIT.

Apples 360,000 bushels 25,000 250,000 35,000 16,000 686,000 One-half.

Pears 230,000 „ 10,000 83,000 20,000 10,000 353,000 One-half.

Cherries 90,000 doz. lbs. 45,000 15,000 12,000 11,200 173,200 One-half.

Plums 93,000 bushels 15,500 45,000 3,000 20,000 176,500 One-fifteenth.

Green Gages 2,000 „ 333 1,500 1,000 500 5,333 One-fiftieth.

Damsons 19,800 „ 3,150 4,500 9,000 1,200 37,650 One-thirtieth.

Bullace 1,800 „ 1,620 400 540 540 4,900 One-half.

Gooseberries 140,000 „ 26,200 91,500 12,000 7,000 276,700 Three-fourths.

Currants (Red) 70,000 sieves 15,000 75,000 6,000 9,000 175,000 One-half.

Ditto (Black) 45,000 „ 12,000 45,000 6,000 4,000 112,000 One-eighth.

Ditto (White) 3,800 „ 3,000 15,000 3,000 2,000 26,800 One-eighth.

Strawberries 638,000 pottles 330,000 396,000 15,000 148,500 1,527,500 One-half.

Raspberries 22,500 „ 3,750 2,500 3,500 3,000 35,250 One-twentieth.

Mulberries 17,496 „ 57,600 7,064 17,281 22,500 121,940 One-fourth.

Hazel Nuts 2,700 bushels 1,000 648 5,400 270 9,018 Two-thirds.

Filberts 221,400 lbs. 72,000 43,200 144,000 37,800 518,400 One-thirtieth.

VEGETABLES.

Potatoes 161,280,000 lbs. 48,384,000 64,512,000 24,192,000 12,096,000 310,464,000 One-fifteenth.

Cabbages 33,600,000 plants 19,200,000 12,000,000 8,400,000 16,472,000 89,672,000 One-third.

Brocoli and Cauliflowers 1,800,000 heads 3,780,000 2,880,000 5,320,000 546,000 14,326,000 One-twentieth.

Turnips 18,800,000 roots 4,800,000 4,800,000 3,500,000 748,000 32,648,000 One-tenth.

Turnip Tops 300,000 junks 500,000 600,000 250,000 200,000 1,850,000 One-third.

Carrots 12,000,000 roots 1,571,000 2,400,000 1,500,000 546,000 18,017,000 One-thirtieth.

Peas 270,000 bushels 50,000 100,000 14,000 4,000 438,000 One-half.

Beans 100,000 „ 20,000 10,000 2,400 1,000 133,400 One-fifteenth.

French Beans 140,000 „ 9,600 12,000 50,000 9,600 221,200 One-tenth.

Vegetab. Marrows 10,800 dozen 3,240 3,600 432 1,800 19,872 One-third.

Asparagus 12,000 dz. bun. 3,600 1,080 1,440 1,440 19,560 One-fortieth.

Celery 15,000 „ 4,800 6,000 3,000 6,000 34,800 One-eighth.

Rhubarb 7,200 „ 48,000 28,800 2,400 4,800 91,200 One-tenth.

Lettuces 734,400 plants 1,080,000 2,073,600 129,600 475,200 4,492,800 One-eighth.

Radishes 6,912 dz. hands 43,200 36,000 18,000 28,800 132,912 One-tenth.

Onions 500,000 bushels 398,000 400,000 9,600 182,000 1,489,600 One-third.

Ditto (Spring) 36,000 dz. bun. 10,800 21,600 21,600 14,400 104,400 One-fourth.

Cucumbers 2,160 bushels 10,800 24,000 12,000 38,400 87,360 One-eighth.

Herbs 7,200 dz. bun. 9,600 9,400 7,800 3,900 37,900 One-tenth.

Description of Fruits and Vegetables. Covent Garden. Borough. Spitalfields. Farringdon.

GREEN FRUIT.

Apples 360,000 bushels 25,000 250,000 35,000

Pears 230,000 „ 10,000 83,000 20,000

Cherries 90,000 doz. lbs. 45,000 15,000 12,000

Plums 93,000 bushels 15,500 45,000 3,000

Green Gages 2,000 „ 333 1,500 1,000

Damsons 19,800 „ 3,150 4,500 9,000

Bullace 1,800 „ 1,620 400 540

Gooseberries 140,000 „ 26,200 91,500 12,000

Currants (Red) 70,000 sieves 15,000 75,000 6,000

Ditto (Black) 45,000 „ 12,000 45,000 6,000

Ditto (White) 3,800 „ 3,000 15,000 3,000

Strawberries 638,000 pottles 330,000 396,000 15,000

Raspberries 22,500 „ 3,750 2,500 3,500

Mulberries 17,496 „ 57,600 7,064 17,281

Hazel Nuts 2,700 bushels 1,000 648 5,400

Filberts 221,400 lbs. 72,000 43,200 144,000

VEGETABLES.

Potatoes 161,280,000 lbs. 48,384,000 64,512,000 24,192,000

Cabbages 33,600,000 plants 19,200,000 12,000,000 8,400,000

Brocoli and Cauliflowers 1,800,000 heads 3,780,000 2,880,000 5,320,000

Turnips 18,800,000 roots 4,800,000 4,800,000 3,500,000

Turnip Tops 300,000 junks 500,000 600,000 250,000

Carrots 12,000,000 roots 1,571,000 2,400,000 1,500,000

Peas 270,000 bushels 50,000 100,000 14,000

Beans 100,000 „ 20,000 10,000 2,400

French Beans 140,000 „ 9,600 12,000 50,000

Vegetab. Marrows 10,800 dozen 3,240 3,600 432

Asparagus 12,000 dz. bun. 3,600 1,080 1,440

Celery 15,000 „ 4,800 6,000 3,000

Rhubarb 7,200 „ 48,000 28,800 2,400

Lettuces 734,400 plants 1,080,000 2,073,600 129,600

Radishes 6,912 dz. hands 43,200 36,000 18,000

Onions 500,000 bushels 398,000 400,000 9,600

Ditto (Spring) 36,000 dz. bun. 10,800 21,600 21,600

Cucumbers 2,160 bushels 10,800 24,000 12,000

Herbs 7,200 dz. bun. 9,600 9,400 7,800

Description of Fruits and Vegetables. Portman. Total. Costermongers.

GREEN FRUIT.

Apples 16,000 686,000 One-half.

Pears 10,000 353,000 One-half.

Cherries 11,200 173,200 One-half.

Plums 20,000 176,500 One-fifteenth.

Green Gages 500 5,333 One-fiftieth.

Damsons 1,200 37,650 One-thirtieth.

Bullace 540 4,900 One-half.

Gooseberries 7,000 276,700 Three-fourths.

Currants (Red) 9,000 175,000 One-half.

Ditto (Black) 4,000 112,000 One-eighth.

Ditto (White) 2,000 26,800 One-eighth.

Strawberries 148,500 1,527,500 One-half.

Raspberries 3,000 35,250 One-twentieth.

Mulberries 22,500 121,940 One-fourth.

Hazel Nuts 270 9,018 Two-thirds.

Filberts 37,800 518,400 One-thirtieth.

VEGETABLES.

Potatoes 12,096,000 310,464,000 One-fifteenth.

Cabbages 16,472,000 89,672,000 One-third.

Brocoli and Cauliflowers 546,000 14,326,000 One-twentieth.

Turnips 748,000 32,648,000 One-tenth.

Turnip Tops 200,000 1,850,000 One-third.

Carrots 546,000 18,017,000 One-thirtieth.

Peas 4,000 438,000 One-half.

Beans 1,000 133,400 One-fifteenth.

French Beans 9,600 221,200 One-tenth.

Vegetab. Marrows 1,800 19,872 One-third.

Asparagus 1,440 19,560 One-fortieth.

Celery 6,000 34,800 One-eighth.

Rhubarb 4,800 91,200 One-tenth.

Lettuces 475,200 4,492,800 One-eighth.

Radishes 28,800 132,912 One-tenth.

Onions 182,000 1,489,600 One-third.

Ditto (Spring) 14,400 104,400 One-fourth.

Cucumbers 38,400 87,360 One-eighth.

Herbs 3,900 37,900 One-tenth.

The various proportions of the several kinds of fruit and vegetables sold by the costermongers are here calculated for all the markets, from returns which have been obtained from each market separately. To avoid unnecessary detail, however, these several items are lumped together, and the aggregate proportion above given.

The foregoing Table, however, relates chiefly to “home grown” supplies. Concerning the quantity of foreign fruit and vegetables imported into this country, the proportion consumed in London, and the relative amount sold by the costers, I have obtained the following returns:—

Table, showing the Quantity or Measure of the undermentioned Foreign Green Fruits and Vegetables sold Wholesale throughout the Year in London, with the Proportion sold Retail in the Streets.

Description. Quantity sold wholesale in London. Proportion sold retail in the streets.

FRUIT.

Apples 39,561 bush. seven-eighths.

Pears 19,742 „ seven-eighths.

Cherries 264,240 lbs. two-thirds.

Grapes 1,328,190 „ one-fiftieth.

Pine-apples 200,000 fruit one-tenth.

Oranges 61,635,146 „ one-fourth.

Lemons 15,408,789 „ one-hundredth.

NUTS.

Spanish Nuts } 72,509 bush. one-third.

Barcelona „

Brazil „ 11,700 „ one-fourth.

Chestnuts 26,250 „ one-fourth.

Walnuts 36,088 „ two-thirds.

“Coker”-nuts 1,255,000 nuts one-third.

VEGETABLES.

Potatoes 79,654,400 lbs. one-half.

Here, then, we have the entire metropolitan supply of the principal vegetables and green fruit (both home grown and foreign), as well as the relative quantity “distributed” throughout London by the costermongers; it now but remains for me, in order to complete the account, to do the same for “the dry fruit.”

Table, showing the Quantity of “Dry” Fruit sold wholesale in London throughout the Year, with the proportion Sold retail in the Streets.

Description. Quantity sold
wholesale in London. Proportion sold retail in the streets.

Shell Almonds 12,500 cwt. half per cent.

Raisins 135,000 „ quarter per cent.

Currants 250,000 „ none.

Figs 21,700 „ one per cent.

Prunes 15,000 „ quarter per cent.