University of Virginia Library

OF THE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE SEASON OF
THE COSTERMONGERS.

The strawberry season begins about June,
and continues till about the middle of July.
From the middle to the end of July the costers
"work" raspberries. During July cherries are
"in" as well as raspberries; but many costers
prefer working raspberries, because "they're a
quicker sixpence." After the cherries, they go
to work upon plums, which they have about the
end of August. Apples and pears come in after
the plums in the month of September, and the
apples last them all through the winter till the
month of May. The pears last only till Christ-
mas. Currants they work about the latter end
of July, or beginning of August.

Concerning the costermonger's vegetable sea-
son, it may be said that he "works" greens
during the winter months, up to about March;
from that time they are getting "leathery," the
leaves become foxy, I was told, and they eat
tough when boiled. The costers generally do not
like dealing either in greens or turnips, "they
are such heavy luggage," they say. They would
sooner "work" green peas and new potatoes.

The costermonger, however, does the best at
fruit; but this he cannot work — with the ex-
ception of apples — for more than four months
in the year. They lose but little from the fruit
spoiling. "If it doesn't fetch a good price, it
must fetch a bad one," they say; but they are
never at a great loss by it. They find the "ladies"
their hardest or "scaliest" customers. Whatever
price they ask, they declare the "ladies" will
try to save the market or "gin" penny out of
it, so that they may have "a glass of something
short" before they go home.