NUTS FOR CHRISTMAS

There is a wave of timidity in Covent-garden. Some of the people in that part of the world have bought rather heavy supplies of cobnuts, and they fear a falling market. Indeed, there is every indication of a temporary slump in the juicy and toothsome nuts of Kent. Incidentally, there are whispers of control in the not very distant future, but that is a matter concerning which secrets may not be revealed. There is nothing really very strange in the situation. Growers always store a proportion of cobnuts, which are put on the market at this time of year, and they have not varied their custom. It so happens that trade has been rather slow of late, but it frequently happens that “trumps follow slumps,” to use a market phrase.

Judging by yesterday’s demand for nuts of various kinds, there seems to be an opinion that the public will want all they can get for Christmastide. So far, consumers have not begun to secure their Christmas stocks, but very soon they will see to the various requirements for the festive season. Shopkeepers must be prepared well in advance. Their duty is to get stocks, and if they are bought by the public well and good; if, on the other hand, traders are left with the merchandise unsold, theirs is the loss, and nobody will pity them. The prevalence of influenza is accountable for the slow sale of nuts. People suffering from colds and coughs are not disposed to eat nuts, so it is safe to assume that the epidemic has had an adverse effect on the demand for the fruit. This is confirmed by the statement of a man employed in Covent-garden, who, before he was called for medical examination, “ate cobnuts until he nearly choked,” and was promptly rejected by the doctor as suffering from a severe form of chest trouble. That is a property of nuts which one dare not have mentioned publicly before the armistice.

Still, if the influenza has wrought havoc with the trade it has been highly advantageous to those who have had grapes and lemons for sale. Both have been in abnormally strong request. English grapes, being very fine both in appearance and quality, command high prices, whilst those of Spain are much more costly than at any time within living memory. Yet the public want them both, and gladly pay the prices demanded by retailors. It is only fair to add that these prices are strictly in accordance with the high rates ruling in the wholesale market. That, of course, applies to all fruits and vegetables.

There are larger arrivals of uncontrolled apples on the market. The reasons – actual and problematical – need not be discussed, but the fact remains that apples are a little more plentiful. These remarks must not be construed into an indication of plenty, for such is far from the case. Until apples arrive in bulk from abroad there is no possibility of abundant supplies.