Economics of the Size of Farms 165 



man he finds an inexperienced agriculturist, with whom he can have 

 his own way. These circumstances have probably contributed to the 

 custom by which the large growers almost always produce for the 

 great central markets, whereas the small holder i.e. in this case 

 the man with 3 to 8 acres only supplies the neighbouring district, 

 unless he happens to be close to some great centre. But this state of 

 things has not so far proved injurious to the small holders. Often 

 they get from their private customers, or selling retail in their own 

 shop or "stand," better prices than the large growers selling wholesale 

 to the dealers 1 . Indeed, the price of fruit and vegetables often rules 

 higher in the neighbourhood of the producing districts than it does in 

 the great markets, where it is often rapidly depressed by the quantity 

 of goods sent in 2 . In the year 1903, for instance, the great markets, 

 such as London, were glutted with celery, while in the neighbour- 

 hood where it is chiefly produced, namely the Isle of Axholme, there 

 was a positive dearth of it 3 . Such occasions naturally profit the 

 small holder who does not work for the central markets, whereas 

 the large holder suffers under the depressed prices there. The very 

 small gardeners, holding ^ to 2 acres, and keeping neither cart nor 

 horse, sell in their own immediate neighbourhoods, as do the allotment 

 holders, who have often produce for sale even from a holding of 

 th of an acre only, if their family does not happen to be large 4 . 

 They sell either to large farmers, or to artisans, or small shopkeepers, 

 inn-keepers, etc. Such a market is ruled more by custom than by 

 any other factor, and the sellers can generally dispose of their wares 

 to their satisfaction. 



Thus the inability of the small and very small holders to reach 

 the central markets, and their limitation to the local market, is 

 certainly a disadvantage to them arising from the competition of 

 the large growers. It is desirable that all markets should be open 

 to all goods. But still this disadvantage has not so far seriously 

 injured the small market-gardeners. The markets which are open to 



1 Bear, A Study etc,, p. 57: "In the course of my investigations I met with many 

 examples of the advantage to small fruit-growers of selling their own produce, either to 

 consumers or to stall-keepers, shop-keepers, or hawkers. In most of the great towns of the 

 midland and the northern counties there are large fruit and vegetable markets, in which 

 growers have stalls, attended by their wives or other members of their families, who sell 

 at retail prices. In one instance a small grower said he had realised nj. a bushel for his 

 apples, while a large one, who sold at wholesale prices, had averaged only 4^." 



2 Long, op. cit. p. 133. 



3 So the present writer was informed by Mr Blaides of Epworth. 



4 Onslow, op. cit. pp. 49 f. 



