VEGETABLE GROWING IN Nffft r SOUTH WALES 



itself as a case in point, being at the centre of practically the whole'central- 

 western railway system ; but there are other junctions hardly less^worthy of 

 mention. The importance of , the water supply to such an enterprise is 

 obvious, but quite a number of -our western towns are fairly well equipped in 

 that respect. 



The Effect of Climate. 



Reference has already been made to the effect of a possible preference for 

 one crop or another upon the choice of the locality in which operations should 

 be begun. The climatic conditions, in fact, will largely decide what vege- 

 tables shall be grown. It is quite obvious that the warmer conditions of the 

 North Coast, for instance, offer completely different possibilities to those 

 ruling on the cooler upland districts. New South Wales is particularly well 

 situated in its range of climatic zones, the effect being an almost continuous 

 supply of quite a number of vegetables. 



The warm humid districts are most productive, but at the same time 

 they are more subject to disease than the more temperate climes. The 

 warm districts, of course, are the first to place their products on the market, 

 arid as the weather becomes warmer the cooler districts come forward in their 

 turn, and are often followed again by late crops from the warm districts. 

 Potatoes may be quoted as a case in point. They are naturally a cool climate 

 crop, and are grown in the spring and harvested in the months of November, 

 December, and January on the North Coast. By the middle of January the 

 crops of the lower coastal regions are coming forward. The -exhaustion of 

 this source of supply sees the tableland crops available, and these furnish the 

 supply throughout the winter and until November, though a small second 

 North Coast crop generally comes in during May and June. A somewhat 

 similar rotation can be found in a number of crops. Peas and beans, for 

 instance, are available in this ( way for the -greater part of the year. 



Marketing Methods and Facilities. 



The method by which the produce of the vegetable garden is to be marketed 

 should receive some consideration in connection with the choice of a locality. 

 If the land is some distance from the market, the grower is practically com- 

 pelled to make his sales through a commission agent. Of growers who 

 specialise in one or two crops, some follow the consignment to market and 

 personally dispose of it, and in this case personal expenses must be considered 

 as against agents' charges. In a vegetable-growing community, co-operation 

 by growers in transporting their goods to market effects a saving in time and 

 money. 



The question of direct supply to the consumer per rail and by city delivery 

 has often been raised, but with the present high freights this method of 

 marketing is not likely to become popular. 



