SANDY AND BIGGLESWADE 85 



vegetable train which runs four times a week. Of 

 other vegetables, he gives the following figures for 

 busy days in their various seasons : 



Spring cabbage ... ... ... 40 tons. 



Carrots ... ... ... ... 60 



Vegetable-marrows ... ... 45 



Parsnips ... ... ... ... 60 



Lettuce 20 to 24 tons. 



Cauliflowers ... ... ... 36 tons. 



From Sandy, he tells us, the vegetables are 

 chiefly consigned to the northern markets ; that 

 16 tons of parsley have been sent to Glasgow 

 in a single week, the average annual total being 

 600 tons ; also 40 tons of bunched carrots have 

 been sent to the same town in a single day, which 

 amount represented 57,600 bunches (of ten carrots 

 each). 



SIZE OF HOLDINGS. 



As regards the size of the holdings, many men 

 are making a living on 7 and 8 acres. The usual 

 practice is to start with an acre or two, and do 

 job-work until they can get on to enough land 

 for a living. It appears to be difficult now for the 

 smaller men to get hold of land close to Sandy, as 

 it is taken up by the most successful growers to 

 add to their holdings ; moreover, the very high 

 rental makes it harder for the small men to get a 

 start. Everyone is brought up to this cultivation, 

 and so everybody wants land, as they know no 

 other trade. 



