CORNISH V. DANISH METHODS 23 



the meantime, he is not in a position to make up 

 a box of more than 56 lbs. at one time, he can 

 hardly accuse the English railway companies of 

 extortion if they charge him Is., or even 1*. dd.. 

 for carrying such a box a distance up to 200 

 miles, although this sum might be found to work 

 out at a relatively higher figure than what they 

 charge for a consignment of from 25 to 50 tons. 

 The striking difference between British and 

 Continental methods, and the real need which 

 exists in this country for effective organization, 

 are well shown by the following paragraph, which 

 I take from the Western Daily Mercury of 

 April 25th, 1903 :— 



Within the past few years there has been a marked 

 falling off in the Cornish egg trade. At one time a large 

 trader in the Duchy used to supply eggs to the value 

 of £200 a week to a well-known London shop, and to-day 

 that shop does not take a single egg from Cornwall. 

 Eight years ago Cornish dealers were sending eggs to 

 London to the value of £25,000 a year. To-day the sum 

 returned for such produce does not amount to £15,000. 

 The reason of this altered state of things is not, as some 

 suppose, due to the smaller size of the Cornish egg, 

 because there is practically no difference between it and 

 its successful rival from Denmark. Where the Cornish 

 egg merchant damages his business is through his own 

 carelessness. He will not study the requirements of the 

 market. He will give no attention to uniformity, but 

 will place large and small eggs, and also duck eggs, all in 



