VEGETABLES IN CAR-LOAD LOTS 135 



live a life of ease. But when the demand for 

 Edam cheese decreased, because the consumers 

 preferred to pay lower prices for other makes, 

 dwellers in the district in question looked around 

 for an alternative source of income, and took to 

 cabbage and cauliflower growing, the greater 

 part of the crops they raise being disposed of 

 by auction at the co-operative sales of the local 

 market-gardeners' societies. 



And here we come to see how all this com- 

 bination may operate to the advantage, also, of 

 the railways. It is probable that most of the 

 vegetables in question will be conveyed by 

 canal-boat to the town where the co-operative 

 auction-room is located ; but from thence the 

 dealers and commission agents attending the 

 sales will send large consignments to France, 

 to Germany, and to other countries, and on 

 these long journeys such perishables must 

 necessarily go by train. But the very essence 

 of all this combination is, not only that the 

 growers get better prices for their produce, and 

 not only that the dealers can purchase in bulk, 

 but, also, that the railways get regular consign- 

 ments iii car-load lots, and are able to make 

 lower rates than if they could only expect 

 irregular lots of comparatively small quantities, 

 as is too often the case in England. So it is 



