354 DO THE RAILWAYS HELP THE FARMERS? 



out to them from Glasgow at the rate of 3s. a 

 ton, thus aiding the industry still further. 



In point of fact the railway company sought to 

 meet the wishes of the growers by every means 

 in their power. But they had their reward in 

 due course, for when the new potato season 

 opens at Girvan the consignments will start at 

 about 40 waggon-loads a day, and will rise to 

 200 waggon-loads a day for a period of three 

 weeks, falling off again, then, until the season 

 is over. Between June 16th and August 26th, 

 1903, there were despatched from Girvan 

 station 5,250 waggons of new potatoes, re- 

 presenting a total of 13,500 tons. One may 

 be absolutely certain that the industry would 

 never have attained to such dimensions as 

 these but for the ready assistance given by 

 the railway. 



Quite recently a farmer who proposed to start 

 the growing of late varieties of potatoes in the 

 Girvan district asked that a lower rate should 

 be given for potato seed, of which he was pre- 

 pared to send a consignment of 200 tons. To 

 encourage this further enterprise the company 

 reduced the rates for seed potatoes between the 

 districts concerned for a period of three weeks, 

 by which time the consignment in question 

 would have been delivered. Now, too, that the 



