106 DISTRICTS OF CAMBRIDGESHIRE 



is just being started, but it is not a universal 

 practice. Asparagus, however, is largely cultivated, 

 and the beds are left down a lifetime. Most of 

 the men keep horses for ploughing, and use light 

 American implements, weeding only being done by 

 hand. Five acres employ all a man's time, and 

 are enough for a living ; the men on smaller lots 

 work occasionally for others. 



Disposal of Produce. 



Three railway-lines runs through Wisbech Station, 

 so that there are unusual facilities for disposing of 

 the fruit. Nearly 15,000 tons are sent out annually, 

 and go mostly to Manchester and the northern 

 markets. The railway vans collect produce (except 

 that sold in chips) in a radius of three miles. There 

 are now about twenty vans collecting where thirty 

 years ago one van did it all. 



Fruit Districts round Cambridge. 



Since the establishment of Mr. Chivers's jam 

 factory at Histon, four miles from Cambridge, 

 there has been a very great development in that 

 district of small fruit holdings. At first Mr. Chivers 

 had to import raspberries and strawberries from 

 Yarmouth, and could only buy a few hundred- 

 weight locally ; now there are more grown than he 

 can deal with. 



I was given the following figures, taken at 

 random, of one day's delivery of raspberries at the 

 factory : 



