12 COMMERCIAL ASPECTS OF MILK-SUPPLY 



the supply for the Metropolis carried by the Great 

 Western comes mostly from stations on the main line 

 between Reading and Chippenham, and from the Berks, 

 Hants, and Winchester districts. Over 10,000 cans 

 were received in London during 1904 from the following 

 stations : Challow, Shrivenham, Chippenham, Cran- 

 more, Malmesbury, Sparkford, Stratton, Devizes, 

 Wantage, Calne, Mells Road, Swindon, Witham, West- 

 bury, Patney and Chirton, Umngton, Castle Gary, 

 Hallatrow, Little Somerford, Wootton Bassett, Trow- 

 bridge, Pewsey, Brinkworth, Hannington, Highworth, 

 Yetminster, and Shepton Mallet. 



The longest distance for which milk is regularly 

 carried to London on the Great Western system is 

 about 130 miles, but the greater part would be brought 

 a distance of about 80 miles. The milk is collected by 

 local trains from the stations on branch lines, and 

 converges towards Swindon. It is there put into 

 express trains, which do the journey thence to London 

 (77 miles) in less than two hours. There are also 

 special milk trains, running at high speeds, which call 

 at the principal milk-sending stations on the way 

 to London. In the cooler months of the year milk 

 is sent longer distances than in the summer. During 

 1904, for example, 700 cans were conveyed from 

 St. Erth (Cornwall) to Paddington, a distance of 320 

 miles. 



In addition to the milk conveyed by the Great 

 Western Railway, large quantities are also brought to 

 London from the Western counties by the London 

 and South-Western Railway Company, who likewise 

 run special express milk trains in order to facilitate 

 their very substantial traffic. 



The following table shows at a glance the number 

 of cans and gallons of [milk forwarded from 450 of 



