92 PRODUCTION UNDER GLASS 



I see that Mr. W. Sams, a Worthing grower who 

 gave evidence before the Departmental Committee 

 on Fruit-Culture, said in his statement : 1 1 am a firm 

 believer that a working man by himself and his son, 

 perhaps, or one hand, will hold his own, when I and 

 others, who have larger premises, are out of it.' Asked 

 if that applied to glass-houses, Mr. Sams replied : 

 ' Yes. ... A working man will be able to live and 

 place himself in a better position than if he was a day- 

 labourer or working for a master he will not mind 

 what hours he puts in at the work ; but I do not believe 

 it will pay a man with capital, certainly at the present 

 moment, to go into the business,' especially, as 

 Mr. Sams had previously explained, in face of ' free 

 imports.' 



Such is the importance of the Sussex coast industry 

 in fruit, vegetables, and flowers, that the London, 

 Brighton, and South-Coast Railway Company now run 

 what is practically a special train in the interests of the 

 traffic (though passengers may travel by it as well) 

 every week-day, except Saturday, from various stations, 

 including Angmering, Goring, West Worthing, Worth- 

 ing, and Lancing, to London Bridge. Waggons loaded 

 up with the produce are coupled on at the various 

 stations, and on the busiest days Mondays, Wednes- 

 days, and Fridays in the summer months there may 

 be as many as ten or a dozen waggon-loads, represent- 

 ing from 2,500 to 4,000 or more packages (and one 

 package often consists of four boxes tied together), or 

 in actual weight from 25 to 40 tons of consignments. 



The largest proportion goes from Worthing. Little 

 more than twenty years ago the consignments of fruit, 

 etc., from that station represented about 100 packages 

 on a busy day. It is now no unusual occurrence for 

 2,500 packages to be sent in one day from Worthing. 



