106 MARKET-GARDENING 



around Biggleswade to about one-tenth of its former 

 proportions.* 



But other classes of vegetables have come more to 

 the front the growing of brussels sprouts, for example, 

 has developed into a very large industry during the 

 last seven or eight years and the average consign- 

 ments of market - garden produce from Biggleswade 

 alone represent a total of 50 railway-waggons a day, 

 taking all the year through. In the month of July as 

 many as 100 waggon -loads have been sent off in a 

 single day. In the busy season a special ' vegetable 

 train' is started from Biggleswade for London four 

 days in the week. According to season, there might 

 be forwarded on busy days from 20 to 24 tons of let- 

 tuce, 40 tons of brussels sprouts, 120 tons of potatoes, 

 40 tons of spring cabbage, 36 tons of cauliflowers, 

 60 tons of carrots, 45 tons of vegetable-marrows, 

 60 tons of parsnips, and so on. 



Sandy is but three miles north of Biggleswade, but 

 it can make up train -loads of vegetables on its own 

 account, and its consignments to the Glasgow, Man- 

 chester, and other Northern markets, are especially 

 heavy. A ' record ' for this one station, in the height 

 of the season, was the despatch of nearly 200 tons of 

 vegetables in a single night. Of parsley which the 

 average middle-class housewife is content to buy in 



* The large imports of onions, whether from Holland or else- 

 where, affect another crop as well, that of leeks. On this point 

 Mr. John Gillies, of Northfield, Prestonpans, writes to me in reply 

 to a letter of inquiry : ' I grow a very large quantity of leek plants, 

 and about 20 acres of leeks for full crop. Like other market- 

 gardening crops, these at times command a fairly good price, while 

 at other times, owing to the influx of enormous consignments of 

 foreign onions, leeks have to be ploughed in in large quantities. 

 Frequently very many acres of this very costly crop have to be 

 thus disposed of, greatly to the detriment of the market-gardening 

 fraternity.' 



