vii] THE RISE OF THE SANDS 117 



almost any sandy soil within access of a large city, 

 especially where one man happens to have prospered 

 and so given the locality a reputation. No general 

 rules can be given about the management : the 

 successful grower generally keeps his land continu- 

 ously cropped and carefully watches the markets so 

 as to grow those things likely to yield most profit. 

 The following is an actual example. The grower is 

 near to London and has access to a riverside wharf; 

 he buys as manure City refuse, cleanings from 

 cattle steamers, unsold lots of stable manure, con- 

 demned fish, and any odds and ends of manurial 

 value. He also takes for a consideration some of 

 the local sewage. His ground is never idle: early 

 potatoes, onions, sprouting broccoli, peas and other 

 crops succeed each other without delay, odd comers 

 are filled up with early carrots, radishes, etc., all the 

 crops are carefully nursed so as to be ready for market 

 while prices are still high, i.e. before other people 

 have their produce ready. Much fruit is grown, pigs 

 are kept in the orchards to do the cultivation and 

 devour unsaleable crops. Considerable advantage is 

 taken of labour-saving devices. The grower's success 

 does not stop at production, but extends also to the 

 business side. Market garden produce is sold to 

 salesmen in the large markets who in turn have to 

 keep contracts with large customers. This grower, 

 being eminently successful and dependable even in 



