BOSTON BEHIND THE TIMES. 1G5 



rain, because there is no place of shelter for it. If the city of 

 Boston could have, as they have in Liverpool, a large yard of 

 some two acres, and have cheap sheds erected under which 

 such teams could be driven, and their contents disposed of, it 

 would be a great advantage to the city, and a much greater 

 advantage to the farmer. 



Now with regard to disposing of green crops. There are people 

 near enough to markets who can carry in things very profitably 

 with their own teams. There should be some place where they 

 can go without being ordered out. If there was a particular 

 square which could be used as a hay market, where farmers 

 could drive their teams and sell at wholesale, as they do in other 

 places, we should experience very great benefit from that 

 arrangement. 



Now in regard to the selling of milk. I think that matter is 

 entirely misunderstood. The business is not properly carried 

 on in this country. These milk routes are worth from one to 

 five thousand dollars — simply the route, without any horse 

 or wagon, or milk. It is simply the right to sell milk to a cer- 

 tain number of people. Now what do they do in the old coun- 

 tries ? I have seen stores where they sell the article of mixed 

 mustard and nothing else. Suppose we had stores in Boston 

 where people could rely upon finding Framingham milk, and 

 getting the genuine article, would not such a store be encouraged ? 

 I say it would. There is no reason why the selling of milk 

 might not be made as much a business as the selling of forty 

 other things that might be mentioned. It is an article of prime 

 necessity, and I think if the farmers would present the subject 

 to the city authorities, it would be properly considered by them. 

 It has been supposed here that the farmer could save his five per 

 cent, by the establishment of free markets. I say you can get 

 merchants of the highest respectability, who will do your busi- 

 ness for two and a half per cent. They will do it just as low as 

 they can afford to do it. What folly it would be for the dairy- 

 men to undertake to ship their cheese to Europe, make all the 

 arrangements for freight, and attend to all the details of the 

 business, when they could do it so much better and more 

 cheaply through gentlemen in the city, who are very much bet- 

 ter acquainted with the business. The farmers around Liver- 

 pool come into the city with their vegetables and small fruits, 



