136 THE BOOK OF MARKET GARDENING 



Spacious light spring carts or vans are the best 

 vehicles for the conveyance of garden produce to towns 

 on a regular system. The vans should be fitted with 

 a movable waterproof cover, or failing this, waterproof 

 sheets must be carried for the protection of the goods. 

 With a cover the vans can be utilised for many purposes 

 when not required in the ordinary trade. Hawkers in 

 the Metropolis employ a light spring barrow with a 

 long body which can be purchased for a few pounds, 

 but the majority are let on hire, some firms in the East 

 End of London keeping over 300 in stock for the 

 purpose. 



Large numbers of market gardeners and small farmers 

 are either too far from the towns to render delivery by 

 road profitable, or these are so well supplied locally 

 that there is little room for extension. In such cases 

 small packages either as boxes or baskets become 

 extremely serviceable, and a great business has sprung 

 up in this direction. With suitable organisation and all 

 the facilities the Railway Companies can afford when 

 they give their attention to the matter, this form of 

 trade may develop into enormous proportions with 

 equal advantage to producer and consumer. There are 

 difficulties attending it as in all other forms of business, 

 but they are surmountable, and the efforts demanded to 

 accomplish this are well repaid in the results. Where 

 the Railway Companies deliver the packages to the 

 houses of the consigners, all the sender has to do is to 

 make his boxes or baskets as secure as possible and to 

 convey them to his nearest station. The chief difficulty 

 consists in finding customers that can be regularly 

 supplied in this manner, and in securing payment. 

 Some help is rendered by a few of the Railway 

 Companies in the first matter by printing lists giving 

 the names and addresses of producers on their system 

 who undertake to supply small quantities of specified 



