1 42 THE BOOK OF MARKET GARDENING 



Motors and Tractors. — Within the past few years the 

 development of various forms of motor cars and traction 

 wagons has led to many experiments in the application 

 of such power to the needs of market-gardeners. The 

 greater distance at which the producing grounds are 

 now placed that supply the large centres has rendered 

 some other system of carriage essential, unless the 

 growers are to forsake the road for the rail. In addition 

 to the advantage of loading back with manures or 

 empties, as pointed out, there are several other matters 

 which render the utilisation of roads desirable. One 

 of the most important of these is the fact that a wagon 

 is loaded with crops on the land, and they have not to be 

 handled again until the market is reached ; whereas, 

 however near the station may be at the grower's end of 

 the rail, horse-power must be employed for the convey- 

 ance to the line, with the loading up at the ground and 

 the unloading into the companies' vans or wagons. This 

 also has to be repeated at the station nearest to the 

 market, with the result that the risks are more than 

 doubled, because the work at the last-named will pro- 

 bably not be performed with anything like the same 

 care as at starting. Delays of a serious character, also, 

 take place in the delivery to the markets, perhaps at 

 some critical time. 



Consequently there are many reasons why market 

 growers on good roads within twenty miles of a large 

 centre should endeavour to utilise any motive power 

 that offers a prospect of serving their purpose. Motors 

 or tractors do not come within the scope of the smaller 

 growers ; the outlay is too great, and they have not 

 sufficient produce covering a long period in the year to 

 keep such machines in constant work. The case is quite 

 different where a large area is under market garden 

 cultivation, as it is possible to employ similar power on 

 the land in partial or entire substitution for horse labour. 



