154 THE BOOK OF MARKET GARDENING 



Conveyance by Canals 



Though this system might be utilised under some 

 circumstances for the conveyance of heavy roots in 

 large quantities, we have not succeeded in obtaining any 

 statistics to illustrate how far it is employed. It is 

 useless for anything of an immediately perishable nature, 

 or where it is desirable to secure a quick market. For 

 the transport of manures, canals are convenient in some 

 districts, but so many have been acquired by Railway 

 Companies to diminish the chances of competition that 

 the rates are not so favourable as they otherwise would 

 be in such a cheap system of conveyance. 



The navigable rivers are chiefly employed for exports 

 and imports, and they are but little used for internal 

 traffic in the United Kingdom as regards market garden 

 produce. 



Conveyance by Parcel Post 



Fruit, flowers, and vegetables in small quantities can 

 be sent by parcel post throughout Great Britain and 

 Ireland, but except for I lb. or under the rates are higher 

 than those charged on the railway lines which make a 

 special provision for parcels traffic. The restriction as 

 to total weight, i.e. 1 1 lb., is also an inconvenience, nor 

 have we found the system favourable as regards the 

 safety of the contents of the packages, in fact with fruits 

 the results have been less satisfactory, on the whole, than 

 with similar small packages sent by train. 



The utmost care should be taken in packing any fruits 

 to be sent by parcels post, for over-ripe or damaged fruit 

 might cause a risk of injury to other parcels, in which 

 case the postal authorities can, if they choose, detain the 

 whole package. For flowers the method has been em- 

 ployed more largely, but the officials advise the use of 

 tin or wooden boxes in preference to card-board, for fear 



