146 THE BOOK OF MARKET GARDENING 



Messrs Mann & Sons, Whitton Road, Twickenham, 

 employ a Straker steam wagon which carries " from 4 to 



5 tons on the motor and from 2 to 3 tons on the trailer, 

 using our existing horse wagons as trailers. In this way 

 we take produce to Covent Garden Market, a distance 

 of about 12 miles, which takes about two hours, and 

 load back from London with manure. We consider after 

 careful calculation the average work done is quite equal 

 to that of five horses. We are of opinion that the 

 steam wagon is more useful than the tractor for our 

 work for several reasons, (i) Greater carrying capacity 

 by having the two vehicles to load ; (2) using our ex- 

 isting wagons for trailers instead of specially built ones ; 

 (3) the steam wagon is much more easily manipulated in 

 traffic and by carrying a greater total load there is a 

 saving in drivers." 



Messrs Baker Bros., of Feltham, have a Coulthard lorry 

 which is used with a trailer and " displaces five horses." 



Mr George Leonard, New Road, Shepperton, em- 

 ploys a Foden steam wagon which "does the work of 



6 or 7 horses, going to Covent Garden every night when 

 necessary, the journey there and back being about 38 

 miles. It will carry about 200 bushels on the motor, 

 and 200 on a trailer, a total load of 400 bushels." Mr 

 Albert Vinson, Parsonage Farm, Belvedere, Kent, also 

 uses a Foden motor with a trailer, which does the work 

 of 6 to 8 horses, and takes 9-ton loads up considerable 

 hills. In the Liverpool district a Lacre van has been used 

 very successfully for strawberries carrying 300 to 500 

 baskets of 3 lbs. each, a distance of 30 miles in about 2 

 hours (part of the journey being on a Ferry Boat). 

 " The cost of bringing the strawberries in by motor was 

 a little in excess of the charges incurred when they were 

 dispatched by railway, but the early arrival and the 

 advertisement were of great benefit." 



An excellent example of the work which can be per- 



