THE CONVEYANCE OF PRODUCE 151 



inside with finely-perforated zinc, so that insects and 

 dust are excluded to a great extent. The whole or part 

 of the van can also be fitted with stout wire shelves to 

 carry boxes of flowers, and these can be put into their 

 places or removed in a few minutes. We have examined 

 many vans on different lines, but have never seen any to 

 surpass these — in fact it is difficult to see how they could 

 be improved, except by the addition of refrigerating ap- 

 paratus for summer use. 



The Great Western Company has made a special 

 feature of these vans for the development of the fruit 

 traffic in Worcestershire and other counties served by 

 their system, and an example of what a great railway 

 organisation can accomplish was afforded early in 

 October 1905. One of Elder, FyfFe & Co.'s steamers 

 arrived at Avonmouth, Bristol, loaded with bunches of 

 Bananas ; two special Great Western goods trains of fifty 

 fruit vans each were immediately loaded with 14,000 

 bunches. The trains arrived at Paddington at 6 a.m. 

 the next morning, where 100 pair-horse vans with 300 

 men awaited them, and they were all started with their 

 loads by 8. 15 a.m. for distribution amongst the London 

 markets, fifty one-horse vans clearing the remainder at a 

 later period in the day. It was a notable performance, 

 and proved how a Company can rise to the occasion when 

 the magnitude of the trade is sufficient to induce them 

 to put forth their best efforts. 



It must be admitted that the rates on some of the 

 lines represent but a small proportion of the retail value 

 of the produce. For example, the manager of one of 

 the lines pointed out to us that in one season it was 

 within his own knowledge that the same plums which 

 only brought to the grower id. per pound were being 

 sold in a large northern town at 6d. per pound, yet the 

 railway charge in conveying this fruit 200 miles by 

 goods train was only one-sixth of a penny per pound 



