106 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



mercial experience that can be procured. They will also receive 

 the indirect support of all the vested interests that have grown 

 into existence with, and profit by, the present enormous importa- 

 tions of food products that now reach us from foreign countries. 



And these combined forces will be confronted, so far as 

 farmers are concerned, by a disunited, and consequently weak, 

 body of individuals, without any representative organisation to 

 determine what they should claim, and without means to take 

 the necessary steps to contend for their views. 



The question of station terminals is still an open one, and the 

 railway companies will probably avail themselves of the oppor- 

 tunity and endeavour to surround all traffic with such conditions 

 as will enable them to continue to levy the existing or similar 

 charges on the goods placed with them for transport, while the 

 farmers have not arrived at any definite conclusions as to what 

 they require to improve their condition in this direction. The 

 result may be anticipated from the position. Therefore, unless 

 the course indicated is adopted, there is a strong probability 

 that the present deplorable condition of things will, in a great 

 measure, continue to exist for another long term of years, to the 

 detriment of the great producing and consuming classes of the 

 country. 



To attain the desired end steps should at once be taken to 

 prevent by legislation any extension of the present position, and 

 Parliament should, immediately upon reassembling, be asked to 

 pass a standing order that no Railway Act authorising the con- 

 struction of any new lines or the extension of existing ones 

 should be passed, unless a clause providing for a truck and train 

 rate, a farm produce train, and the provision of refrigerator 

 trucks, is embodied in it. This, in any event, and an amended 

 schedule of rates, would stop further encroachments and lay the 

 foundation of future legislation. 



After referring to the existing difficulties, and what should 

 be done in respect to them, the consideration of who is to do it 

 follows as a natural sequence ; and it will be evident that the 

 most influential and effective representative that fruit-growers 

 can secure, and one that would inspire confidence throughout the 

 country, and be most likely to prove successful on their behalf, 

 is the Royal Horticultural Society ; and the Council of the 

 Society, who have largely contributed to the success of this Con- 

 ference, should be requested to nominate a Committee to act in 

 this direction. 



It now remains for me, in conclusion, to summarise the 

 main points of my paper, and I do so by submitting — 



1st. That the development of our fruit-growing industry has 

 been retarded by the conduct of those having the control of the 

 international traffic of the kingdom. 



