548 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



which reference has already been made, boys of a certain age may spend 

 part of their time on the land and part of their time at school. Their 

 services would be most useful in the picking season. 



Market Grievances and Distribution Difficulties. 



78. We pass now to the problem of the distribution of fruit — a most 

 important matter to British growers. It will probably be most convenient 

 to give a short account of the market system at present in existence in 

 Great Britain, and, in passing, to notice the complaints and suggestions 

 which have been made. 



79. The markets for fruit may be divided into two main classes, 

 namely, the wholesale markets, where large consignments are sold, and 

 whence a great deal of the produce dealt with finds its way into other 

 smaller markets ; and, secondly, the smaller markets, where the growers 

 themselves sell their produce to local fruiterers, or direct to the con- 

 sumers. There are, naturally, many gradations between these two classes, 

 and in many markets wholesale dealing is combined with the retail selling 

 by stallholders. 



80. As a wholesale market and chief distributing centre, Coven t 

 Garden occupies by far the most prominent position. There are, however, 

 in or near London, other markets, such as Spitalfields, the Borough, 

 Stratford-le-Bow, and Kew Bridge, which are on a fairly large scale ; and 

 some of the provincial markets, such as those at Manchester, Newcastle- 

 upon-Tyne, Birmingham, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Glasgow, &c, are big 

 enough to act as distributing centres of the same character (though on 

 a smaller scale) as Covent Garden. The opinion expressed by various 

 witnesses on the subject of these larger markets may be classified as to 

 their bearing on the questions : (1) As to whether more markets are 

 required for London ; (2) as to whether the existence of one pre-eminently 

 large distributing centre is advantageous, or not ; (3) as to whether the 

 number of large local markets is sufficient. 



81. There would appear to be undoubted advantages under the present 

 circumstances in the existence of one pre-eminent distributing centre. 

 For high-class fruit, especially that grown under glass, Covent Garden 

 has come to be recognised as the best centre, and although attempts have 

 been made to deal with the same class of fruit in other London markets, 

 these attempts have not been successful. It is evident that it must be 

 a convenience to buyers to be certain that they will find what they want 

 in one particular market (if procurable at all), instead of searching through 

 several different markets. For dealing with large quantities of choice 

 fruit, also, centralisation presents great advantages, and, indeed, according 

 to one witness, is quite necessary, instances being quoted where large 

 growers, after attempting to sell their goods in a number of different 

 markets, had to revert to sending them all to Covent Garden, whence they 

 became distributed to those places where they were required. Several 

 witnesses expressed the opinion that there was no need for other markets 

 in or near London. This may be true as regards markets of a size 

 sufficient to act as large distributing centres, and, possibly, as regards 

 markets for the highest class of goods ; but the origin of the Kew Bridge 



