58 JOURNAL OF THE EOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



ton lots is, I find, 85. For comparison I have taken 140 miles for plums 

 in two-ton lots, delivered, 23s. 4c?. I have looked into the question of 

 cartage, and, taking the Northampton scale, the cartage in small towns is 

 Is., in big towns from Is. to 2s., and in London 2s. 9c?. The flour has 

 to be shunted for shelter into warehouses which have been built at very 

 great cost, and where it is kept until it is convenient for the trader to 

 effect delivery. All this comes into the 8s., plus a fractional charge of 

 3d. or Ad. a ton, against 24s. Ad. for the same services, whereas we 

 want no accommodation in the country or in the town. I once had 

 this personal experience. The station was empty as far as passenger 

 traffic was concerned ; every man was eager to get his stuff away. The 

 fruit was taken from the train and the train was shunted out of the station 

 within three-quarters of an hour ; whereas, in the ordinary case of goods 

 in Class C, the 8s. Ad. covers two or three (Jays' manipulation. I think on 

 that basis it will be said that I have given extreme cases, but there are 

 hundreds of similar ones. In the case of plums, there are station terminals 

 Is. 66?. at each end, loading 8c?., unloading 8c?., covering 2d,, uncovering 2c?. 

 These charges are most unreasonable as between plums and flour — that 

 for the latter being 8s. against 24s. for the plums. 



Mr. John Idiens (Evesham) : I have not come from the Vale of 

 Evesham to-day, where extensive fruit growing and market gardening are 

 carried on, to tell you that the railway companies serving our district are 

 our worst enemies, and we have all sorts of grievances against the treat- 

 ment we receive from them in dealing with our traffic. It is pleasing to 

 me to be able to say we recognise and look upon them as being our best 

 friends. Since the inauguration of the National Fruit Growers' Association, 

 we have been able to meet the railway managers on common ground, and 

 through the Association we have been enabled to ventilate and discuss 

 what grievances we were suffering under, such as inequalities with regard 

 to railway rates, transit, proper conveyances for carrying our produce, 

 and it is gratifying to me to be able to say that we have been met in a very 

 liberal spirit by both the Midland and Great Western Railway Companies, 

 and the feeling between traders and these great carrying companies is far 

 more cordial to-day than it was some few years ago. 



I do not agree with Mr. Berry in regard to not asking the railway com- 

 panies for special waggons. I think, when we met the railway managers 

 some two years ago, it was one of the principal questions we put before 

 them, and we were readily met by the Midland Railway Company, who 

 agreed to provide 500 properly ventilated trucks, and these trucks have 

 been of the greatest benefit to the trade of the country. I could give 

 plenty of instances where ripe fruit has been loaded in open waggons, and 

 where in two days the fruit has been spoilt. On the other hand, in 

 the case of fruit that has been carried this season and last, in these 

 ventilated vans, no complaint arose whatever in any instance. Therefore 

 I look upon the provision of these ventilated vans as the greatest benefit 

 to the fruit trade generally. 



I think it is just as well that fruit growers should realise the fact that 

 railway companies are trading concerns like our own, and when we come 

 to consider that the average earnings on their ordinary stock only amount 

 to about 3 per cent, we should recognise that we cannot expect them to 



