874 
THE VEGETABLE SUPPLY OF A LARGE TOWN. 
The growers of the market-garden produce which is disposed of in 
Paris may be conveniently grouped in three classes — (1) the market 
gardeners of the Department of the Seine, which includes the city of 
Paris ; (2) the cultivators in the adjoining Departments of the 
Seine-et-Oise and the Seine-et-Marne, the produce of which is con- 
veyed by road into the city ; (3) the provincial or even the foreign 
growers, whose saleable material is consigned by rail to agents in 
Paris. 
These various classes of cultivators sell their produce for the 
greater part (a) to dealers — usually women — who retail in the Paris 
markets ; (6) to greengrocers, who may, or may not, hawk the produce 
in the streets ; (c) to makers of preserves (jams, pickles, &c.) ; 
(d) in the case of foreign produce to agents, when the market is 
sufficiently active to warrant an excursion to England, Belgium, or 
Germany. 
The second and third classes of producers, especially the former, 
still sell their choicest produce, however, to the local markets, which 
supply the better quarters of the city. This produce, therefore, does 
not pass through the Central Market. 
The market gardeners of the Seine number about 2,400, quite 
one-tenth of whom cultivate land within the boundaries of the city 
of Paris, the market gardeners of Grenelle-Vaugirard alone amount- 
ing to 112. 
A Paris market garden of one hectare (equivalent to about 2£ 
acres) usually finds occupation for three men and two women. One 
man is the patron (proprietor or master), and the two others are 
known as commis (clerks, salesmen, or agents), though they spend 
most of their time using the spade or rake. The female hands are 
the patronne and her servant. A horse is kept for pumping water 
from a well to a reservoir conveniently situated for watering the 
garden, and in addition he takes the vegetables to market. The con- 
veyance containing the produce for sale leaves the garden at about 
two or three o'clock in the morning, and the vegetables are unloaded 
upon the pavement of the streets adjoining the market. A fixed 
site for this purpose is always occupied by the same market gardener, 
and passes to his children or successors. Failing the latter, the 
municipal authorities dispose of the vacant place amongst those who 
for a long time may have occupied less favourable positions. The 
rent of these places ranges from 15 francs (say 12 shillings) per 
month upwards. The vehicle which carries in the produce seldom 
returns empty, the most important material which it takes back being 
stable manure for use in the gardens. As soon as the market is 
open, the dealers, the greengrocers, and the chefs de cuisine of the 
large restaurants, together with other buyers, commence their rounds 
of inspection and make their bargains with the patronnes. The 
female assistant delivers the purchases to the dealer, to the green- 
grocer's attendant (gardeur), to the employe* of the preserve-maker, 
