Orchards  and  Plantations. 
31 
telephone  with  large  markets  in  the  Midlands  and  other 
districts,  and  in  Scotland,  and  in  a few  cases  have  started 
motor  vans  to  enable  them  to  send  off  fruit  at  once  on  receipt 
of  telegrams — without  the  delay  consequent  uj)on  transmission 
by  rail — to  any  market  within  a considerable  radius.  By  this 
means  all  delay  in  delivery  is  obviated  and  there  is  no  shifting 
of  the  fruit  from  rail  to  delivery  carts.  The  fruit  is  run 
direct  into  the  markets.  Better  distribution  is  much  to  be 
desired  to  enable  British  growers  to  compete  advantageously 
with  imported  fruit. 
Distribution  is  naturally  affected  by  the  methods  as  the 
profit  of  fruit  growing  is  by  the  cost  of  conveyance.  Some  of 
the  English  railway  companies  are  now  doing  all  they  can  to 
improve  the  distribution  of  fruit  by  fixing  reduced  rates  for 
carrying  fruit  by  passenger  trains  in  lots  of  5 cwt.  and  upwards, 
and  have  promised  to  give  better  services  for  fruit  to  towns  of 
moderate  size,  and  to  seaside  resoi’ts.  Reduced  rates  for  the 
conveyance  of  fruit  by  goods  trains,  in  quantities  exceeding  one 
ton,  and  the  ]>rovision  of  more  rapid  delivery  between  the  termini 
and  the  markets  are  under  consideration  by  several  leading 
railway  companies,  who  have  already  ordered  many  improved 
vans  with  special  A entilation. 
Fruit  growers  must  continuously  urge  the  railway  com- 
panies to  give  them  the  best,  most  frecpient,  and  quickest 
conveyance  and  delivery  of  their  goods  at  the  cheapest  possible 
rate,  and  to  open  uj)  communication  with  every  likely  centre 
of  sale.  There  seems  a general  disposition  on  the  part  of 
railway  companies  to  grant  better  facilities  to  producers  noAv 
that  public  opinion  so  strongly  urges  this,  and  the  competition 
of  motor  vans  may  be  serious  to  railway  companies  if  they  do 
not  afford  the  best  possible  service. 
New  Orchards  and  Plantations. 
Soils. — There  is  not  only  a difference  in  the  soils  of  each 
county  in  Great  Britsiin,  and  in  every  division  of  each  county  ; 
but  there  is  also  a diversity  on  every  farm  and  even  in  every 
field.  In  this  respect  the  fruit  grower  is  confronted  with 
the  same  problems  and  difficulties  as  the  ordinary  husband- 
man. There  are,  as  with  other  croj)s,  certain  soils  peculiarly 
adapted  to  and  fitted  for  fruit  culture  in  general,  and  to  certain 
varieties  in  particular ; but  it  is  claimed  that  a vast  extent  of 
land  outside  these  favoured  tracts  of  soil  will  grow  fruit, 
and  grow  it  with  a profit,  provided  skilled  management  and 
