58 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



that they were paying for onions, twenty cents a quart, which 

 is at the rate of about $6.20 a bushel. On that day in the mar- 

 ket onions were selhng for 75c to $1 a bushel. That is what 

 the grower received when he shipped onions into New York 

 market the same date. I found in some instances consumers 

 were purchasing apples and paying 25c a quart for them. Now 

 the consumer in buying that way was paying at the rate of $25 

 a barrel. On that same date the best apples in New York City 

 were bringing to the producers only S2.50 and $3 a barrel. 

 Note the difference between what the producer received and 

 what the consumer was paying on these same dates. The 

 trouble is that the consumers are buying in too limited or small 

 quantities when they ought to buy larger quantities and in- 

 crease thereby the consumption of these products, which would 

 leave no low priced surplus upon the market. 



This whole problem of co-operation is one which we have 

 to take up, and it is one which it is going to take years to de- 

 velop along the lines that will equalize the cost which the con- 

 sumer pays with that which the producer receives for his prod- 

 ucts. It is not a problem that can be settled today or tomorrow. 

 The work must be taken up and studied as a problem. First we 

 must learn to produce more cheaply. We must study methods 

 of economy in production. Then we must take up the question 

 of transportation. I do believe that the day is coming when 

 this country ought to have a postal express. I have not time 

 this afternoon to take up this question, but I do believe that 

 the express companies of our country are standing in the way 

 of the cheaper distribution of many of our products which we 

 ought to have, and hence the postal express, which is coming 

 again before Congress, should receive the support, the study 

 and the intelligent thought of every citizen, who should demand 

 and urge that we have a postal express by which, as they do in 

 Europe, we can get large quantities of products sent by express, 

 and delivered cheaply to the consumer at a very much less cost. 

 The railroads and the trolley lines of portions of Europe are 

 loaded down with the products that are going from European 

 farms direct to the consumers by express, delivered promptly 

 and quickly, at a remarkably small cost. It is important that 

 our carrying facilities be enlarged and the cost cheapened. When 

 we proceed along these lines I believe we shall reap benefit to 



