CANADA. 



THE CO-OPERATIVE SALE OF WOOL. 



SOURCES : 



The Work of the Co-operative Wool-Marketing System, in The Farmer's Advocate, 

 No. 1256, lyondon, Ontario, 19 October igi6. 



Stjccessfxill Co-operation by Sheep Breeders in Quebec, in The Farmer's Advocate, 

 No. 1245, lyOndon, Ontario, 3 August 1916. 



Co-operative Marketing of Wool, in The Agricultural Gazette of Canada, Ottawa, Oc- 

 tober 191 6. 



Arkell \y. Reg.): Chief of Sheep Division, PreliniLnarj- Report of Wool-grading Oper-' 

 ations, 19 16, ibid. 



§ I. Government action for the grading of wooes. 



The enthusiastic support given by the Canadian government to the 

 development of co-operation witliin its territor}' is well known, as are the 

 excellent results already obtained by the organizing work it has inspired. 



Wool production and the trade in wool afford another example of the 

 usefulness of co-operation to farmers. An effort which had its co-ordinated 

 beginning only three years ago has given rise to a new situation which is 

 full of promise for the future and is already of great benefit to the producers 

 as well as to the wool industr3^ 



The central government's propaganda and that of the provincial gov- 

 ernments in favour of the co-operative sale of wool has been fruitful more 

 or less everywhere, although in some provinces this method of sale is still 

 in its initial period. 



Most farmers having a flock of sheep were formerly at the mercy of 

 woolmerchants who wandered about the country, from farm to farm, mak- 

 ing offers which the producer was in most cases obliged to accept, however 

 little he Hked them, unless he wished not to market his produce. The prices 

 paid on the spot by these dealers or their agents were naturally much lower 

 than those obtained in the large markets, and the small sheep-farmer was 

 thus deprived of the greater part of the profit wliich ought to have accrued 

 to him. It followed that he almost ceased to take interest in the improve- 



