WHEAT IN CANADA 279 



late years the railway facilities have improved to 

 such an extent that in the future such difficulties 

 are improbable. 



The general practice of the farmer here is to sell 

 his wheat directly to the local elevator for cash. 

 Where competition in buying exists this results 

 in a fair price to the producer. Where, because of 

 monopoly in ownership or operation of line eleva- 

 tors, there is no competition, prices have not been 

 held to a reasonable figure. __In order to meet such 

 a condition, cooperative companies have been 

 organized which ship their own wheat and sell it 

 through commission merchants. 



The great market center of Canada is the city 

 of Winnipeg. There most of the grading and 

 inspecting of wheat is done, and a large Board of 

 /Trade has been organized. The importance of this 

 city is partially due to the fact that it is situated 

 at the confluence of two navigable streams, the 

 Red River of the North and the Assiniboine. 

 Another and probably a larger factor which makes 

 it important is that it is the converging point 

 of the great Canadian railways. These factors 

 cause the bulk of Canadian wheat shipments to 

 pass through Winnipeg. Because of this fact it 

 has become an inspection point, - - wheat cars 

 are there opened, samples are taken and graded 

 and then used as a basis of sales. The great 

 elevators which mark the places of transfer and 



