The Ontario Vegetable Growers' Convention 



THE aniuinl convention of the Ontario 

 Vegetable (irowers' Association was 

 held in tht- Canadian Foresters' Hall, 

 Toronto, on November 13th. Mr. Thos. 

 Delworth, Weston, in his address as 

 president, urged the Association to con- 

 tinue their efforts to have a bill passed 

 to have a standard of weights and mea- 

 sures all over the Dominion. He referr- 

 ed to the experiments with seed p>eas and 

 potatoes in New Ontario and to the Field 

 Crop Comjjetitions with vegetables. As 

 regards the high cost of living he 

 thought that a large share of the blame 

 rested on the consumer. By buying in 

 large quantities, especially for winter's 

 supply, as people used to do years ago, 

 a great saving would be effected. There 

 would be less work, less handling, and 

 consequently less expense to the middle- 

 man who could thus afford to sell more 

 cheaply. Certainly the producer was not 

 getting the benfit of the high prices. 



The secretary-treasurer, Mr. J. Lockie 

 Wilson, in his report gave a resume of 

 the year's work. He mentioned particu- 

 larly the work in connection with Field 

 Crop Competitions, the winners in which 

 competed at the Canadian National, Cen- 

 tral Canada, and Western Fairs. Dur- 

 ing 1912 at these three exhibitions no 

 less a sum than $2,500 was offered for 

 garden products alone, excluding flow- 

 ers. For 1913 he advocated the division 

 of the province into three sections to 

 show at Toronto, Ottawa, and London 

 respectively, and thus do away with the 

 long transportation of perishable articles 

 that prevailed in 191 2. Grants were 

 given to the Toronto, Ottawa, and Lon- 

 don branches in order to make a good 

 display at these shows. 



Mr. Wilson reported that the experi- 

 ments in New Ontario had not been con- 

 clusive owing to wet weather conditions, 

 but were fairly satisfactory nevertheless. 

 He advocated more extensive drainage 

 as being vital to success, and showed 

 how, if the Dominion Government would 

 admit ditching machines free, the far- 

 mer would be benefited, and no Canadian 

 industry injured, as these machines are 

 not manufactured in this country. About 

 four hundred bags of seed potatoes from 

 New Ontario are being shipped to the 

 members at a cost of one dollar seventy- 

 five cents a bag. Reports from the 

 branches showed increasing interest and 

 growth in membership. The cooperative 

 system of purchasing is saving the mem- 

 bers in some cases about one hundred 

 per cent. The dem.and for the .Annual 

 Report of the Association continues to 

 exceed the supply. 



A motion by W. J. Kerr, Ottawa, se- 

 conded by W. J. Robb, St. Thomas, 

 was carried asking the Dominion Gov- 

 ernment to admit free of duty traction 



ditching machines vhich are not manu- 

 factured in Canada and which would be 

 of inestimable benefit to the farmer in 

 \ icw of the present scarcity of labour 

 ;ind great cost of draining and the much 

 (hfaper results that may be obtained 

 from the use of these machines. 



A long discussion took place on the 

 transportation question, and many in- 

 stances of injustice and discrimination 

 on the part of transportation companies 

 were shown. A motion was carried ask- 

 ing the Government to afford some relief 

 to the vegetable growers by securing an 

 outlet for surplus produce, and to get 

 after the freight companies to give a 

 cheaper rate. To get the Government to 

 do this the Association must act coojser- 

 atively. 



COOPERATION IN BUYING 



The benefits of cooperative purchasing 

 were well shown by W. J. Kerr, Ottawa, 

 and Geo. Philp, St. Thomas, who had 

 had experience in purchasing in large 

 quantities the seeds and other supplies 

 required by the local vegetable growers. 

 There would be a saving of many thou- 

 sand dollars to the branches and a bet- 

 ter supply of stock secured were coopera- 



tive purchasing more generally followed. 



In the discussion that took place on 

 this subject itwas advised that the Asso- 

 ciation not only buy cooperatively, but 

 that it should try cooperative packing, 

 and selling by securing a reliable man, 

 say in the mining districts of New On- 

 tario, another in the prairie market, and 

 another in England, who will place the 

 produce in the hands of the consume.-s 

 directly, or as directly as possible. In 

 this way it v. as thought the members 

 would realize better prices for their pro- 

 duce. 



Prof. A. H. McLennan, of Guelph, 

 and Mr. T. G. Raynor, of Ottawa, ex- 

 plained how the crop competitions we.'e 

 conducted and the benefits derived fr'<m 

 competition through its stimulating effect 

 in raising the standard of quality in the 

 market. Mr. McLennan thought it well 

 to make each branch a separate district 

 and the prize crop in each district should 

 be displayed at the Canadian National 

 to compete one against the other. The 

 growers were cautioned to observe care 

 in the selection of seed, in the prepara- 

 tion of the soil, in the use of chemical 

 fertilizers and stable manures, and in the 



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