314 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



these factories," said Mr. A. H. Baker, 

 manager of The Old Homestead Canning 

 Co., of Picton. " We have made contracts 

 with ii8 pea growers alone. Each of the 

 nine factories would easily average over loo 

 growers. The number of acres grown is 

 increasing rapidly each year. The produc- 

 ers are more numerous and the old growers 

 are supplying more than they did." 



With such a large percentage of the rural 

 population engaged in this work it is not 

 surprising that the situation between grow- 

 ers and the canners combine, as elsewhere 

 in Ontario, should be somewhat acute. In- 

 formation gathered by a representative of 

 The Canadian Horticulturist who visited 

 that county recently shows clearly the con- 

 ditions existing. The majority of the fac- 

 tories are in the Canners' Combine, which 

 syndicate has huge factories in different 

 parts of Ontario. Some of the factories 

 are independent concerns, who have been 

 having an up-hill fight against the combine. 

 The agitation for 30 cents per bushel for 

 tomatoes and the refusal of the combine to 

 pay that price augmented the already 

 strained conditions. 



" In districts where the combine has op- 

 position," said Mr. Baker, " they raise the 

 price so as to out-do the independent fac- 

 tories, but in sections where there is no in- 

 dependent factory they pull the price down 

 to make up for the extra price paid in the 

 other sections. Where the independent 

 factories pay five cents per box for berries 

 the combine go around and offer six cents, 

 while in another section, without opposi- 

 tion, they refuse to pay more than three and 

 three-quarter cents. In this way they try 

 to whip the independent factories into their 

 camp. Last year there was a surplus of 

 peas and the combine lowered the price un- 

 til it scarcely paid for production. While 

 we may lose a little they lose a whole lot. 

 They will have to repeat these practices 

 many times, however, before they will be 



able to put the independent factories out of 

 business." 



FACTORY OF THEIR OWN. 



In the Bloomfield district the refusal of 

 the combine to pay 30 cents per bushel for 

 tomatoes caused a number of the leading 

 growers to take decided action. 



" During the past five years." said Mr. J. 

 W. Hyatt, of West Lake, " the canners' 

 combine have practically controlled the can- 

 ning industry. They control the produc- 

 tion of raw material and the manufactured 

 product. Of late they have been controll- 

 ing the price as well. 



" Farmers should be only farmers. They 

 should not be millers nor canners. But the 

 cost of labor has increased 25 to 50 per cent, 

 and growers should receive more for the 

 raw material than they have been getting. 

 The canners refuse to give more. What 

 will be done if we surrender? Next year 

 they may lower the price. The longer we 

 wait the worse off we will be. 



'* After considering this important ques- 

 tion carefully," continued Mr. Hyatt, " the 

 growers around Bloomfield decided that 

 their interests would be served best by 

 forming a cooperative company. As a re- 

 sult The Farmers' Canning Company, Lim- 

 ited, of Bloomfield, has been organized. A 

 number one factory with first-class equip- 

 ment and a capacity of 20,000 cans per day 

 is being built. This year we will can our 

 own tomatoes and corn. 



" Tomatoes grown in Prince Edward 

 county are unequalled for quality and fla- 

 vor. W'e were dissatisfied because many 

 tomatoes of poorer quality and flavor grown 

 in other sections of the province were be- 

 ing branded with the Prince Edward county 

 brand. The same is true of peas. Prince 

 Edward peas are unexcelled. The syndi- 

 cates in many instances put up inferior 

 goods which hurt Canada in regard to the 

 canned goods trade. Many growers saw 

 that truck farming was about to be ruined. 



