488 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



vested here in proper equipment for the carry- 

 ing on of the market gardening industry and 

 the early production of vegetables (amounting 

 to many millions of dollars) , but many thou- 

 sand families rely on the maintenance and de- 

 velopment of this industry for their subsist- 

 ence. 



6. The industry is susceptible of very great 

 extension and of furnishing a profitable and 

 happy livelihood to a large class of our agri- 

 cultural population. 



7. It is to be borne in mind that the market 

 gardeners of Canada pay considerable duties 

 on every article that they use in their industry, 

 on garden tools, on harness, carts, wagons, all 

 agricultural implements, on their clothes, the 

 materials for their conservatories and in fact 

 all that they use for the prosecution of their 

 industry; they do not, however, object to such 

 conditions if a protective policy is deemed 

 necessary in the countrj-'s interests. The mar- 

 ket gardeners merely ask for a rea,sonable pro- 

 tection of their own interests. 



8. The association in no way seeks to obtain 

 the exclusion of American garden produce, but 

 the enactment of such changes in the Canadian 

 tariff, on the lines adopted by the United 

 Statesers in their own country, as will secure 

 fair and stable conditions in our own vege- 

 table markets and prevent our home market 

 being made the dumping ground for the surplus 

 produce of the United States. 



9. A careful examination would show that 

 our market gardeners, if encouraged, would be 

 in a position to supply most of the require- 

 ments of our markets during the whole year 

 with new and fresh vegetables, such as lettuce, 

 watercress, radishes, celery, cauliflower, cu- 

 cumbers, spinach, parsley, etc., at fair prices. 



10. The Canadian duty on vegetables im- 

 ported into Canada is as follows: 



Beans, 15 cents per bushel. 



Peas, 10 cents per bushel. 



Potatoes, 15 cents per bushel. 



Vegetables not otherwise provided for, 25 

 per cent. 



Fresh tomatoes, 20 cents per bushel and 10 

 per cent, ad valorem. 



11. The United States duty on vegetables im- 

 ported from Canada is as follows : 



Beans, 45 cents per bushel of 60 lbs. 

 Cabbages, 3 cents each. 

 Onions, 40 cents per bushel. 

 Green Peas, 40 cents per bushel. 

 Potatoes, 25 cents per bushel of 60 lbs. 

 Vegetables in their natural state not other- 

 wise provided for, 25 per cent, ad valorem. 



(To be concluded in January i>?.ue ) 



Coopers to Combine 



The manufacturers of barrels, boxes and bas- 

 kets throughout Ontario purpose forming a 

 combine. They say they do not do so with the 

 hope of advancing prices as is the case with 

 most combines. Two years ago, w'hen the 

 coopers took advantage of a shortage in stocks 

 and held out for excessive prices, the result 

 was that the following year found cement men, 

 millers and others using bags and sacks, while 



the fiuit growers adopted a standard box and 

 agitated for the use of boxes instead of barrels 

 lor shipping fruit. 



i he cooperage manufacturers realize that if 

 they supply barrels at reasonable prices they 

 tan restore their market, and it is with the 

 purpose of reducing the price to the producer 

 that the combine is being formed. 



A meeting for this purpose was held recently 

 in Toronto. About 20 manufacturers have 

 signified their intention of forming a joint stock 

 company. It is proposed to have a central of- 

 fice for buying and selling stock and output. 

 In this way travellers would be dispensed with 

 and the expenses materially decreased. In- 

 spectors would be employed to see that high 

 grade stock was supplied. An effort is being 

 made to get others to join the combination. As 

 soon as 80 per cent, of the output is under con- 

 trol the company will be incorporated. 



Would Reduce the Tariff 



The retail fruit and vegetable merchants of 

 Toronto and London appeared before the Tariff 

 Commission and asked for considerable reduc- 

 tions in the duty on certain products coming 

 into Canada. 



At Toronto the case was presented by Mr. F. 

 C. Higgins, who pointed out that climatic con- 

 ditions prevented Canadians from producing 

 certain fruits and vegetables. In those pro- 

 ducts that are grown here he said that there 

 is a natural protection in the perishability of 

 the goods, and in the expense entailed in put- 

 ting them on the Canadian market. 



It was claimed that the existing duty of 25 

 per cent, on cranberries is prohibitive, and as 

 the production in Canada is small the tariff 

 should be reduced to $1.00 a barrel. At pres- 

 ent it amounts to about $3.00. The present 

 duty of two cents a pound on grapes was 

 thought to be double what it should be. On 

 strawberries the same duty was said to be ex- 

 cessive. In peaches it was asked that the 

 duty of one per cent, per pound be reduced to 

 half a cent from December 1 to August 15, and 

 left as it is the remainder of the year. 



Mr. Frank Simpson asked for a reduction on 

 potatoes from 15 to 10 cents a bushel. It was 

 thought the duty of 25 per cent, on tomatoes 

 was ample. The dutj' on onions should be re- 

 duced from 15 to 10 cents a bushel. On cucum- 

 bers, asparagus, celery and cauliflower it was 

 asked that the present duty be retained. 



Mr. G. G. Steele presented the case at Lon- 

 don, and said that the importations did not in- 

 terfere with the fruit men. The following 

 changes were asked for: Tomatoes, 25 cents 

 a bushel instead of 20 cents and 10 per cent.; 

 potatoes, reduction from 15 to 10 cents a 

 bushel melons, reduction from 25 to 121^ per 

 cent.; onions, reduction from 25 per cent, to 

 10 cents a bushel; cranberries, restoration of 

 old duty of 30 cents a bushel; grapes, reduc- 

 tion from two cents to one cent a pound, or, 

 failing that reduction, to one cent on grapes 

 from Spain and California; peaches, reduction 

 from one cent to half a cent a pound from De- 

 cember 1 to August 15. 



