FREIGHT RATES ON FRUIT. 



previously in the soil. To restore the mulch 

 and prevent this evaporation, the fruit, 

 grower is compelled to start his cultivator 

 going very soon after the shower. 



Upon these considerations are based the 

 principles and the practice of orchard culti- 

 vation. Granting the soundness of these 

 conclusions, the fruit-grower will readily 

 infer that he should have, for the conser- 

 vation of moisture, two distinct objects in 



view at two distinct seasons of the year : 

 he must cultivate in the autumn so as to 

 prepare his land to receive and retain the 

 precipitation of the late autumn and winter; 

 and he must cultivate in the spring and sum- 

 mer so as to conserve the moisture that the 

 soil has obsorbed during the inactive season. 

 How these two objects are best attained will 

 form the subject of the subsequent articles 

 under this head. 



FREIGHT EATES ON FEUITS 



THE Fruit Growers convention at Walk- 

 erton has furnished another proof of 

 the vital importance of the freight rate 

 question to every productive industry. The 

 railways are everywhere the link connecting 

 producers with consumers, whether the 

 markets served be domestic or foreign, and 

 it is consequently an easy matter for any 

 industry to be rendered unprofitable and 

 thus crowded out by excessive freight 

 charges. About a year ago the fruit grow- 

 ers carried on an energetic agitation in 

 favor of a general reduction in freight 

 charges, especially in the rates designed to 

 establish distribution centres in Manitoba 

 and the Northwest. One of the most 

 serious causes of complaint was the grading 

 of fruit as less than car lots when a fruit 

 grower loaded a car with different varieties. 

 The difference in the rate was sufficient to 

 shut out many Ontario fruit growers from 

 the western market, there being few dealers 

 able to order an entire car of a single 

 variety. There were also complaints as to 

 discrimination designed to affect the course 

 of trade and to favor certain western points 

 as distributing centres. The decision of the 

 fruit growers was at that time to the effect 

 that little or no relief could be obtained 

 until a railway commission was appointed, 



with authority to pronounce as to the fair- 

 ness of freight rates and to determine all 

 disputed points between the railway and 

 their patrons. The convention at Walker- 

 ton has reiterated that view. The resolu- 

 tion adopted on motion of Mr. W. H. 

 Bunting, of St. Catharines, declared the 

 belief of the convention that freight rates 

 would not be placed on an equitable basis 

 until a railway commission was appointed, 

 with authority to go from point to point, in- 

 vestigate grievances and publish reports 

 setting forth the facts disclosed. Delegates 

 were appointed to wait upon the Govern- 

 ment and co-operate with the farmers' 

 associations and other organizations in 

 urging the appointment of a railway com- 

 mission. 



The discussion on the resolution did not 

 bring out any divergent views, although it 

 served to disclose a wide variety of com- 

 plaints. One member complained that rail- 

 ways would not give rates to competing 

 points without consulting their competitors. 

 This would indicate a rather close combina- 

 tion or working agreement to maintain 

 charges at the endurance level. A com- 

 plaint, apparently growing out of the policy 

 of charging according to the bearing power 

 of the traffic, was to the effect that different 



