170 REPORT OF THE SCOTTISH COMMISSION 



and the market is so gre£|J}, and the supply meantime so limited that 

 the demand has not yet arisen for preserve works and canning 

 establishments to utilise surplus fruit. No doubt, in course of time, 

 the inferior grades of fruit, and the softer varieties, will be preserved 

 and shipped mainly to the North-West Provinces. 



Co-operation 



The agricultural communities which have adopted co-operation, 

 have done so less by desire than necessity. Denmark, for example, 

 did not adopt the co-operative method in connection with her 

 agriculture until her farmers were on the verge of ruin. Irish 

 agriculture has been admittedly in a disastrous condition for 

 generations. Many expedients have been tried to improve matters. 

 It is only a few years however since Sir Horace Plunkett initated 

 the co-operative movement which now seems to be the main hope 

 of Irish agriculture. The same need does not exist for co-operation 

 in countries of the new world as in countries of the old world, 

 because there is not the same poverty which seems to be the com- 

 pelling force. We hear little, therefore, about it in the first stages 

 of a new country's development. When, however, it becomes 

 apparent to the colonist that co-operation is a necessity to the 

 development of his trade, prejudices do not trouble him. He brushes 

 them aside, provided he is satisfied that co-operation means more 

 money. And so, the Canadian fruit-grower being satisfied that co- 

 operation was to his advantage, seems to have had little difficulty 

 in getting into line with the movement. It had a very humble 

 beginning. In Ontario a few of the small growers, finding it difficult 

 to sell small lots of fruit, bound themselves together and appointed 

 a salesman. They were thus able to get better terms from the 

 railway companies, to eliminate to some extent the middleman, and 

 to get into closer touch with the consumer. The movement had 

 as yet, however, only touched the rim of the subject. There was 

 the grading and the packing of the fruit. This department has now 

 come within the sweep of the co-operative movement to the great 

 advantage of the Canadian fruit-grower. Nor is this all. Some of 

 the co-operative associations are manufacturing their barrels on their 

 own premises and thus reducing the cost of shipping their fruit. 

 In 1906 there were two co-operative Societies in Nova Scotia, 

 twenty-five in Ontario, and nine in British Columbia. Doubtless 

 there are many more to-day. Their ramifications and their in- 

 fluence will widen with the years. They cannot but have a beneficial 

 effect on the development of fruit-growing in Canada. 



