84 EUEAL LIFE IN CANADA 



oats, barley and potato crop through the spectacles of 

 the miller and the consumer in general, assuring us that 

 if that be done it will raise the average value of these 

 crops by several per cent, simply by making the supply 

 already secured more uniform in quality. 



Yet again, potatoes have been delivered on board cars 

 at vSpencerville at thirty cents a bushel, and report says 

 that the same potatoes have been sold at Toronto, still 

 on board cars, at a dollar a bushel. That more than 

 double the amount paid the farmer — whose labor is ex- 

 pended months in advance, whose capital is engaged 

 throughout the year — should be paid to the first middle- 

 man and the transportation company, whose capital is 

 engaged in this transaction for a few days only, is not 

 conducive to the satisfaction of the farmer. The cause 

 of what seems an excessive difference in price would 

 appear to be due to the fact that farmers are not organ- 

 ized for business purposes. Co-operation is absent. 



Too small a proportion of the price paid by the 

 ultimate purchaser goes to the farmer. Part at 

 least of the excessive cost of agricultural products 

 is not due to anything that the farmer does or 

 leaves undone. According to the United States De- 

 partment of Agriculture it cost approximately 55 

 per cent, of what the consumer paid to take the farm 

 products of that country from the farmer to the con- 

 sumer. What the farmer sold for six billion dollars 

 consumers paid thirteen and one-third billions. A Com- 

 mission appointed by the State of New York reported 

 lately that the food of New York, as received from the 

 farmers, costs, laid down at the railway terminals, 

 $350,000,000 a year, but delivered to the homes 

 $500,000,000. This added charge of 43 per cent, the 



