140 THE POSSIBILITIES 



analysis of the Covent Garden prices and a 

 comparison of the same with retail prices, which 

 is being made from time to time in the daily 

 papers, proves that the customer pays for 

 vegetables at the rate of 6d. to Is., and some- 

 times more, for each penny realised by the 

 grower. But in a country of imported food 

 it must be so : the grower who himself sells 

 his own produce disappears from its markets, 

 and in his place appears the middleman.* If 

 we move, however, towards the East, and go to 

 Belgium, Germany, and Russia, we find that 

 the cost of living is more and more reduced, 

 so that finally we find that in Russia, which 

 remains still agricultural, wheat costs one-half 

 or two-thirds of its London prices, and meat 

 is sold throughout the provinces at about 

 ten farthings (kopecks) the pound. And we 

 may therefore hold that it is not yet proved at 

 all that it is cheaper to live on imported food 

 than to grow it ourselves. 



But if we analyse price, and make a distinction 

 between its different elements, the disadvantage 

 becomes still more apparent. If we compare, 



* During the winter of 1890 a friend of mine, who lived in 

 a London suburb, used to get his butter from Bavaria per parcel 

 post. It cost him 10a. the eleven pounds in Bavaria, parcel 

 post inclusive (2s. 2d.), 6d. for the money order, and 2fd. the 

 letter ; total, less than 11s. Butter of an inferior quality (out 

 of comparison), with 10 to 15 per cent, of water inclusive, was 

 sold in London at Is. 6d. the Ib. at the same time. 



