84 BOAED OF AGRICULTURE. 



low as they can in competition with Western beef, and 

 they sell it to the consumer for three or four or five cents a 

 pound extra as home-grown beef. Where does the profit go ? 

 Not into the pocket of the producer or the consumer, but to 

 those butchers in Worcester who want to do so much for the 

 farmer. So it is Avith the lambs that are raised by the Hon- 

 orable Secretary of the Board of Agriculture and others. 

 These are the butchers we have got to deal with, and we 

 must arrange it in some way so that the consumer of this 

 extra quality of beef and the men who grow it shall receive 

 the benefit, in part. I believe in a co-operative plan that 

 will bring about this result. If we can bring the producer 

 and the consumer of milk, butter and beef nearer together, 

 it will be a mutual benefit ; and if the essayist or any other 

 man in the country can devise any feasible project for bring- 

 ing that about, he will be a public benefactor. 



Mr. Titus. I think the secret lies here : There is so 

 small an amount of beef fattened in the neighborhood of 

 Worcester, it is very likely any sharp butcher or dealer in 

 beef will go to these farmers and say, "I want beef;" and 

 he will drive a sharp bargain, getting the beef on the stand- 

 ard of the Western beef price. That is no weakness of the 

 project that I have in view. It is merely the result of facts 

 as they exist at the present time. My project is to have the 

 time come, and come as soon as it may, when there will be 

 a sufiicient quantity — or as near a sufficient quantity as 

 possible — of beef fattened in our own neighborhood to 

 supply the local market ; and then what will be the result ? 

 In all human probability, if we are to judge this business 

 by other kinds of business, the New England fattened beef 

 will have its price, and I hope it will not be any higher than 

 it is now, unless it is necessary to remunerate the producer 

 of the beef; but if it is a satisfactory quality of beef, it 

 will not necessarily be three or four cents a pound higher 

 than good beef is now, but it will command a price in the 

 market which will force down the price of the inferior 

 quality. I believe that is common sense. I believe that is 

 the way human afiairs are generally conducted. Mr. Taffc 

 suggests to me that I give the name of the butcher to whom 

 I referred. I have no hesitation in giving his name : it is 



