Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1869-12-03
when to Sell farm Products.

From the Hearth and Home.
In nine cases out of ten it pays to
sell farm products as soon as they
are ready for the market. The ag-
gregate loss by holding is at least ten
times the aggregate gain, taking the
experience Of any hundred farmers
together.
Take grain. In the natural order
of things, the supply is equal to the
demand. The exceptions are when
war takes from the producing class,
and adds to the consuming class,
which, in addition to the waste and
expense of transportation, inevitably
arguments the demand, while de-
creasing the production, and of course
increases the price; or when fail
ure of some crop in some section
places the supply below the needs Of
that section, aud other and more or
less remote districts are under the
necessity of making up the deficiency.
But both Of these causes are ex-
ceptional.-The world is slowly but
surely learning that the worst use
that can be made of men is to form
into regiments and set them to shoot
ing at each other. And as to the
failure of the grain crop in any Sec
ton, it has almost become an axiom
tina. when corn or wheat is below
the average, something else that can
take the place of one or both is above
and thus the general, average, ex-
cept in rare cases, is preserved.
Then as to potatoes. They are
generally less in the fall than in the
spring, but the larger price in May
rarely if ever nets as much as the
smallest price of October. The
shrinkage in the six months is never
less than IS per cent. under the most
favorable circumstances, and is like.
ly to much greater.
The wool. Generally the clip is
bought up in July and August. 1t
not sold then, it must be held till the
next year, and although there is no
shrinkage, if properly kept, yet there
is some trouble, the interest of the
money, and the possibility Of even a
less price which the possibly advance
in very large majority of cases new
er cover; and thus in every depart
ment of the farm.
The principle that should underlie
this department of farm operation is
raise the best, when the crop is ready
for market, if offered fair price, lie,
it so.
AS a commentary OH the sngges.
tons, the experience Of two farmers,
living in the same New England
town, is in point. In the fall of 1855
both cleaned up the same day &C
bushels of white beans, the product
of the year. One sold his crop ter
days afterward for three and quar-.
ter dollars bushel, putting $195 in
his pocket, The other "held'' his
crop when offered three and quar-
ter, he asked three and a halt-was
confident that they would soon be
worth four. To make long story
short, he kept them till last spring
the market all the time failing, till
failing to sell them at any price him.
self, he sent them to commission
merchant, some time in May, for lis
disposal. He sold one barrel, in June
| for two dollars bushel. This fall
opening ono of the seventeen left to
show customer, who thought he
might pay a dollar and . half, he
found covered with green mould, req.
dering them utterly unsalabls.
The farmer has ordered them home
and proposes to feed them to his
sheep (if they will eat them.) Con
6dent that the trouble Of mind he
has had and the loss of 1t least one
hundred and fifty dollars will suffice
to teach him this lesson-when any
crop is ready for market, il offered .
, far Price, sell.