The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1879-10-31

stores ~ vegetables. hcei, pork. buittr
apples. etc, aud farmers are receiving
the returns for their summers labor
Marketing Is one Of the fine arts. which
every farmer does not understand. II
j. the trade Of the farmer 10 produce
the trade 81 the merchant Is "a bny and
sell. and Il must be confessed that the
buyer Is often too shrewd for the pro
Queer. As we once heard II put. = Far
mers are too honest "a make much profit
ont of their produce. N bui this j. not 80.
Honesty j. the best policy for producer,
middle-man, and consumer. II farmers
do not always sell their produce 10 the
best advantage. II is not the fault u
their honesty. bat rather II their igno-
rance. The merchant studies tho mar
kets closely. lie knows what The de-
mand i and what the supply III; where
there i surplus profnct ard when
there Is deficiency; when the market
is likely Ia rise and when 70 fall. aud
buys and sells accordingly, often clear
ing more In one day than the producer
gains from his summer toll True,
the middle-man also loses heavily occa-
sionally from bad debts and mistakes III
his calculations, 50 that the advantage
i not all on his side; but we wish farm
ers would give more attention 10 mar
keting their produce. In order 10 DO
this they need not become merchants.
for we believe fully in every man stick
ing 70 his trade, but they should study
some Of the ways Of the middle-men-
II i, doubtless. true that some men
are born farmers. aud Others inherit a
constitutional tendency for trade, and il
is not worth while 70 20 contrary % the
law of hercdity. and spoil farmer by
making merchant Of him: bnt every
producer should understand the princi-
pies Of trade sufficiently todiSnosc ~ his
own produce to the best advantage lie
must also buy groceries and dry-goods
10 greater or less extent for hiS family.
and 80 far Is. necessarily. merchant.
We, therefore, may do farmers service
by calling their attention to The tricks
we mean principleS--of merchants. We
have already alluded 70 studying
the state Of the market. The merchant
looks over the price current as soon rs
his daily newspaper comes into his
hand. He knows whether cheese j. ris-
ing or falling, and buys and sells cheese
accordingly. The same Is true Of APP
pies, potatoes, and every other product.
He not only looks at the price current ia
one city, but in al the great markets.
and compares production with consump-
ton on large scale II potatoes
are rotting in one section If the
country and not in another. he knows
when to buy and when to sell. This
range Of vision Is not confined 10 one
township. The farmer having a good
crop Of apples is too apt to think that
every one else has the same. and con-
tracts to sell under this impression At
too low rate, thus not only diminish
ing his own profits, but damaging his
feilow-producers BY establishing low
prices. Merchants are careful not 10
ruin each Others prices, knowing very
well that this practice reacts to the dam
age Of their own trade. Farmers may
not intend to undcrsell each other. but
they do not connect together A. do mcr-
chants, and. each acting independently.
some one selling ignorantly At too low
rate makes precedent which buyers
plead in their purchases tor others. II
A sells apples AZ - per barrel and Il At
=. the price is far more likely 10 fall to
the latter figure than to rise 70 the
former. II y has only few apples Ia
sell, and does not much care at what
price they 70. he should have some re-
gard for A, who has large orchard. on
which he j. mainly dependent for an in
come. a little more consultation and
cooperation in marketing would be- Of
great service 70 the farming community.
1t i principle with merchants and
manufacturers 10 give their goods an at
tractive appearance. Dry-goods are
well starched and CLOSED, and groceries
ere done up in neat packages. Farmers
should learn lesson in this regard from
the manufacturer. 1.-two tubs Of butter
are taken to market from the same dai-
ry and Of the same quality, and one j.
neatly balled and tastefully stamped,
and the other is in uncomely rolls. the
fancy balls win bring fancy price,
while the untidy rolls can with difficult
~ be sold at any price. We have heard
il said that the Star-buftcr Is no better
than that If hundred 9TH
er diaries that sells for third a. much,
and that II IL folly for the consumer 10
pay 30 much for a stamp: but il con-
sumers prefer 70 pay this extra, then II
is folly for farmers not 10 put on the
stamp. Good looks 20 great way in
selling produce as well as in securing
husbands. The quality Of the product
should be the first aim. but as beaufi-
full woman may be made to look ug-
" by an unbccoming dress, 70 good hut
ter looks badly and sells poorly when
thrust carelessly into rusty tin pail
A little taste on the part Of the farmer
pays roundly when he goes to market,
and II i not enough that this taste
should be manifest in his products. II
should be seen also in his person and
equipage a stylish delivery wagon