The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-05-29

I
phia are 100 per cent. better than our LeIing-
| ton Market and it is n patent fact that the peo-
| pie of Baltimore do not get hrst-class goods.
| They are shipped elsewhere for the reason that
| the farmer cannot sell here profitably, and for
| the reason that he's denied a market. Potatoes
| cost 80 cents bushel in market, and are
| bought from the farmer ut Bolton Depot for
| % cents
The markets in Baltimore do not meet the
| demands of the times. Let us take the Lexing-
ton market us an example, this market being
| acknowledged the leading market in the city.
| The question is often asked. why do not
| farmers come to Baltimore and sell their pro-
duce to-day as they once did ~ This is easily
answered. The average farmer to-day in
Maryland lives in II comfortable home and is
not willing TO expose himself in an open shed
| like Lexington market ut all seasons of the
year, which he would have to do, II he brought
| his produce to this market. Nor can he afford
| it. He would rather take his chances with the
Western farmer and deal through the middle
| man. Owing to the expense the farmer has
allowed the system to grow until the dealer
| has absolute control of this and all other mar
| kets When the Lexington Market was built
| i'll 1903, the stalls were put up mt auction, and
| the right of lease was sold to the highest bid
| der. The price of this is sold too high for the
| farmer, and is entirely out of proportion to
what he would have to pay in a Philadelphia
| In the markets of PhiladeIphia a farmer can
sell from stall in comfortable market
| house, as comfortable as any mercantile house
| in Baltimore, everything, including all meats,
| etc. For the sum of $40 per year, a farmer
can procure the best stall in the market. In
| the baltimore market there is a city ordinance
| that meat sold in less quantity than Il quarter
| must be from butchers stall and nowhere
| else. To sell his other produce 1t would be ne
| cessary for him to have also produce STALL
| necessitating two stalls in that city, while i'll
| PHILADELPHIA one only is necessary For the
| farmer to rent two stalls at the price that is
| asked to-day by those who own the right of
| lease from the city, would cost for the best
| stall SO each per month or $50 per month,
| S2i0 per year. six times what it would cost the
| farmer who sells in tie farmers markets OF
Philadelphia.
| There being no farmers in the markets of
Baltimore, for obvious reasons, there is no adj
| vantage gained in marketing in the Lexington
/ market, except in variety, over dealing at the
| nearby grocer, for the market men are dealers
| and not producers, any more than is the green
4 grocer.
| A farmers market with cold storage facilities,
| owned and controlled by farmers. is the most
| absolutely necessary matter for the farmers
consideration to-day, and if he and his neighbor
are wise they will carefully consider this mat
ter in all of its practical ana truthful bearings
| 1t is important that farmers market be con-
troled by farmers when not SO controlled,
rules and laws are made in nearly every mar
| ket that prevent the sale of all his products
| from one stall, much to his disadvantage, but
| Il certain number of city dealers should be in
| duced TO join with the farmer who would fur
| nish such household necessities as the farmer
| does not handle. The combined efforts of these
| two tenants cannot tail to make the market
| Il financial success. During certain months OF
| the year farmers could store large quantities
| OF eggs. butter, cheese, frut, meats poultry
and game also all kinds of vegetables i'll the
| cold storage room which should 10y all means
| be Il part of farmers market and in the
course OF two or three months the advance in
| price of these goods would be such as to enable
| the storer to make big profit without incur
ring any unnecessary risk. The public would
| then become educated and understand that
they can procure at any season OF the year, at
| fair price, any article that without the adj
vantage of cold storage facilities, would be I'M
seasonnble. 1t also places the farmer on the
same footing with the wholesale dealers and
commission men, and the large profits to be re-
| ceivcd, encourages him to raise more and bet
| ter goods.
The establishment of farmers markets in
Philadelphia shows that the farmers have been
| benefited. Co to that city and spend a day
| in visiting her uangniCent markets, especially
her farmers markets. There will be found
| iyi1aa tdcis evidence that the farmers have
| made practical hit for the betterment OF their
condition.
The Reading Terminal Market, formerly the
| 10Th street farmers market, which paid divi-
dends of from 10 to II per cent. for many
years, and finally S116.5O advance on par value
of stock is beyond doubt the most complete
and systematic to be found in this country. Its
| simple construction, thorough ventilation, its
| substantial stalls and extraordinary railway
| facilities. make this the most model market
| of its character in the country. The wise pro-
vision made for the farmers to occupy the
middle stalls of this market shows forethought
| and excellent Judgment. The farmers have
| made the market big success. and situated in
| the very heart of the business portion of the
| city, it is very accessible both to the farmer
and the consumer.
The cold storage department or the heading
Terminal Markets is most completely arranged
| in every particular. There are overhead car
riers cOntrived so that meat etc, may be ia ken
direct, from the cars, run ny elevators and
placed in any part of the vaults without I'M
necessarily handling. The rooms ana galleries
| form a perfect labyrinth 80 feet below the
level of the street, and are said to cover six
| acres of space. At the sides are warerooms
without refrigerating appliances, which any
far. ner may rent to house potatoes, arrange
his stock or keep anything he wishes. The
meat rooms have uniform temperature of 10
| degrees above zero, which is maintained during
| the year. Of course meats OF ali Kinds can be
| kept in such a temperature Tor an indefinite
/ time. The fruit rooms come next, where the
| temperature is kept at 81 degrees. Here are
| apples, pears and grapes, which were stored
| away, looking and tasting as fresh and perfect
| as when placed there. In another place eggs are
| kept at the same temperature. They were being
| taken out and sold ut current market rates,
| The fruit was being sold at three times what it
| was worth when stored. Butter was kept at
| IL degrees in another department the year
| round. Young chickens which bring 10 cents
| u pound in the summer, are put in here and
| taken out and sold i'll the late winter and early
| spring for from 30 cents to 10 cents per pound
| From the game room were being taken birds
| and rabbits, which were put there when the
| markets were overcrowded. Other places Wis.,
/ tied were the chill room. where packages con-
| renters OF stalls may pickle their beef, etc.,
| and the ice storage department. where pure
| manufactured ice is sold to consumers at soc.
| The result will be that the rates for perishable
goods will be lowered, and the dealer be en-
| abled to sell much larger quantity and make
| a greater return than he now does for the mass
| of the people will then be enabled to purchase
| luxuries in the market more frequently, be-
| cause of the lesSened cost. The dealer in the
| market is relieved from the worry and trouble
| and great expense incident to the use of ice,
| while the butcher can now kill larger num-
| Der ut his convenience. stare the quarters and
| halves in bulk and withdraw them as he desires.
| made more sweet and tender by the exposure
| to the pure, dry, cold air OF the rooms pro
1
| would alone enhance the market interests. for
| in these days of quick competition i'll the West,
| our fruit and vegetable interest must be keyed
ND to the highest tension. In Maryland hum
| dred of thousands of dollars worth OF fruit has
| gone to vase that C Juld have been saved by
| cold storage.
| The prices our farmers receive for their goods
| is above the average of farmers markets
| where there is no cold storage, and 1t IS my
opinion that in city like haltimote the results
| will bo equally as good il not better: ny stof-
| ing goods an advantage can be had of price not
| only i'll the city where the market is located,
| but in other cities where there is Il demand.
| The Ridge Avenue Market, Philadelphia, IS
| essentially farmers market, built and owned
| by stock company of farmers, and controlled
by n directory of six farmers and three CITY
| men. Both sellers and buyers are protected
from the weather. 1t is well lighted by cleo
tricity in addition to the natural light OF day,
and is kept scrupulOusly clean. 1t is not ne
cessary to go into details as to finances when 1t
can be .tatca in brief, THAT whom the buildings
| were finished the corporation owed Sl3,ooo,
| which has all since been paid but SlO,Oou
| 1t should be remembered that all this time
| the company has been paying dividends OF ~
| per cent excepting the first three years, when
it paid per cent. The farmers are allotted
| the choicest stalls on the inside rows, paying
for them $40 per year. The outside stalls are
rented to butchers and city dealers. The farm
ers are privileged to sell any products OF the
farm. City dealers pay rent of 500 per year
per stall. A similar discrimination in favor OF
the farmer is made IN all markets. IN F9ilad DEL
phia. 1t vas leapnEd thai l,a5q oIt OF 2,Ooo
| shares Of the Ridge Avenue Market are owned
by farmers; that the stock, the par value OF
which is $50, is worth Sl65 per sharei that the
| people think that they cannot haVe SUCCESS
full market without fuPmefs, and that the auS-
| crs will thFong most whore they arc, for they
| know that the produce sold by them Is tresh
| and reliable. That out of 327 stalls in this
market, 200 are rented by farmers
The Girard Avenue Market, Philadelphia, Is
another illustration that farmers markets
| pay, and is largely supported by the consumer
| rs well as the green grocer, who comes TO tue
| farmers markets to get his supplies at whole
sale from the grower directly.
| The geographical position of Maryland oHers
to farmers peculiar advantage in the disposition
! | of their produce. We are in immediate prnNl
. lI,itJ to the gEeab expert eenFets OF tue east
| orn United States, and more than that we nave
within radius nf 200 miles l2S7l ,b2o native
consumers of the very things we produce, not
withstanding this, consider what Vantage We
enjoy over the farmOra OF the faF West IN sell
ing our produce, though VS. can see tne re
Elected light of city said to contain h2a,ou'
inhabitants. yet we ind that the opportunltle
l | are not in proportion to the DISTANCE iron
1 Ns,ptat Ian m