Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1901-08-22
The Disposal of Farm Prod duce.

1t is common saying among some
producers of merchantable articles,
that to sell well is the principal part
of the business. The salesman Is the
chief officer of the manufacturer, and
the personal advertisement, as it may
be called of producer. is the agent
who sells the products. Why should
not a farmer follow the lead of other
producers, the thousand and one max
ers of many articles of domestic use,
who all keep agents on the road to
peddle their products? This part of
the business has heretofore given pro-
fitable employment to many thousands
of active men. who of course, have
really been paid by the purchasers
in the prices they have given for the
products purchased by them. Indeed
to change the method of distribution
of products is alleged to be the moving
principle of the common modern as
sociations called trusts, which are said
to be formed in the interest of the
consumers or purchasers to lessen
cost of sales. 1t may be so, but facts
tend to show that these great corpo-
rations formed, and still forming, are
expected to pay big dividends on the
inflated stock, and, as rule, in this
world the parties on one side of a
business transaction are not generally
fretting themselves very much about
the advantages gained by the pur-
chasers of their goods.
Why should not the farmer fall into
line with these modern improvements
in trade, and reduce costs in the way
of the disposition of his produce? He
may follow the lead of his bigger com
petitors and say, I'VE intend to dis
pose of our produce directly to the
purchasers, and so give them con-
siderable advantage in price gained by
the discarding of useless distributing
agents, and so go directly to them and
sell what we have to dispose Of
There is no difficulty about it. for like
that noted person Barkis, the other
party is willing. Producer and con-
sumner then come into actual contact,
and so business is done at the least
cost and most profit to both parties.
Some foresighted communities offer
encouragement to the farmers to do
business in this way by providing con-
veniences and facilities for direct trade
between the farmers and the towns
people. When residing some years
ago a few miles from New York. l
found it very convenient to send
wagon load of sweet corn, melons, Gu
cumbers, and all sorts of vegetables
and dispose of the stuff to any one
who would purchase. The purchasers
were chiefly the small storekeepers
who sold out the produce the next day
to the neighboring residents.
When living too far from that city
in Pennsylvania, and adjoining a large
town, was the first to start direct
trade with the townspeople, and did
it in this way Having large sur
plus of Strawberries above my own ne
cessities, | got a convenient hand truck
made, and loaded it up with boxes Of
strawberries. Just picked in the garden,
and sent boy to the village to try to
sell them, with instructions il no one
would buy them to give them away to
any family who might be likely to use
them, stating that if they wanted any
more they would be supplied. Very
soon the boy came back with the
empty truck and boxes, and said he
could sell twice as many more. These
more were gathered and sold, and in
this way, the ice being broken, the
trade increased until every thing l
had to spare was disposed of, and out
of it grew house-to-house trade in
cream, milk, butter, and indeed every
thing that could be made that was
good. The next year much larger pre-
parations were made. and the business
good. The next year much larger prep
arations were made, and the business
increased until some neighbors were
induced to join in and so the custom
became quite common. With the pres
ent conveniences as to the telephone.
how much may such enterprises be ex-
tended.-H S., in the Country Gentle
man.