Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1905-08-29
Shall We Sell or Store?
A CRUCIAL QUESTION AT THIS sEAso,

anu Wnen tney SDal uiSpOSe VI tneir
crops. No part of their business re-
quires more thoughtful attention or, as
a rule, receives less. The show" of the
disposal is not so perplexing as the
"when." If the grower is willing to sell
at current prices, he can usually find a
market for his crops; but if he attempts
to decide whether he shall hold them or
not, then he is apt to be puzzled.
The trouble seems to be that great
many farmers do not know some do
not even seek to know-what each of
their crops cost them to raise, else they
could at least tell whether, at the price
offered. they were selling at profit or
loss. Certainly in the case of periShable
crops, such as apples, potatoes and
cabbages, it would appear to be the best
policy to sell Immediately, if even only a
moderate return above cost can be
assured, unless the grower can afford to
run the risk of possible loss, has stor
age facilities, and can command a mar
ket at any time. There are not few
farmers who are thus fortunately placed
and who do hold their crops, and THEN
example is followed by too many who
are not in position to do SO. There is
not much risk of deterioration or ma
terial shrinkage in crops like wheat,
oats, corn and beans by holding over,
but even these are better disposed of If
a reasonable profit is to be had. II
generally happens that when crops are
light, prices are high, and the reverse
when crops are plentiful, so that, in the
latter case, as seems likely this year, it
is well to remember that there is more
money in big crops at moderate figures
than in small crops at high ones. Hold
ing over crops is nothing more nor less
than gambling in chances, as there are
very few farmers who can predict with
certainty what prices will be months
ahead. Professional buyers have means
of information which enable them To
gauge the situation pretty correctly,
which information is studiously kept
from the producers; but even these
astute gentlemen make miscalculations
as in the case of apples for
the past two years.
In this section, last fall, there was a
good crop of potatoes, and those who
were wise sold at Coo. per bushel, which
was freely offered Those who were
not, by far the greater number, stored
their potatoes, baSing their action on
the remembrance of the price of the
spring previous, S1.25 The consequence
was, when spring came there was
of the potato market;
cars were filled at II cents and even 10
cents, and wagonloads or less brought
only 20 and % cents. 1t was pitiable
sight to see the procession of wagons
going to the city day after day in which
were consignments of magnificent tubers
to be sacrificed. The unfortunate as
serted that had all the crop been mar
keted in the fall, there would have been
a big drop in prices. Had prices drop
ped to 10 cents, would not the sellers
have been infinitely better off than they
were? In these days farmers, with the
now obtainable, should and
do have no difficulty in raising at least
200 bushels to the acre. Such, who sold
last fall, realized Sl20 per acre; the
others, SO to $50. Who of the older
readers of the Country Gentleman does
not remember the case of L. b. Terry,
who hauled his potatoes II miles to
Cleveland at 81 cents buShel and made
plenty of money at it? If he could do
that, there surely can be no reason why
farmers, with their increased advan-
tages, cannot do it now. An old neigh
Dor, now dead, who made potatoes his
main crop, once told me that he never
prumbled if he could get 80 cents a
bushel for them, and the large, we'll
titled farm and the snug bank account
he left behind him bore silent testimony
to the reason why.
Cabbages, largely raised in this
vicinity, are another crop full of risk to
the gambler. | have known them sold
here as low as S2 per ton, and as high as
S45. Ten tons to the acre may be taken
as fair crop, and s. per ton is about
the price obtainable in the fall, unless
there is small crop, when it may rise
to $40; yet comparatively few are willing
to sell at those prices, preferring to take
the chance of big profits in the spring.
Once now and then they win, but rarely
make enough to offset previous losses
from shrinkage, rot, and damage by
frost in the pits. Now, is not $50 an
acre in the fall. with the crop out of
hand, better than running hazards in
the winter and uncertain prices in the
end? Then, too, if the money received
is not needed for current expenses, it
can be banked, and several months
interest will have accrued by the time
the crop would have been disposed of
il held over.
Although apples can now be placed in
cold storage easily and safely, with
option of removal at any time, would
hesitate to store any unless they were
very choice and of some highly-esteemed
variety, if prices were any way reason
able in the fall. For the average farmer
it must mean loss, as he seldom exer-
cises conscientious care in filling his
barrels. When taken out of storage, he
would have to sort over his apples, as
the buyer would take no rubbish at that
time, and according to the amount OF
such in his barrels, SO great would be
his loss. The buyer, when purchasing
of a farmer who picks and barrels his
own apples, in fixing his price always
takes into account the possible elasticity
of the farmers conscience in sorting his
fruit: so that il farmer will be careless
or uuscrupulous in his apple dealing,
he had better take the first offer he gets,
as he will probably realize all or more
than his apples are worth. l am sure
that the majority of farmers do not
mean to be dishonest, but somehow they
seem unable to muster courage enough
to reject the apple that is tritie too
small OF the one that is slightly blemish-
ed, thereby injuring themselves and the
trade. Even choice fruit fails to realize
profitably occasionally. Two years ago,
a friend of mine placed so barrels of
very fine Northern Spy apples in cold
storage for higher prices. In January
he was offered 80 cents barrel advance,
but declined the offer; in April he had
to sell at the fall price, and was out of
pocket the cost of storage, besides the
expense of resorting and barreling and