The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1907-08-29
HELPING THE TOWN
HINTS AS TO MAKING THE HOME
MARKET BETTER. .s
HANDLING OF FARM PRODUCE
How Merchants and Farmers Can Co.
Operate to Their Mutual AdVan-
tage in a Business Way.

| 'OobAJ AAhpAONCu ny
: better markets for the produce that
they have to dispose of. In the ra.
|, dius of every country village there
Is sufficient butter and eggs and other
products to be marketed, the hand.
ling of which would make profitable
business.
The custom that has prevailed for
many years of storekeepers indiscrim-
inately handling produce does not ap-
pear to be to the best interests Of
towns or it may be said, to the mer-
chants or the farmers. In the first
place the average storekeeper has
no facilities for the proper handling
of perishable products. He may not
receive sufficient to enable him to dis
pose of the product to the greatest
advantage. Therefore instead of max
ing any profit upon what he handles,
many times he is the loser and looks
for his compensation in the trade that
may be given him by the farmers who
bring in the produce.
1t is important to a town whether
it is reputed to be good produce
market or otherwise. Where the
farmer can receive a cent or two
more for his butter and eggs he is
likely to turn his attention. In some
towns there are regular buyers of
produce, but often these methods are
such as to be unsatisfactory and re-
suit in loss of trade to the place.
| Merchants generally exchange goods
for whatever produce may be brought
to them. In many places they will
not pay cash, and it has been known
where cash has been paid that it i'm
mediately found its way to some other
town where goods was purchased.
Each town that has any consider
| able patronage from the farming COM
munity surrounding it, should have
small cold storage plant. One plan
that has been found practicable III
many towns is the organization of a
produce company in which merchants
of the town as well as the farmers |
are stockholders. These concerns pro- |
vide every facility for the proper |
packing and storage of eggs and but |
ter and other perishable produce, and |
sometimes include butter renovat-
ing plant. Where such companies are
operated the merchants refuse to
handle produce, referring all who have
such to sell to the produce company.
The company pays the highest mar
ket price for what it buys. Instead
|
which are accepted the same as cash
at all the stores in town. Each week
the merchants who receive these due
bills in exchange for goods have them
cashed at the office of the produce
company.
BY paying from cent to two cents
a dozen more for eggs or per pound
for butter these produce companies
have been wonderful factors in bring
ing trade to the place. Not alone do
they benefit the town by bringing ad-
ditional patronage to the merchants,
but the business can be highly profit
able if managed rightly. 1t requires
but little capital to operate such an
establishment 1t is well when organ.
ization is taken up to limit the
amount of stock that each shareholder
receives to one or two shares of a
par value of $50 or $lO0. An effort
should be made to have as many mer.
chants as possible shareholders. Also {
to secure as many shareholders among
the farmers as can be had 1t should l
be understood that instead of paying t
cash, farmers pay for their shares I
of stock in produce at prevailing mar.
ket prices. With all the merchants /
in the town interested in the sue
cess of the company, and the farmers i
throughout the country also share. t
lolders and participants in profits that
may be made, it will be soon found a
hat the produce company will be t
all the produce business that t
in the community. e
In many localities where this plan a
las been put in operation the farmers p
lave discovered that they could re. v
'elve better prices for their butter a
md cream and eggs than under the Il
I'D system. Being associated in a s
way with the business interests of the "
'lace they become more interested in b
III affairs of the town and are more ly
nclined to work in harmony with the "
merchants towards anything that has n
ne improvement of the home town is
n view. One of the desirable things rC
bout this plan is IFS tendency to tC
essen the Practice of residents Of d
ural communities trading with mail fc
rider houses and department stores Il
! the large cities. Another admir-. Ia
bile feature is the adding of an
dditional labor-saving industry to
ne town and the keeping Of the earn.
lgs of the people in circulation in
le community. h;