Rocky Ford enterprise., 1907-08-30
HELPING THE TOWN
HINTS As TO MAKING the HOME
MARKET SETTER.
HANDLING OF FARM PRODUCE
How Merchants and Farmers Can Co
Operate 10 Their Mutual Advsn-
tAps in . ousinsss Way.

Many agricultural towns could be
vastly improved by saordinE farmers
better markets for the produce that
they have To dispose OF. In the ra-
dias Of every eoantry village there
Is sufheieht butter and eggs and other
products To be marketed. the hand.
lag Of which would make q profitable
basinSss-
The custom that has prevailed for
many years Of storeksepers indiserim,
iHa,siy handling produce does not ap-
pear To bs TO the best interests OF
towns or II may be said. to the mer-
chants or the farmers In the nrst
place the average storekeepsr has
no facilities for the proper handling
Of psrishabis products, iis may not
Eee.is. suffieient To enable him To dis
pose Of the product TO the greatest
advantage. Therefore instead OF max
lag any proft upon what he handles.
many times he ID the loser and looks
for his compensation In tho trade that
| may bs given him by tho farmers who
bring In tho produce.
], 10 important to y town whether
II Is r~puted to be a good produce
market or otherwise. Where the
farmer can receive cent or two
NOR. for his butter and essx he II
likely To turn his attention. In some
towns there arc regular buyers of
produce. but often these methods arc
such as to bc unsatisfactory and rr-
suit in loss Of trade To the place,
Merchants generally rsehans. goods
for whatever produce may be brought
TO them. In many places they will
not pay cash. and II has been known
where cash has been paid that II i'm
nediat-iy found Its way to some other
| town where goods Was purchased.
Each town that has any consider.
able patronage from the fafmin. com.
muni,y surrounding II. shoaid have
small cold storage plant. Ono plan
,ha, has been found practicable In
many towns is tho organization of
produce company In which merchants
OF the town ~ well m tho farmers
ar, stockholders. These concerns pro.
vide ovcry facility for tho proper
packin. and storage Of eggs and but
ter and other pcrishablc produce. and
sometimes include n butter rcnovni.
Ing plant Where such companies are
operated tho merchants refuse to
handle produce. refcrrin. all who have
such to acii TO the produce company.
Tho company pays the highest mar.
ket price for what II buys. Instead
OF paying cash. due bills arc issued
which are accepted the same rs 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 once OF the produce
company.
BY paying from cent to two cents
! . 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 II managed rightly. 1t requires
but little capital to operate such an
establishment. II is well when organ
ixation is taken up to limit the
amount OF stock that each shareholder
receives to one or two shares OF
par value OF $50 or 500. An effort
should be made to have rs many mer.
chants as possible shareholders. Also
to secure rs many shareholders among
the farmers as can be had II should
be understood that instead OF paying
cash, farmers pay for their shares
of stock in produce at prevailing mar.
ket prices. With all the merchants
in the town Interested In the sue.
rosa of tho comnany and rho farmers
throughout the country also share.
holders and participants in profits that
may be made, 1T will be soon found
that the produce company will be
handling all the produce business that
originates in the community.
In many localities where this plan
has been put In operation the farmers
have discovered that they could re-
ceive better prices for their butter
and cream and eggs than under the
old system. Being associated In a
way with the business interests Of the
place they become more interested in
all affairs of the town and are more
inclined to work in harmony with the
merchants towards anything that has
the Improvement OF the home town
in view. One of the desirable things
about this plan is its tendency to
lessen the practice of residents Of
rural communities trading with mail
order houses and department stores
in the large cities. Another admir-.
able feature is the adding of an
additional labor.saving industry to
the town and the keeping Of the earn.
ings of the people In circulation In