Gloucester County Democrat., 1911-11-23
THE ADVANTAGES OF THE.
/ ORGANIZED FARMERS /
| EXCHANGE. h


Tread before the Farmers Institute
at Swedesboro, on Nov. 10, by j.
Omar Heritage. ]
To place the products of our farms
in the consumers hands with the least
expense is a subject of the utmost i'm
portance. We have studied, read and
experimental as to the best methods
to employ in planting and cultivating
our crops. Likewise, have insectl-
. cddes and fungicides claimed our at
tention until we know, in measure
at least, how to combat the potato
beetle, SanJose scale, blight, etc. But
up until the last few years, very few
farmers have paid any considerable
attention to the marketing of their
produce.
You are all aware of the fact that
withinthe past decade the large in
dustrieS of our country have been
obliged to introduce the most approx
ed methods. Following the increas-
ing demand, as we'll as closer COM
petition, our manufacturers of iron,
steel, machinery, woolen goods. glass,
etc.. have found that if they wish to
exist, only up-to-date machinery must
be used, and every man must be given
the very best tools obtainable with
which to perform his work; or, in
other words, the successful business
man of to-day is the one who can ac-
complish the most work with min
imum of expense.
These large industries to which l
have alluded have also found that,
by joining their executive departments
together under one head, vast ex-
penditure of money is saved. 1t can
be readily seen that under a proper
system of business management, one
man can direct the operations of
large number of factories in just as
able manner as he could manage
one. Thus the advantage derived
from consolidation of interests is
not so much the regulation of the sup
ply as reduction in the cost of OPP
Grating.
Following out this line of thought
the question arises: Why can not the
products of the farm be marketed
under one head management? And
naturally we think of the Grange. how
it has grown, and prospered. What
a wonderful educator II is for the
farmer Just the channel through
which to sell our produce. But stop
a minute! There is one matter that
we must look into before going far
the question of finances And I'll ven-
ture to say there is not enough cash
sin the treasures of a dozen Oranges
here in South Jersey to supply the
need. In addition to this, how many
of the individual members would care
to be held liable for any loss which
might occur? Taking these facts in
to consideration, the only alternative
seems an Independent organization, a
stock company Incorporated under the
laws of the State with a charter so
broad that everything necessary to the
welfare of the farmer can be bought
or sold
At the present time there are three
successful Exchanges in our State.
The one in Monmouth county with
main office at Freehold, the Burling-
ton county at Mt. Holly, and our So
Jersey Farmers Exchange at Woods
town.
1t may be necessary in the discus
sion of this topic to compare the
methods of the Exchange with those
of the Independent shippers, but the
writer hopes it is understood that he
bears no personal feeling against any
of them but, on the contrary, knows
many of them to be gentlemen of the
highest type, who have been of SER
vice to the farmers in the past, but
whose methods are quite naturally
antagonistic to those of cooperative
selling through the Exchange.
In describing the mode of operating
or the work of the Exchange, we find
it Immediately separates itself under
two headings. The one, Reduction of
cost of production; the other. reduc-
tion of expense in selling.
Upon the first of these we will
touch very briefly and it does not bear
directly on the question assigned, but
is nevertheless vitality important to the
welfare of the farmer: the furnishing
of his supplies in the way of feed, coal
seed potatoes, grass seed, Paris green,
lime, fertilizer, etc, at the lowest pos
sible price. The price of gluten feed
was from two to three dollars per ton
higher before the Exchange began to
handle it, and the sales of fertilizer
for the past year represent a saving of
over $4,000, to the farmer. Present
indications point to a large increase
in sales the coming year.
Selling the farmers produce is per-
haps the most important part of the
business. This has been limited al
most exclusively to the Irish potato.
At a few of the stations other kinds
of produce have been shipped, but so
few of the members have really ex-
pressed the wish that we branch out
into other lines that nothing of Inn
portance has been done. When a
sufficient number of the farmers are
willing to entrust their sweet pota-
toes and tomatoes to the Exchange
the management is ready to go ahead,
A brief explanation of the way OF
operating For all potatoes Of the
same grade the same price is paid
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