The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1911-07-21
SOLVING A GREAT PROBLEM
Farmer Does not Receive All the Bone.
fit Of High Prices Paid for
Agricultural Products.


spoken Of as being largely responsible
for it. and as making money at the
inconvenience and cost of the con
sumer. This is not at all fact. While
1t is true that few agricultural
products have been excessively high
in value-as beef, pork, eggs (for six
months Of the year,, butter and fruit
the farmer has not received too
much for these when his large labor
cost and other higher costs of con.
Quoting his business are understood,
writes George T. Powell in the Coun-
try Gentleman.
1t is after food products leave the
farm that the cost is put upon the
consumer. The distribution of prod
ucts is too expensive. The farmer
receives from 2la to 81 cents quart
for milk. The consumer pays to 10
cents qudr 1T. The farmer receives
so cents a'bushel for potatoes, the
consumer ys s1.25 a bushel for them.
He receivA $3.50 barrel for his
apples, ,ysY3e the consumer pays at
the ratR Ri Es9 a barrel. 1t costs the
consum N n an average of 60 per
cent. OF .what the farmer receives,
and this IS what the middle-man gets
for receiving and distributing farm
products. The most effective remedy
for this uneconomic condition, most
unsatisfactory to both the producer
and the consumer, lies in cooperation
On the part of both. First, there needs
to be closer cooperation between the
farmers and railroads. The interest
of the farmer and the public carrier
Is mutual; one is dependent upon the
other, and equally. A farming terri.
tory without railroad to move its
products, however rich the soil may
be, would have very little value, and
likewise railroad without a good
farming territory to supply traffic
would not be worth building.
The future solution of greater agri.
cultural prosperity, with lessened cost
to those living in cities, will be in a
union of interests between farmers
and railroad corporations whereby a
system of more economical distribu-
ton of farm products may be estab-
lished. Storage facilities should be
established along shipping points on
railroads close to the farms, where
perishable products could be taken
care of quickly and before depreciation
would begin. Distributing depots
should be established in every city in
different parts where the products may
be sent to the consumer direct, and
where consumers may easily come and
get their supplies. Consumers may
help themselves by organizing CO.
operative buying associations, where
their needed supplies may be obtained
at less cost The idea of the individ-
ual farmer trying to supply the in
dividual city consumer with a daily
hamper is impracticable, as those who
have tried 1t here have met with dead
failures. It requires big organiza-
ton to handle big business, and the
railroad which has the organization
in hand as carrier need only to ex-
tend its wolk to reach the consumer
with other PRODUCTS it carries.
on thia IAN 1srmers will have to
q EFT III toSFusIadtlOn rne3
will hare "a put up their products in
more Uniform manner; they will
have to DO more and better grading
and packing; they will'have to put up
many smaller packages 1t will be
as practicable to distribute quickly
carloads Of potatoes, apples, peaches,
butter or hay as of milk. The products
must be put in the right shape for the
system. when the railroads could dis
tribute as quickly as commission men.
The fruit growers Of California for
years have been working upon this
plan, and they are making more money
on their oranges, that are selling for
less than apples, than the apple grow
ers of the east who are following slip.
shod methods in everything they do.
The orange growers cooperate and
have to live up to the most rigid
rules. They will ship the present sea-
son over $4,000 carloads of oranges,
and 80 we'll ia the fruit graded and
packed that a. carload Of 600 pack.
ages will be sold in less than ten
minutes when It is put up for sale
at public auction in our eastern mar
kets. If every farmer in New York
state could spend but an hour on the
Erie pier in New York City and see
the rapidly and ease with which en-
tire trainloads of California fruit are
sold every day, it would be a revela-
ton to him. Samples from the cars
are arranged on this pier, which buy
ers may examine, and when they 60
to the auction room these are sold,
frequently not more than two seconds
being required for the selling Of a
mark. Uniform grading and packing
are absolutely necessary in this sys-
tenn of rapid selling, and this Is pos
sible only through established stand
ards, to which everyone must come
In his work, and this requires CO.
operative work.
Obtaining Larger Mares.
Larger mares may be obtained by