The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-04-13

tunes out of the Long Island farm
els that fall.
AS ! have stated. there are few
Wholesale dealers in greater New
York who make a practice of handling
Long Island potatoes. These whole
salers have been buying of the local
buyers at the stations i'm some in
stances for many years and the re-
lations existing between them might
be called intimate. When our ex-
change started there was alarm not
only with the local buyers but also
with the wholesale dealers in the city.
The one feared to lose his lob and the
other his profits, so they combined
their forces and fought the exchange
in every way they could devise.
They circulated false stories and in
many instances convinced the farm
er that the exchange was to blame
that he did not get a higher price.
When the market was dull the old To-
cal buyer would get the order in pref
erence to the exchange and when the
market was brisk the buyer would pay
a premium of / cent bushel. In
few instances the farmer could be
bought with cheap cigar and a glass
Of beer. The wholesaler would ac-
cept inferior stock from the local
buyer when the same grade of goods
would be turned down if shipped by
the exchange. This compelled the
farmer who was loyal to the exchange
to sort his potatoes better than did
those who sold to the local buyer.
: These and other schemes were
worked to break up the exchange,
but am glad to say that many of our
loyal members saw the selfish motive
that promoted these actions and stood
by the exchange. The local buyers
are unanimous, in saying that since
our exchange started they have made
no money and much the same story
comes from the wholesaler in the city.
Our exchange Is more firmly es-
tablished and the wholesalers are
learning that we stand for better
grading and a square deal for all and
that the chance for a legitimate rpo-
fit is better than before the advent Of
the exchange. Whilee our exchang
does not handle nearly all Of the crop
yot its influence is such that since we
started the markets have been very
steady and uniform, any fluctuations
which occur being caused by the gen.
eral market condition. 1t is impossible
to estimate the thousands Of dollars
this result Of the presence of the ex-
change has put into the farmers
pockets.
Another feature which it is hard
to measure in dollars and cents is the
value. Since our exchange
started the farmers have learned that
1t is the pounds of available ammonia,
phosphoric acid and potash that
measure the value of a fertilizer and
not some high sounding name. They
have learned business methods in
buying and selling: that it is many
times better TO hire money and pay
cash rather than to pay the long
price for poor article on time.
Before our exchange started the
price Of paris green varied from %
to 35 cents a pound; since then we
have never paid over II cents pound.
Besides paris green we have bought
and supplied our members at a big
saving over what they used to pay for
all kinds of grain and feed, kerosene
gasoline, lime. coal, flour and many
other supplies. We buy a large por-
tion Of our seed potatoes each year.
1t has been a serious problem to get
good seed true to name. Our ex-
change has bought large quantities Of
seed trying to get the best even if
the price was higher.
Working through our organization
We have secured many concessions
and accommodations from the rail-
road that as individuals we would
not have secured. Our soil, climate
and crops being different from the
rest Of the State we needed and have
secured special work both from our
State experiment station and from
the department of agriculture at
Washington.
While in these and some other min
or points the exchange has been Of
material benefit to it's members, it is,
next to marketing our potatoes, in