The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1912-09-23
Ryan Produce Company Said Ready
To Come in and Furnish Growers
With Number l Seed.
PROMISE EXPERT FOR BEMIDu
Say They Will Send First Glass Man
To Take Charge of the Business
At This Point.

The following letter received by
the editor of the Pioneer from w. A.
Cassler, is self-explanatory. Several
times the Ryan people have tried to
get into Bemidji but SO far have
failed. They had a potato buyer here
last fall for several weeks and are
satisfied that the country can pro-
duce the crops. Mr.. Cassler recent
ly went to Minneapolis and while
there called on and had a talk with
Mr.. Ryan.
Bemidji, Sept. 16, 1912.
Harold ]. Dane,
Editor Pioneer.
Dear Sir:-While in the Twin Ci-
ties last week I saw a number of
produce buyers, and 1 find they are
anxious to get into Bemidii to do
business, especially the Ryan Pro-
duce Co. of Minneapolis. They are
probably the largest buyers in the
state and make a specially of hand
ling potatoes, onions and cabbage,
1t seems they are unable to get in
Lere. Mr.. Ryan has been here two or
three times but failed. -~-
Now it seems to me that if the
business men in Bemidji had any idea
OF what it meant to Bemidji and the
surrounding country to have a cash
market for all the potatoes, onions.
cabbage, etc. that would be raised
around Bemidji, they would never
leave stone unturned until they Sc
cured such a market.
The citizens of Bemidji all stand
ready to band for some saw mill or
other enterprise to come in and rob
the country of its timber, get rich
and move out. What good have they
done, only in temporary way?
A market for our produce is ever
lasting. But some will say, Let the
farmers organize and handle their
own stuff" That can't be done in
this new country to make a success
of it.
I find by looking up this business
that it takes experienced men and
money to handle such produce. The
man must know the markets and how
to handle them. Mr.. Ryan has bought
ought six farmers warehouses this
season and is doing good business
where it has always been a failure.
He has houses at Deer River, Park
Rapids, Fosston, etc, and they have
all got good markets.
In Bemidji you can't give potatoes
away. The Ryan people say they
will furnish No. l pure seed for any
good variety that is adapted to this
soil, for anywhere from 800 to 1000
acres, and will give a contract price
per bushel or will take potatoes in
payment for seed, either way to suit
the farmer. They will put up ware
house and put in an expert potato
man to show the farmers how to
raise good potatoes.
All Mr.. Ryan asks is that the far
mer assure him that he will get his
pay for the seed He will only charge
the market price for the seed, and he
won't ask the farmer to even sell
him the potatoes as long as he pays
| for the seed. Now what more can
community ask?
This means more to Bemidji than
all the mills in it. Just figure what
one or two thousand acres of pota-
| toes means at 800 bushels per acre
At the usual price it means from
s150,000 to 100000.
The eastern and southern markets
are beginning to realize that we can
raise the best vegetables in the world,
| but we must first get pure seed and
cut out the mixed stuff.
Now lets get together and make
Bemidii what Minneapolis is in the
way of shipping vegetables. We have
all the railroads we want. We now
want the stuff to ship and when we
get that we can get rates and not
until then, but this can never be
done unless the business men help
boost. The farmers will never do it
lalone.
/ Twenty years ago poor old worth
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