The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1913-02-20

from farmers as well as from dealers.
Another institution which aids the
producer to dispose Of his crop is the
public warehouse. Illustrations Of this
are afforded in the marketing of tobao.
Go in Virginia and North Carolina,
wool from the northern Rocky Noun.
tain states, and to some extent rice
in Louisiana and Texas. The growers
or their representatives. with their
produce, meet the buyers at these
warehouses.
Diversion In Transit
While farm products are in transit
by rail, there are certain points at
which tho consignor may designate a
final destination. Tho purpose of
this practice is to enable the consign.
or to find the best market for his
goods. This is the plan followed in
shipping fruits and vegetables by rail
from California to the east and from
southern states to the north.
Associative Marketing
The Secretary of Agriculture has
much to say concerning associative
marketing by farmers, and the econ
omic advantages arc stated in detail
IA survey of the systems of marketing
farm products clearly discovers what
the farmers can best do to their ad-
vantage. They must associate them
selves together fer the purpose Of as
sembling their individual contributions
Of products, of shipping in carload
lots, Of obtaining market news at
places to which it is practical to send
, their products, to sell in a consider
able number of markets, and to Sc
cure the various other economic gains
of associative selling
To carry out this suggestion, it is
recommended that if Congress- estab-
fishes division of markets, a corps
Of travelling field agents be maintain
cd to assist farmers to form associa
tions for marketing their products.
Estimates Of Fruit and Vegetable
Supply
1t is also recommended that est-
mates of the prospective supply of
fruits and vegetables, and perhaps 9TH
Ell products not now represented in
cumulative estimates of the de-
partment's crop reporting service, be
made a short time before harvest, so
that the farmer may 'shave in mind
fairly definite idea of the volume
OF the crop throughout the country in
order that he may occupy a place in
the market that is fair to himself or,
as the case may be, place in the
market that is fair to the consumer. :"
General market news service is not
recommended. If such service were
derived from Geographic reports, the
expenses would be enormous. One
farmers marketing association spends
$500 year in telegraphing alone
and a fruit growers organization
spends $4,000 for this service.
Field Agents and Correspondents
1t Is proposed that a corps of trav-
cling field agents and large corps Of
local agents and correspondents be es-
tablished for the following items of
service: To help producers organize
for associative marketing; to examine
and remove local difficulties in the
way Of such marketing; to help pro-
ducers to. find markets; to report the
current descriptive condition of crops,
In addition to the work already done
by the departments crop reporting
service; to estimate the probable pro-
duction of crops short time before
harvest; to report the beginning and
ending of the shipping season; to re-
port the crop movement from produc-
ing points through "gateways" to prin-
cipal markets.
Subjects For Investigation
Among the subjects whose investi-
CATION is suggested are the storage of
farm products either on the farm or
elsewhere pending their sale; the
business Of commission dealers; the
various costs of marketing, properly
itemized, and compared with prices OF
products at the farm and with con.
sumers prices; description of prin
cipal markets and of chief producing
regions; and some problems OF trans
portation.
Some information with regard to for
eign markets. it is advised, might be
made useful to producers. It is pro
posed also to keep an elaborate record
Of prices Of farm products in which
prices at the farm shall be parallelet
by wholesale and retail prices. Anon,
the other recommendations are the
maintenance of a list of marketins
associations and the collection of sta
tistics concerning the business don,
} by them; the investigation of system.