The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-03-27
The Vermont Farmers Market

If Commissioner of Agriculture
Brigham can secure for the Vermont
farmer a profitable market he will
have done much to solve one of the
real problems confronting the agri-
culturist not only in Vermont, but in
New England. To be sure, the or
chardists in one section of Vermont
have taken note of the methods adopt
ed in the orchard belt of Idaho and
Oregon and accordingly are realizing
prices from so to 100 per cent in ex-
cess of those paid for fruit picked
and packed in the old-fashioned way
which is sold to the buyer at the lat
ter's figure Cooperation in the mar
keting of Grand Isle county's fruit
crop makes it possible for the or
chardists of that section OF Vermont
to compete, and very successfully at
that, with Oregon and Idaho growers.
1t ought not to be a gigantic task
for Commissioner Brigham to show
the farmers of Vermont what coop
Grafton means in the marketing of
the products of dairy. field, fruit or
chards and sugar orchards. Having
enlightened the men of the farms as
to the possibilities in cooperation,
let the commissioner of agriculture
go a step further. Let him find the
market for Vermont's products. Let
him spend the necessary money to
tell the people OF Boston, New York
and Philadelphia what Vermont has
to offer in agricultural products. II
ought not to be an extremely ardnus
task to evolve a selling scheme
whereby the farmers of this state
may eliminate the middle man in
marketing their products.
But before the Vermont orchardist.
sugar maker or truck raiser can hope
to compete successfully with others
supplying foodstuffs to the great cit
les OF the East they must educate
themselves in modern methods of
packing and shipping. To be sure
1t Will cost more to carefully select
every apple and wrap it in paper be-
fore putting it in a bushel box. in
stead OF the old method of dumping
TWO bushels and a half of windfalls
into a barrel which formerly con-
tanned flour, crackers or sugar. The
barrel of apples brought possibly 50.
The box of selected apples. contain
ing. practically only one-third as
much fruit as the barrel package.
will net the orchardist SO to 81. de
pending upon the kind OF fruit pack
ed. When Vermont apple growers
adopt the methods prevailing in Ore
gon and Idaho they will have estab.
lished market for Vermont apples
and need not concern themselves
about competition. The difference i'm
freight rates between any point in
Vermont and the cities of the East
and those from Oregon and Idaho TO
the same eastern points cannot but
give Vermont apples the preference
with dealers. And this is not the
only reason. The Vermont fruit is a
better keeper in this part of the
country.
What is true Of apples is true of
potatoes. beets, turnips. cabbages
and any Of dozen other vegetables
that can be grown successfully in
vermont New York and Boston mar
kets will take every bushel of veg
etables that Vermont will raise. but
the housewife in a threeroom fat
has no room for a bushel Of beets or
barrel Of potatoes. The goods must
be put in small packages. When the
grower will do this he can command
the top price. for the Vermont label
will sell the goods.
II the state commissioner OF agri-
culture viii cooperate with the farm
ers in finding a market for the latters
products, and that is what Commits
sioner Brigham proposes to do. the
farmer must meet the commissioner
1 more than half way.-Rutland Her
aid.