Norwich bulletin., 1913-03-07
MARKETING OF FARM PRODUCTS
Recommendations of Department of Agriculture Following lnvestigation-The Demands and the Position of the Consumer and the Middleman-Proposals to Aid Public

systems of marketing farm products and the demand for them at trade centers are the subjects of a special report to Congress by the Secretary The report was made by special di- rection of Congress in order that in formation might be at hand concerning Inc establishment of a division of mar kets in the Department of Agriculture. The Secretary specifics various items of service that could be performed by such an offices with recommendations that they be adopted, if it Is created. The report covers 391 pages and is crowded with information with regard Co the subjects treated.
 By Producers to Consumers
 The report treats of the movement of farm products from the farm to consul mer through great variety of chan nels. The simplest distribution is the direct one Of delivery by farmer to con Sumer, the next after this is the deliv- cry by individual farmers or associa- ttOnS Of farmers to individual conSum- CTS or associations of consumers. In these direct forms of distribution, the middlen1an is eliminated, although of course intermediate services are per- formed by producers or by consumers or by both parties.
 Intervention of Middlenen.
 Among the varieties of middIemen concerned in the marketing of farm
 
 who go from farm to farm gathering eggs, butter, poultry, calves, and other commodities. which they sell to ship perS, tobberS, retail deaIers. The country merchant is often the first re- ce1ver of such products as eggs, farm made butter, poultry, wool, hides. cot ton, and something's grain and hay. In regions where grain is the staple pro- duct, the tendency has been to dis place the country merchant by the grain buyer and the local elevator man.
 Farmers commonly sell through con- miSfon merchants and to some extent directly to wholesale dealers and also to retail dealers. The farmer who eu1- ploys a trustworthy commission mer- chant who will handle his products honestly and honorably will get the current prices for them within the range of the commission merchants business, but the farmer often finds himself in the hands of a commission merchant who falsely reports that the products were received in damaged condition or that they were of a grade lower than they were in fact, or he re- ports receiving prices lower than those actually received by him for the pro- ducts. Worse than this, it is by no means rare that the commission merchant has sold the products and failed to re- turn the net proceeds. Samples of transactions in which only | one u1iddleman intervenes between 1 producer. and consumer include the commission man at large market who ! receives consIgnnents of live stock i from the farmers and sells to packers; | che factor to whom the planter l consigns his rice or cotton and | from whom purchases are made by mil | kers; the warehousemen who manage | khe sale of a Virginia planters tobac- 30
 The intervention Of two men between f producer and consumer is a common occurrence. Fruits and vegetables are often marketed through the aid of two Entddlennan, the city commission dealer and q retail merchant.
 More Than Two Intermediates.
 4 series Of three n1iddlemen may in- &iude first the local buyer of the ship per- second, the commission dealer or