The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-04-17
FARMERS OF SOUTH
LEARN new THINGS
:Hear of Success of COOPERATIVE
Selling and Buying in the
e e Northwest.
TALKS FROM MEN IN FIELD
virginia Far Behind in Dairying.
+ Old Idea OF General Com
petition Denounced.

"a Getting away from the idea of COM
tspetition with everybody else. and of
ssgettinE the most possible out of ones
Ssneighhor. with the substitution of CO.
soperation In buying and selling. was
the new doctrine preached yesterday
ssto the farmers of tho South. who .:ath-
f,ered in numbers to attend their sec
stton of the Conference for Education
1T was new in many ears, but II did not
afail TO arouse general interest, al
though some of it was naturally, OF a
E.skeptical sort
ia But one word can adequately describe
! tho farmers meeting-"live" There
WIS not a dull moment. rho speeches
were Tade by men in tha field. not
theorists. but men called to Richmond
from the places there they are nc
: 1uaily doing things. to. teil how ,hey
may be done. No long addresses were
permitted. The ipexorable hell on the
;scorc' ary's desk rang out ut Tho con
t'clusion OF the aloitcd time. Chairman
Joe lrner. of Ep,lns. turned u deaf
ear to all tho ma:ly demands ;hat this
or II NJ speakers time re extended.
saying the prosrt,n must b. adhered 10
scr ii could not be finished. There was
no appeal from this.
St General Discnssiou.
As soon as first bell'' rang, cues
tions were fred at the man on the
platform from all parts OF the hall
and he had to answer them. The thirst
for knowledge was intense. Old and
young men were quick with queries
Some OF them were a little persistent
and Chairman Turner had to loosely
threaten one with an umbrella Final
" he sent two Of the most earnest
,Guestioners into an anteroom. where
they might talk to each other 70 their
hearts content. In almost no instance
had the questions ceased when sec
ond hell' rang. and tho chairman arose
to present the mex; speaker.
y. The farmers meeting was also nota-
bic in that nobody on the program
failed. and every speech was made just
as had been announced. Considering
that nearly all the speakers came from
Q distance-a large proportion from
Minnesota-that was remarkable
showing.
Need for Co-opcrattou
The day began with laying the foun-
daiicn for cooperative work. What
Caused Us 10 Get Together" was dts
oussed b. " T. Shuford. OF IIickory.
y. c: = - Nelson. OF Svea Mimi
feveryhody called him Ole before the
Gay was half overD; (. W. Moonaw, OF
Virginia. and others They told how
the producer had been exploited FOR
Years by the niddleman: how. for self
Ism reasons, products OF the soil had
teHn left 70 70; for lack OF market
In some sections while in others the
same goods brought high prices be
cause OF scarcity. the truth being that
dealers had stocked UP and wanted a
big PROFIT. making il 10 their interest
10 destroy tho buying market
Next came the practical end of form
Ing and conducting selling associa-
lions for eggs, strawberries. small
fruits. vegetables, potatoes. apples and
live stock. The details were gone over
with care and the weak points brought
out Many pitfalls that await the un-
wary cooperative selling association
were pointed out for the protection OF
those TO follow where the pioneers
have led Speakers on this. subject
Were W J. Shuford. OF North Carolina;
= NJ Tousley, OF Dassel 3iinn: l. G
Corhett 7 Q. Sandy and C. " Moo
NAV. OF Virginia Fred Mutchier, OF
Kentucky. and ole" Nelson, OF Syea,
MINI.
Creamery Management.
Ire farmers came down to basic
principles in the afternoon. Co-opera-
tive creameries AT Hickory. y e. we're