The farmer and mechanic., 1913-01-14

may be put into sacks and consig ned
to New York wholesaler or COM
mission man who In turn sells to a
New York retailer. Eggs and poul-
try frequently pass through the hands
OF at least four middlemen.
The marketing OF clover seed Is an
example Of transfer from one farm
er to another through number OF
middlemen. The first mlddlemau
may be an Indiana jobber, who con-
signs to a commission dealer In To-
ledO. Ohio; hero the seed may be pur-
a wholesale dealer in q distant city.
The last middleman in this course Of
distribution IS country storekeeper
or q city dealer in agricultural sup
plies.
Public market places are establish
ed in q number Of cities ard towns.
and in these places consumers may
buy such articles as fruit. vegetables,
dairy products. poultry and eggs di
rect from farmers as we'll as from
dealers.
Another institution which aids the
producer to dispose OF his crop IL the
public warehouse. Illustrations Of
this are afforded in the marketing Of
tobacco in Virginia and North Caro-
lima, wool from the northern Rocky
Mountain 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 a.
which the cOnsignOr may deSig gnate a
final destination. The purpose Of this
practice is to enable tho conSignOr
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.
The Secretary Of Agriculture has
much to say concerning associative
| marketing by farmers. and the
| economic advantages are stated in de-
tail. "A survey Of the systems OF
! marketing farm products clearly dis
| covers what the farmers can best dc
| to their advantage. They must as
sOciate themselves together for the
purpose Of assembling 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 q con
! siderable number of markets, il moi
in many markets. and to secure the
| various other economic gains OF as
| Sociative selling"
To carry out this suggestion, it is
! recommended that if Congress estab-
fishes division of markets. a corps
OF travelling field agents be maintained
to assist farmers to form association:
for marketing their products.
Estimates of Fruit and Vegetable
Supply.
1t is also recommended that eSti
mates of the prospective supply o
fruits and vegetables, and perhaps
other products not now represented
in the quanttative estimate of the de
partment'S crop reporting service, b.
made a short time before harvest, 81
that the farmer may "have in mine
a fairly definite idea OF the vululn'
of the crop throughout the country il
order that he may occupy place il
the market that is fair to himself or
as the case may be, place in tn
market that is fair to the consumer.
General market news service is no
recommended. If such service wer
derived from telegraphic reports tn
expense would be enormous On
$4,000 year in telegraphing alone
and fruit growers Organizati ito!
spends $4,000 for this service.
1t is proposed that corps OF trar
, cling field agents and large corps o
; local agents and correspondents b
established for the following items O
service: To help producers organic
, for associative marketing: to examin
? and remove local difficulties in tn
: way Of such marketing; to help pro
ducerS to find markets: to report tn
: current descriptive condition OF crop:
in addition to the work already don
by the departments crop repOrtin
, service: to estimate the probable pro
t duction Of crops q short time befor
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