Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1913-06-20
BIG VALUE OF COOPERATION
Great Potato Region of Virginia Free
From Observation-Disclosures Elk
change Does Work.

The great value of cooperative
work is well seen in the experience of
the Eastern Virginia Produce Elk
change. which has its headquarters AT
Onley. in Accomac county. | was
down among the potato growers last
week and had an audience of about
hye hundred, writes w F. Massey of
Maryland in the New York Tribune
Farmer. The meeting was down in
the lower end of Northampton county,
at Capeville, below the railroad ter
minus at Cape Charles City, though
there is short line of railroad run
ming from Cape Charles City to the
real cape. The prosperity of the sec
ton is very largely due to the work
of the Produce Exchange
The operations of the Produce EX-
change take in the whole of the two
counties. They have their inspector
at every station to see that the prod
uce delivered comes up to the stand
ard before the exchange brand. the
red star, is put on. Sales are made by
travelling statesmen in all the northern
cities in carloads, and all over Can
ada, too. AS high as $25, 900 has been
spent in a single season for kilograms
alone. Every carload is sold and the
prices known before it leaves a sta
ton. If there is any complaint on ar
rival that the produce does not come
up to claim, a man is sent at once
to investigate. and, if the claim is
just. to settle it, The exchange is a
joint stock company. They ship for
their members and any one else. and,
as the carloads are already sold, they
pay any farmer cash for his produce
on delivery. less per cent. commits
sion. At the end of the season the
books are balanced, and half the
profits is carried to surplus fund and
half is returned in rebates to stock
holders in proportion to their ship
ments; and the owner of a single S.
share of stock has as much rebate in
proportion to his shipments as the
largest stakeholder, and hence it is TO
the advantage of all to get inside.
Last season the sales of this ex-
change amounted to $3,75O,0O0. and
they carried $4,000 to the surplus
fund. 1t has entirely done away with
shipping to commission merchants
and has brought prosperity to the
growers. In fact, it is stated that the
people of Accomac have more money
per capita than any county in the
United States. Accomac is the great
sweet potato section growing a good
many Irish potatoes, too, while lower
Northampton seems to be entirely
given over to Irish potatoes.
But seeing the whole earth planted
to one crop made me rather uneasy
for the outcome of this season. when
there are so many old potatoes kept
over in the north. Last season. from
one station at Cape Charles City,
nearly half a million barrels of Irish
potatoes went north. and every sta
ton along the railroad northwarj
sent in its quota to swell the vast
amount. AS l live in sight of the
railroad line know what is done dur
ing the shipping season, when the
fast freight trains run as close to-
gether as they dare day and night on
the double-tracked line. The season
starts with strawberries, and ina lit
tie while the sidings will be lined
with refrigerator cars waiting for the
berries. Then the peas and cabbages
come, the Irish potatoes in June, and
later the great sweet potato crop
loads the trains till frost. 1t is a busy
section, and the work is spreading,
and it will be only a few years till
the whole peninsula becomes the
market garden for the cities around
the country.