The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-11-16
THE RICHMOND NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. NOVEMBER 1e 1918.

DutlOn. the pToHot0n OF UtreGI deal
Ing between producers anf consrm-
ers by parcel post, express and
\ freight.
Fourth. Study and PRONUNCIATION of
market grades and standards: con
sderation of sizes and suitability of
| packages and containers, methods of
preparation Gf perishab,e products and
the ultimate establishment, so far as
| practicable, of official market grades
and standards for farm products
] Finally, cooperative production
and marketing Investigations. The de-
! partment has done much work in this
| field through various agencies. 1t has
esta blished standard cotton grades and
has practically completed its standard
corn grades. 1t has given much at
tention to the cold storage problems.
to the packing and handling cf perish
able fruits. 1t Is convinced, as you are,
of the existing chaos and OF the conse
quent wastes-waste resulting from
faults on the part of the farmer in the
growing and handling of his products
waste resulting from the machinery
/ of distribution. including PHYSICAL
equipment and physical handling;
waste resulting from the manipulation
of those middlemen who perform no
clear, useful and necessary service.
and waste resulting from Ignorance
on the part of the consumer and of the
producer of the character of the prod
uct which Is placed on the market
The producer Of any product Is en-
titled to receive an exact price for the
specific product which he offers. and
the consumer is entitled to receive
just the commodity he thinks he Is
paying for.
A failure in either direction involves
clear injustice and greatly hampers
production and crop Improvement
Let me illustrate by reference to two
vitality important crop-cotton and
corn.
Cotton and Corn Standard Problems.
Several different standards Of cot
/ ton classification are now in use. Some
markets have adopted the official
grades and use them. Others have
adopted them, but do not trade OF
them. Liverpool has one set OF
grades; New York another. The
former IS a great market for both
spots and futures; the latter almos,
purely future market. Atlanta has
its own grades; Augusta are different
Savannah, handling largely the same
character of cotton as the two fore
going, trades on Liverpool grades
using Liverpool middllng as q basis
| Atlanta middling Is equal to Liverpool
/ good tmiddling. In other words. al
name is applied to two qualities that
differ In market value as much as
$3.50 per bale.
The adoption and application of
I one uniform standard would result
I in a great simpllfication of all cotton
! transactions. doing away with the
I pick method OF figuring buyers
/ limits It would not be sufficient to
+ have uniform grades. but the grade
{ -. Il J.-sF Ia ah4t no
! the game In all markets.
4 The local buyer knows the market
cotton grades, the farmer does not
/ Too frequently the local buyer Sc
cures the cotton at practically fiat
/ rate basis on lower grades, grades the
cotton himself and sells il for what it
/ Is worth. The middleman alone
profits from this transaction. the pro-
| Queer Is defrauded as well as the con-
sumner
| There Is not only no incentive for
placing a good product on the market.
| but as q matter Of fact, a penalty at
ltacheS to the cation GEoMer- who take
! the pains to improve his product.
/ Uniform standards throughout the
cotton belt would result IN the rapid
| building up Of a body OF common
| knowledge on the part of the farmeEs.
students in agricultural colleges and
!
| of grad
| Practically the same results would
1 follow and the same evils would be
reuoved If standard grades for corn
/ were universally adopted. Definite
standards for the grading of CON-
mercial corn and the uniform applica-
/ ton of such standards in all markets
under suitable government superN!s-
| Ion would be of direct value TO cur
/ in l.
| izatlon would encourage the market
! ting Of dry corn OF better quality.
Heretofore It has been the common
I practice to pay practically the saTne
price for all corn delivered at coun-
try stations regardless of It's waser
content or Of its soundness. Farmers
/ have not been slow to grasp the stu
! alton, and under such a system have
! naturally made but little effort 20
market corn In a dry and sound CON
dltion The system has placed a
premium on poor and careless farming
at the expense of farm methods aud
practices.
Under definite system of grading
and the elimination of such terms as
! reasonably dry" and reasonably
/ clean" the farmer as wei. as the grain
dealer will be able 10 know and fully
understand the requirements for the
/ different grades, With knowledge
I Of the grade requirements the farmer
who markets dry corn OF good quality
/ will be in a position to demand
/ premium for such corn, II viii not
( be necessary for him TO accept a 81
price for corn which he sells under
/ grade designation OF So. He viii
/ then have some announcement to eX-
ercise greater care in the harvesting.
storing. and marketing of his corn;
/ hc can likewise ascertain in advance
| AUCTION SALES.