Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-04-17
WILL DISCUSS
UNIT MARKETS
col. ALBA HEYWOOD WILL AID
DRESS MEETING OF BROWNS
VILE FARMERS At FEDERAL
BUILDING SATURDAY.
SUBJECT INTERESTING
COZ. IlEYWOOD ADDRESSES FARM
ERS' MEETING AT SAN BENITO
TODAY AND WILL TELL OF THAT
MEETING.

The Unit Marketing Plan" will be
discussed al a meeting Of Brownsville
farmers aud business men In be- held AT
the federal court room Saturday after
nosn at o'clock. aS was previously an
nounccd this week. The address Of the
afternoon will bc made by Colonel Alba
ilcywood Of san BenXo. and he will also
tell of the results of" the meeting of the
farmers of Central District and South
west District being held al San Bcnito
today
With reference to the purpose Of this
meeting. Rex T.. Willard OF the farm
management division of the Department
of Agriculture. said today:
The year 1905 was the first in the
Lower Rio Grandc Valley that any cx-
tcnSive truck farming was carried on.
From that year Ia the present there has
been an increasing acreage from wear Ia
wear with I'm average loss Ia the farmers
during those years. With view of de-
tcrmining the probability of success with
the various trunk crops | have under
taken to assemble u considerable num-
her of records directly from the farmers
themselves showing the profit and loss
in the truck business from n few Sc
lrcicd farmers. but from all CLASSES.
Nearly 100 farmers have been inter
viewed and the records when summarized
are not satisfactory.
The records cover the time that the
farmers have been in the VALLEY. which
varies from two Ia six wears. and these
farmers are to he found all the way from
Brownsville to Mission. Not all the data
has been tabulatcd nor has sufficient
amount been accumultcd to draw abso-
lutte conclusions hut the following fig
urcS shuN accurately the status of the
truck business.
"On over fifty farms where cabbage
has been raised from two to six years.
- per cent If the crops have brought a
return 10 the farmer OF more than so
per acre. Of the 62 per cent Of crops
that have not brought return above
cost Of production SO per cent Of the
failures have been due Ia lack of mar
kct Assuming that the farmers inter.
viewed represent average conditions 800
per cent Of all the cabbage crops have
failed from lax ~ market.
"Of all the causes of failure lack of
market il first: car shortage j. second
loss from frost is third: and poor farm
ing or lack II knowledge of farming
methods j. fourth.
The matter ~ adjustment from loss
hy ear shortage i one that should be-
made good hy the railroads handling
the products. The loss from frost j. not
altogether under human control. nj
though il is partly 81. The lack oi
knowledge Of methods of irrigation farm
ing will be overcome by experience But
marketing must he organized on >onl'
basis that will make the income to th,
producer more nearly the cost to the
consumer. How this may be accom-
.pli>hcd j. the greatest problem that il
before the truckers of the VALLEY. Colone
Alba llcyvood of san Bcnito will b,
here Saturday afternoon for the purpos,
of discussing plan leading 10 the >olu
iion of the problem. III J. thetef r. Q,
the interest of every trucker in this com
muniiy To be present and hear the argu
mrnt and determine whether this ol
some other plan j. feasible"