The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-09-01

,,,. Dast week by Mr.. O. l.. Joyner, Of
c~re.nvIle. The address follows:
The question OF selling farm pro-
acct. of every kind is one hat should
",...,. The hest attention and thought
49, fjttrers Everywhere. The solution
y, ~. problem of how and when to
,,.r,.., II our crops to best advai-
,ore IS one thai requires conservative
@,tfnn. Taking up n question of
..rkttiug the tobacco crop, my OBJ
s.r,ation and experience as a tobacco
i'll selling obacco dur
,nr the past twenty-odd years forces
me In frankness to say / think there
= less Judgment and m sense
u.ed i'm the marketing of this crop
thar any other crop grown in our
state do not wish to be understood
as aSsaIling the system of selling the
crop ON the warehouse floor, for while
have retired from the tobacco
warehouse business in the State for
AN time and have not Il dollar of
interest i'm any warehouse business in
the state, | am thoroughly convinced
that the loose leaf warehouse as a
channel through which to dispose Of
the crop is the very best, safest and
fairest way | have ever seen or known
Of selling the crop, and | have seen
ANA IIAfN vi ltDS VII dill
the methods of selling tobacco in our
country. But | refer to the hari-kiri
methods employed by farmers in what
may le best termed getting rid of
rot marketing the crop.
II requires the best part of twelve
fun months to produce a crop Of to-
baCco, and yet under the system we
have drlfted into in marketing it. we
get rid of 1t in practically about three
and one-half months. | have known
nearly every warehouse on all the lar
iest markets in Eastern North Caro-
lima ChoCk "A block and for days, some
times weeks blocked sales, and this,
too. during years when comparatively
small crops were made. In other
words, farmers generally all get
through curing about the same time
and instead of Systematically dispOs-
Ing OF the crop during a period Of
I'VE to SIX months, commencing about
September LIST, and selling only about
one-1fth or one-Sixth of the crop on
the market during any one month,
as a rule during the last several years
at least half the crop has been dis
posed OF by october 18th, certainly not
later than November 1st, and a large
majority of this enormous bulk has
been thrown to the buyers in about
kX weeks.
Weather conditions have seemed to
have little influence on rme in
Keeping tobacco off the market nor
d. d rule has an over crowded market
ktpt them at home with their tGbac-
'N On the contrary if the market is
"' All sustained and the bottom does
nor literally fall out of prices, they
continue TO bring it in. At such times
the pm hooker and sp%eculator real
mnelr harvest and who can blame them
iue manufacturers and other regular
ouserS run their factories during this
period frequently both day and night.
'o'dcco IS piled heller SHELTER all over
,he factory floor, and during soft
weather | have seer hundreds of
thousands of pounds of tobacco
oought at high prices almost smok-
"e hot. FARMERS are advised of the
,a"u'.Ion ana yet they continue tC
"' II so long as prices bear a semb-
%hge ot value. During one such Pc
Nv iaSt year a very large >and i'm
portdht buyer told me he saw to-
T"oco s"ld daily IN the markets fol
I'LL ohe-half to three-fourths OF
CO, ne would be glad to give for il
ne had ar lace to keep it for ever
~" During this period
'""ertuol. advise the farmers in
puouc circular and through tn
meSS also. Of the ruinous policy the,
"rie pursuing and urged them on ac.
hhI OF weather conditions and thu
"9"Iy contested markets to keep theil
""S'" AT nome where they we're 8,
i, ~ 'ttttr prepared to take care O
,rh"ld" were the buyers at that time
CT was only one noticeable de
,e IN sales on the market at tina
ana that was at my warehouse
..''i"lhg the determination of farm.
a ~" get rid of their tobacco as soor
I'M, ro"N'ole' manufacturers and Other
Las, nave e~ndeavored during tn,
nv -" years to meet the condition.
M n.'"IElhS their factories and EQUIP
90, ana I'm other ways preparing t
W. t"eir snare of the crop while i
t"lnS. There was no other re
.te St ana in the meantime the farm
scIr,l'N' peen fastening upon them
nara : condition hat is going to b,
Nv TO change, for the reason o
.ol."ts '"rced the buyers to take thei
ban ~ IN a shorter period of tim,
If ), ,ieF Were prepared to take car,
% me- buying interests have triet
suit ~ me condition, with the re
her, Nm"t after a short selling seaso,