Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1915-12-10

every factory in the state has an op-
portunity to know monthly how
their product compares with that on
the market, and through the council
OF the judges they are shown how to
overcome faults. With standard
lied, higher quality product a bet
ter market Is assured; but, in addi-
tion to this movement to improve
quality, the co-oepratiye factories
have been brought together into an
organization through which supplies
are brought together, markets bein.
developed comparatively, uniform
methods Of accounting being in
stalled; such of the product as goes
direct to the retail trade being sent
out under the same brand Tor all The
creameries, etc. Through this or
ganization is it hoped to de52lop and
put the dairy industry of the state on
a firmer foundation. In addition to
this work in helping the factories al
ready in operation, l have persistent
ly kept on the trail of the unscrupu-
lous creamery promoters who have
been operating throughout the state,
to prevent them from unloadine on
the farmers plants worth $4,000 for
five or six thousand dollars. The de-
| partment has counselled with the
farmer in dairy communities, help
ing them organize without the pro
moter, get better arranged and bet
ter equipped plants, and 'cr half the
cost.
THE crop and market reporting
service instituted by the farm mar
kets department in Idaho is another
instance of general rather than indi-
vidual help. At potato digging time
this fall it was found that the large,
speculative buyers, who in years past
have been getting the bulk of the
states potato tonnage at their own
| figures, were paying only / ) to so
cents per hundred on the grounds
that the government crop reports
! showed that there was a big over
| production of potatoes throughout
the United States this year, that even
| Idaho had far bigger crop this year
than last, and that not over so cents
per hundred could be expected this
year, Seeing that the growers over
our state were being made the vic
tins of a government crop-reporting
| system that was worse than worth
| less, in that the early and late potato
crops were Jumped together in their
statistics, and that while the south
eTn crop of early potatoes had been
large, the northern crop of early
| potatoes, on the other hand, was way
below last year-and the only pota-
toes affecting the Idaho crop, the
early potatoes long since having been
consumed Immediately advised
the growers over the state, through
| the press and through circulars dis
tributed throughout the potato-grow-
ing districts, under no circumstances
to sell at present prices, not to be
misled by the government crop re-
ports, that the tonnage would be less
than last year that my adyices even
| from Idaho showed at least a 80 per
cent less tonnage than the govern
ment bureau of statistics was credit
! ing our state with, that potatoes were
worth at least 80 cents per hundred
at the time, and not to sell until they
could get that price. Within two
weeks from the time the true crop
situation was placed before our
growers the buyers were offering the
growers 20 to 80 cents more for
their potatoes than they had just two
weeks previously told them they
could expect for the season. And
the price is still going up, getting
closer to the dollar mark every day.
What is true of potatoes is true
Of other crops as well-and the work
has hardly begun. But the possibili-
ties for help in the dissemination of
honest crop and market information
are simply enormous-and what is
being accomplished in Idaho can be
duplicated in any other state"