Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1915-01-14


special quality OF fertilizer, most
OF which ia shipped to Germany and
Holland and used largely upon their
famous tulip beds. We burn Totn.
ing. Most OF the offai goes back to
the farms OF this region as manures.
There Ii no more profitable use for
II. The very water with which We
flush out our slaughter rooms Is used
AZ fertilizer.
Each Friday we send out quotations
or prices which will prevail during
the coming week. About oneshaif OF
our output, however, is sold In adj
vance on standing orders from Eng
land. They direct us to send them
no many hundred pounds at the rul-
ing price. They understand, OF course,
that we will fix fair market price
upon what we send them, With these
who want good bacon. however. 1t is
not so much a question OF price as q
question OF quality, and 1t Is because
Of our quality that we have these
standing orders"
Fixing Prices.
Each of the factories has a local
prfee-fixing committee, consisting Of
the president OF the local society, q
well-known farmer who Is not direc.
tor of the society, and the manager
of the factory. The manager OF course,
produces the latest market reports,
kilograms and all other information
obtainabIe as TO the results Of preyt
Gus shipments, the state OF the mar
ket and It's trend whether up or down
After providing fol small profit
which goes to the sinking fund and
allowing a quarter OF cent per pound
for working expense the COMMITTEES
decides upon the prices which should
be paid and which II will recommend
to the general district committee.
The district committee OF the Fed.
Grafton OF Bacon Factories meets once
o week to fix the prices which are to
prevail for the following week. This
general committee first learns the
views Of all the local factory com
mittees In the district and sets the
prices according to their recommends,
tions: that liz to say, If Ave local
committees recommend As ore per
pound. while Ave others place the fig.
ures at 40, the general committee sets
1t NJ 45h.
u Pays the Farmer.
I'VE are now paying little over
fifteen dollars Per hundred weight
Other private dealers pay the same
price, but with the private dealer the
first return ID ali the farmer viii ever
get for his pigs Each year we lay
aside something for our reserve fund
and something to pay or what we Dor
rowed at the bank. After we have
done this we declare an annual tiivi
dend. which amounts to from $1.2s
to $3.50 on each hog that has been
delivered TO us. You see also that
at the end OF the ten years period
each farmer has n share In our estab
lishment here, which may be termed
an additional price for his pigs. TN
der our system each farmer has az
Interest ir this concern, when It IL
finally paid for In proportion to the
number Of pounds of pork which he
has delivered TO as during all these
years, We figure that the average
amount, which has been laid aside
and invested In this plant, Is about
twenty-five dollars per member. We
do not pay this In cash to them, but
issue certificate which is evidence
that they own a share In this plant
and In the business which we are do
ing here This is not closed cor
poration, but any farmer who wishes
to Join IL can do 80 by paying the
estimated value OF membership.
Standing Together.
There are AZ cooperative hacor
factories I'm Denmark. We have cen
trial organization, which Ii rather o
voluntary association for the mutual
benefit OF the various cooperative ba
con factories The ONCE is lin Cop,
enhagen. Weekly reports come In
from each factory giving the amount
killed and sold. the expense of the
business and the market returns re.
cnived, Tho heads OF the various fac.
tories meet from time TO time to talk
over the best business methods and
possible improvements In our wy OF
handling bacon, We give each other
the benefit of our experience and
think OF every way possible to help
each other We do not feel that We
are, In any antagonistic sense, rivals
We fully believe that every factor,
Ii helped by the success of the other
factories, The success OF each de
pends upon the fact that all of the
factories are putting out a good
product aud are dealing in an honest
business-like way with the foreign res
tailers who take our products, What
hurts one of as hurts all OF us. We
are anxious, therefore, b. help each
other In every way. since In helping
others we are helping ourselves.
Our agricultural schools and our
government departments helm us.
HasaluT4k III