Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1915-10-06
MICHIGAN BEAN
GROWERS FAVOR
STABLE PRICES
OCTOBER BEANS TO BRING $500;
A TEN CENT ADVANCE EACH
MONTH

The Convention of Bean Growers at
Flint represented the principal bean
growing sections of the State. The
unanimous opinion of crop conditions
was that with even the most favorable
weather the remainder of the season
that not to exceed one-third of nor
NAL crop was possible measured in
salable stock. Frost in the northern
portion of the State and with contiRu-
ed wet weather, anthracnose and
blight have made the most disastrous
season in the States history of bean
growing. There is no appreciate
stock of beans of last years crops nor
will there be any Of the staple foods
cheap as potatoes were last year. By
no means can the actual cost of the
crop of beans for 1915 be realized by
the masses of growers. The problem
then is to minimize the seasons losses
and maintain a price that will move
the crop as needed for consumption.
The Convention of Growers adopted
the following minimum price scale for
the bean crop of 1915: October, $500;
November, $40; December, $3.50,
and after that an advance of 5 cents
for each month of the marketing sea-
son. The object of this monthly adj
vance is to accomplish the purposes of
dumping beans on the market faster
than the trade can handle and also
provide a reasonable incentive for the
grower to carry his crop and be COM
pensated for shrinkage, interest and
carrying charges. To the buyer the
market will be advancing to cover the
items just named. Bean buying will
be a merchandising business rather
than a speculative one.
This plan was presented to the Bean
Jobbers' association at Ann Arbor and
the general plan of cooperative ac-
ton in marketing was endorsed. The
actual prices were not agreed to nor
opposed for legal reasons as well as
the uncertainties of crop conditions
the remainder of the season. The an
swer made as to price was that this
year it was wholly up to the grower.
Conservative marketing would main
tain prices, while crowding beans on
the market would demoralize prices.
All figures of crop costs, food values
and general market prices of foods
this year would make bean values
above the minimum prices named.
The dangers to price maintenance
based on the above conditions comes
from the possibilities of spectators
who may have sold futures and from
growers crowding beans on the mar
ket too fast. Growers will be advised
that beans are too high for consump-
ton. To this it may be answered
that there were $500 beans last year
on double the crop of this season, and
also that the Belgian Relief Commits
sion figured $500 beans as the cheap
est food that could be bought last
year.
As a business proposition consult
your banker on price maintenance and
financing the crop in your hands as
well as after selling. The interest on
one bushel of beans at $500 per bush
ell is less than 2 cents per month. This
with some shrinkage still allows a safe
margin for conservative marketing.
On the other hand, do not all over
stay the market. This method of mar
keting the bean crop has the apprval
of the u. S. Division of Markets, and
in the language of an exclusive bean
buyer: at S up to the farmer to make
the market price for beans"
Michigan Bean Growers Associa-
ton.
J. n. Mcbride, Secretary.