The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1915-02-03
THE FARMERS MARKET
THE FOLLOWING. taken from

a,THE FOLLOWING. taken from
i the American Lumberman. has
. direct bearing upon q theme that
has been dwelt upon BY the Herald
In this column:
/ Whenever the farmer 10 criticized
for not patronising home merchants
his response ia either that he can get
better goods at lower prices abroad
or that the merchants will not pay
him reasonable price for his pro-
duce and he does not. therefore, feel
Obliged to rsciprocate by giving them
his patronage. To some extent his
| complaint about the lack Of q good
market for his produce at home Il
reasonable and sound. Grain and
live stock are sold by the farmer to
the grain buyers and stock buyers
80 far as market for them IL con-
cerned. the general merchant IL not
directly. though he is indirectly. con-
fcerned.
Eggs and butter afford two exam
pies Of the lack Of local market that
any reasonable person could be ex-
pected to be satisfied with. and they
are the two common articles pro-
duced ON the farm that afford q
means of communication or Q point Of
contact between the farmer ana the
local merchant.
OF course. the average general
farmer gives comparatively little At
tention to his poultry and not much
more to the production Of milk and
butter. Poultry generally receives
all the attention that 1t get from
the wife. and both eggs and butter
commonly are marketed by her.
Many merchants have from time
immemorial refused to pay cash for
either butter or eggs. The farmer.
if he wishes to sell them. must take
bis pay in merchandise To this pol
icy is to be attributed, to some ex-
ten: at least the estrangement, II
any. that exists between the rural
merchant and the farmer. One re-
suit has been the producing of butter
and eggs has beeh neglected and
reisgated to an inferior position on
the general farm. Another result
has been to create in the mind of
the farmer the belief that the local
merchant was undertaking to COM
pei him to buy by refusing to &C.
cept his produce except in exchange
for merchandise.
1t Is more than q peculiar COIN
cidence that the two items most COM
monty mentioned in contributing to |
the high cost Of living are the items !
that some retail merchants refuse to |
buy for cash. Notwithstanding the |
neglect that the producing of eggs
and butter suffers on the average
farm even during that period of the /
year--winter-when there is more
sssASO o'ohoosS Aot 8ASiu8 L06m al. :
tention than at any other season, a
very large part OF the butter and
sggs consumed is still produced on
he general farm.
Dairying az special industry has
developed enormously and SO has
'oultry. raising and egg producing.
'ut these Industries have developed
most largely near to the great mar h
,ets and they supply, comparatively il
peaking. small part Of the butter
nd eggs that are consumed. The
'eneral farm still Is the main source
4 milk and egg supply.
II all of the rural merchants In
town do not wish to handle butter
md eggs, let them by agreement.
either establish a butter and egg
market where cash will be paid for
hese products or let them by agree
nent, have one Of their number nay
ash for butter and eggs.
OF course, the independent market
vill be better. as there would be .
endency always to spend the money
There the cash was received. the
merchant who took this produce
would ct the large share Of the
ash trade