The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-12-13
FARMERS ARE GIVEN
MARKETING HELP
U. S. Department Of Agriculture Has
Begun Important News Service
Covering Various Articles
Produced BY Farmers.


The development during the last fiscal
year of a more extensive and more high
~ perfected demonstration market news
service for perishable fruits and yege-
tables and performance of work prelim-
mary TO beginning a similar service for
livestock and meats are described in the
annual report of the Office OF market
and rural organization of the U s. de-
department of agriculture, which has
lust been published. The news service
for perishable foods and vegetables, es-
tablished for four products in 1913, was
extended to include number OF new
crops, an additional number of stations
in producing territory, and an increased
number of permanent offices in market
centers. The service has reached much
larger number of persons than during
the preceding year and has, according
TO reports, been valuable in assisting
growers organizations to plan selling
campaigns intelligently; in promoting
better understanding among growers,
shippers, commission merchants, and con-
sumers, and in facilitating efficient mar
keting operations in other ways.
Grading and Standardlzing.
The Office has continued its studies OF
market grades and standards for vari-
Gus farm products.
Investigations into the reasons for the
economic loss of foodstuffs in transit
are being continued and possible meth
DDS of Improvement are being studied.
operation between shippers and car
riers with a view to reducing loss has
been stimulated in various instances, tx
permental shipments of various products
originating on the farm aggregating
nearly $4,000 pounds, were made by par
eel post during the year. Results from
these and earlier shipments according
to the report, indicate that it is physl'
cally possible TO ship almost any com
modify by parcel post when it is prop
erly packed and handled, The experi-
ments have shown also, however, that
comparative returns from other market
ing methods must be considered and mat
it is essential for success in parcel-post
marketing for shippers to grade and
standardize their products and TO use
suitable containers.
Rural Organization Investigations.
Rural organization Investigations OF
the office resulted in the collection OF
data on the costs and sources OF farm
loans, loans to farmers by merchants
in the south, farmers mutual insurance
companies, and rural telephone compa-
MES Intensive rural surveys of two
counties were completed and studies were
made of large number of rural social,
educational, and civic activities
Cotton Marketing Work.
In its work of enforcing the cotton
futures act, the office designated as bona
tide spot cotton markets the exchanges
in two cities in addition to the l3 previ-
ouslv designated. A number OF addi-
tional domestic markets have adoptedth the
official cotton standards as a basis Tor
their transactions The standards have
been adopted also by the Rotterdam Hol-
land, cotton exchange. During the fiscal
year disputes arising from future trans
actions and involving 26,7l1 bales were
passed on by the Office. These disputes
were from New York, none arising in
New Orleans, the only other officially
designated future market in the coun-
try.
During the year the office completed
its standards for tinged and stained
American cotton and these were promul-
gated by the secretary OF agriculture,
Work on the Standardization of Arizona
Ervptian cotton and Sea Island cotton
was continued. Two hundred and forty
eight full sets and rs fractional sets OF
the official standards for white cotton
were distributed
Other Work
Other work carried on by the office OF
markets and rural organization included
investigations in cooperative purchasing
and marketing, and marketing business
practice. In the latter work, uniform
systems of accounting were devised for
grain elevators, fruit and produce asso-
Citations, live stock shipping associations.
co operative stores, commission houses,
and other industries. Investigations in
city marketing and distribution and IN
the marketing of cotton seed and ITS
products were continued. The new work
taken up by the Office included the draft
ing of rough plans for and estimating the
costs of municipal public markets and
wholesale terminal markets, investiga-
tions in the marketing of dairy products
and in the marketing of grain, seeds and
hav