Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-03
HOW TO MARKET THIS
YEARS CROP OF CORN
Fairfax Harrison Says Crop Will Be
81 Per Cent Above That
OF Last Year.
ISSUES GENERAL STATEMENT
Advises Communities to Install Corn
Shelters and Elevators for Storing
Corn and Other Grain-Should
Market Soon After Harvest.

Careful study of the problem of mar
keting this years record breaking corn
crop in the South has been made by
Fairfax Harrison. president of the
Southern Railway, who declares that
the preliminary estimate OF the United
States Agricultural Department shows
an increase in this section of tho
country of 1S3,762.ooo bushels. or 81
per cent, over last year.
Mr.. Harrison yesterday issued n
statement in this connection. which
follows:
THE South is also producing, in
larger quantities than ever before. pea
nuts, soy beans, velvet beans, COW
peas and other stock fAeds. and the
embargoes on exports will reduce the
amount of cottonseed meal that can be
sold abroad. The result will be that
many Southern communities that here
tofore have not produced enough corn
to supply the local demand will have
corn for sale. This will mean that,
II farmers are to receive the Gull mar
ket value for their corn. marketing
machinery must be provided and infor-
nation must be given as to the proper
grading and preparation of corn for
market. AS a good price for corn
means that more money will be in
circulation in the community. it will
be to the advantage of local bankers
and business men to corporate with
farmers for the successful marketing
of their crops.
UNLESS there is wide difference in
price in favor of distinct market.
selling to a local consumer will gen
orally be preferable. There have been
n "a haS Sh
corn to distant market while a
neiGhbor only few miles away was
shipping in corn from some other dis
tant point. This is an economic waste
which it is especially desirable to elm
mate at this time when the freight
equipment of the railroads is SO large
~ needed for war transportation. The
marketing service of the Southern
Railway system and the county dem
onstration agents in the government
service are endeavoring to bring neigh
boring buyers and sellers together ana
local merchants may be substantially
helpful in this. 1t follows. of course,
that Southern dealers and consumers
should handle and use Southern corn
whenever possible, and. IL their wants
cannot be supplied in their immediate
localities, should draw on some other
Southern localities which may have
Il surplus.
SktcLLlID SohN ScbLS
TO BEST ADVANTAGE
I'm some parts of the South there
is demand for corn in the husk, but
by far the greater part Of the crop
is marketed as shelled corn. In many
Southern localities corn shelters are
almost unknown. Where a farmer has
large crop it may pay him to buy Il
shelter or the farmers in community
may buy one in common. At some
points in the South power shelters have
been put in by cotton gins. oil mills
and other concerns having suitable
power plants. This will be found to
be especially satisfactory where the gin
or other concern will handle corn for
the farmers much as cotton is now han
died. One of the advantages of this
method is that. larger quantities being
handled. the corn can be graded better
than by a large number Of individual
farmers with small lots.
I'm some localities the erection Of
elevators for storing corn and other
grains may be desirable. but in others
cotton warehouses, gins. oil mills and
other buildings may be used for tenn
porary storage.
AS Southern corn is ready for mar
ket earlier than that grown in the
North. and as there is danger of weevil
South. the Department Of Agriculture
advises that Southern corn should gen.
orally be marketed soon after harvest"