South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-07-28
MARKET PROBLEMS
PROVING Sc R|OUS
Office OF Markets and Rural
Organizations Facing Is
sue of Immediate
Importance.


Make arrangements now for the |
handling Of your perishable fruit or /
vegetable harvesting arrangements. !
especially as regards labor. picking I
and packing house fo.emen, and |
have packing houses in order. Have 4
crate and box material on hand. /
Make every possible provision for |
the proper and careful handling of
perishable produce.
If preceding facilities are avail |
able. have them in shape for hand
ling the maximum capacity, efficient
ly and quickly.
Remember we must conserve as
efficiently as possible all the food
products produced. The farmer will
do his share only if he exercises
every care i'm his handling. picking,
and packing operations SO as TO
eliminate all possible waste in trans
portatiOn. as on the care exercised
in handling depends largely the con-
dition of the produce when it reaches
the market.
Shipper and Carrier.
Heavier loading Of cars will be
necessary If all our perishable crops
are To he moved TO market. To pre-
vent undue deterioration, there must
be full cooperation between shippers
and carriers. The shippers can aid
greatly i'm making possible the sue
cessful movement Of our perishable
food products. through more careful
attention to handling. to maturity Of
product at time of harvesting, to the
securing of quick cooling by cool
light temperature, by preceding or
quick handling to refrigerator cars.
and last but not least, to proper
slowing and bracing i'm the car TO
facilitate quick refrigeration and
provide safety of lading from break.
age in transit. Due attention TO
proper strength of packages is also
essential.
1t is not sufficient for the fruit and
vegetable growers simply To order
their shipping packages i'm advance.
The manufacturer should be direct
cd 10 ship them at the earliest pos
sible date. Unless this is done il is
probable that i'm many sections the
growers will he without packages
when the harvesting season arrives.
Storage space should be arranged for
even though it requires additional
handling.
Careful Grading.
II is of the utmost importance
that fruits and vegetables be care
fully graded before being shipped TO
the markets. The high cost of pro-
duction makes this of greater i'm
portance this year than ever before.
Shipping the diseased with the
sound. the overripe with the prop
erly matured specimens, and failure
10 classify the product To meet the
various demands, result i'm deteriora-
ton. decay, and inefficient distribu
ton. The understandable and i'm
ferior grades should be converted
into products. or discarded, and
the good fruit or vegetables separ-
ated into classes according to their
quality in order to minimize contain
nation and therefore prevent waste
as well as TO reduce the cost of mar
Seting.
An example of the effect of poor
grading can be seen in the marketing
/ of the early potatoes. Poor grading
TO a large extent caused the Cutting
\ of the market and consequent loss
10 the producers. dealers, and all
concerned.
Cooperative Shipping.
Shipping organizations can pool the
/ output of their members and load
/ cars of some commodities to full
capacity for large markets. Cars
/ should be loaded and unloaded by
/ shippers i'm the shortest possible
time, and any work in regard TO di-
version of cars in transit should re
/ Cuce delay as much as posi- bic.
Southern growers should study
/ Cata published by the bureau of crop
4 estimates with a view 10 determining
what northern crops seem TO be
/ short and plan their fall blowing.
I etc. i'm preparation for planting the
crops for which there seems likely
10 he the greatest need next spring.
/ Both the condition and the acreage.
as we'll as the estimated yield should
receive careful consideration.
Farmers should estimate their
labor needs as far in advance as pos
sible-that is, not only the number
: of the help which will be needed, but
the approximate time when they will
| be first needed and the length of
time that they will be needed in each
locality. Farmers should cooperate
in every way practicable with local
state. or national employment bu-
reaus.
Small Markets.
! Shippers should pay more atten-
ton to small markets for their pro-
duce. especially i'm the event that
I there may be an overproduction o. a
certain commodity. 1t is highly de-
sirable that crops Of which there is
very heavy production, such as
may be the case with potatoes. be
distributed over as wide a territory
as possible. Shippers should try tc
cultivate the small town market:
and hence increase the number OF
outlets for such crops, thus prevent
.ng gluts in the larger markets and
II conserving the supply OF other more
impct tant commodities, such a.
wheat
} In case a grower has difficulty in
disposing Of a surplus Of a giver
commodity. he should attempt L,
, conserve as large proportion as
} practicable by means Of canning AND
; evaporation and providing good com