The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-09-03
Marketing South's
 Great Corn Crop

Great Corn Crop ID RESIDENT FAIRFAX HARR1- 0 SON of the Southern railway has been studying the problem of marketing the south's record d-breaking corn crop, and he is cusfident that the problem will be solved satisfac- torily. The preliminary estimate of the United States agr.culttral de- partment shows that the 1917 crop In the states of Virginia, North Caro- tina, South Carolina, Georgia, Flor ida, Alabama, Mississippi. Tennessee and Kentucky will amount to 678, ,998,- 900 bushels, an increase of 133, ,762, eco bushels or 37 per ce.lt over the crop of 1916.
 The south is also producing in lar- ger quantities than ever before pea nuts, soy beans, velvet beans and other "stock feeds;" and the embar- goes on exports will reduce the amount of cotton seed meal that can be exported. "The result will be-" Mr. Harrison says, that many southern communities that heretofore have not produced enough corn to supply the local demand will have corn for sale. |" That means that marketing machinery must be provided if the farmers are to receive the full market value of their corn.
 MT. Harrison remarks:
 As the marketing of corn will be new business in many localities, venture to offer some suggestions based in part on bulletin prepared in the office of markets and rural organization in the United States de- partment of agriculture.
 Unless there is wide difference in price in favor of distinct market, selling to local consumer will gener ally be preferable There have been instances where farmer has shipped corn to a distant market while a neighbor only a few miles away was shipping in corn from some other dis tant point. This is an economic waste which 1t Is especially desirable to eliminate at this time when the freight equipment of the railroads Is so largely needed for war transpor- tation. The marketing service of the Southern railway system and the county demonstration agents in the government service are cndeavoring to bring neighboring buyers and sellers together and local merchants may be substantially helpful in this. It fol- lows, of course, that southern deal- CTS and consumers should handle and use southern corn whenever possible and, if their wants cannot be supplied in their immediate localities, should draw on some other southern local ities which may have a surplus. In- formation as to where corn may be bought can be obtained from the mar ket agents and farm products agents of the Southern railway system as well as from the government agents
 In preparing his crop for sale the cbo A of the particular market in which he intends to sell-whether the corn should be in the husk, husked and on the cob, or shelled, and, if shelled, whether it should be shipped in bags or in bulk If it is to be shipped in bags, he should know the weight wanted in each bag in the market to which it is to be shipped Most south ern markets want 112 pounds net to the bag, but requirements range from 1oJ to no pounds.
 Mr Harrisoil says that in some parts of the south corn shippers are unknown, but 1t should be so no longer. There should be a large southern demand for shelters this fall. Alabama and other states have raised more corn this year than ever before and when weather conditions are fa- yorable the increase will continue.
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