Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-09-02
FARMERS SHOULD ''GET TOGETHER'
Much Money Is Lost Because Farmers Do Not Use Business Methods in
 Selling Their Produce.
By J. F. Nicholson, Marketing Spe
 cialist. Extension Division, University of Arkansas.

Farming is. d business and demands the use of business methods. A, few years ago farm products were not so widely.distriouted as they are today. Then the farmer coilld load his prod ucts on his wagon. drive to town and dispose of them with little difficulty. Now he generally finds that sonic one else has been to his market. Can taloipes are there from far distant states when his cantaloupes should have filled the demand. Butter has been shipped in from a large cream cry Hundreds of miles distant when his butter should have supplied the wants of that locality; and even the bacon, that he used to furnish. now comes from packing plants that he never heard of before. This change is due to increasing competition OH the part ot producers everywhere. Groups of farmers unite their efforts in producing given food crop. They find they must seek larger and more extensive markets. They push their products out farther and farther un- til they reach every corner of the earth. Unless the local grower can compete in quality and kind, he finds that the other fellow has taken his place on his home market. The local grower is soon convinced that he is in a competitive game. Instead of bemoaning his fate he determines that to succeed be must follow the methods of those who have crowded him out '.,, ..,.
 Must Produce Quality and Quan- .:' ,. F. tity To Compete. .ir'
 ! He learns that he must produce quality in order to interest the buyer who used to take his home product. When he has done that. like his com petitors he must beginsto develop new markets for his products. He looks about for wider outlet and finds 1t, in many cases, miles distant which requires shipping in large amounts generally in car lots, in order to leave a profit. It is true that it costs more to reach this distant market, but it must be reached in order to sell The grower also finds that 3he must em- ploy the services of distributors to enable him to locate his products on the distant market. This, again, goes into his profits, but. things adjust themselves in time and eventually he finds himself in the great game of food distribution, operating his busi- ness on small margins and striving to increase his earnings by greater and better production.
 Cooperation Increases Profits.
 The day will come when the grower must conclude that some of the cost of conducting his business may be lessened by uniting his efforts with those of his neighbors. He then helps to form cooperative selling organiza tions with the growers of his locality who are striving to produce the same commodity Jointly they employ an efficient sales manager in whom they have implicit confidence. Their com bined output is of such quantity and quality that they easily take their place in the big competitive game on distant markets and they find that by working together they can greatly lessen the cost of production and handling of their products. All of this means bigger returns to tho grower individually and demonstrates that while a man may profitably ope- rate individually on a large scale he can do so more successfully and in a more business.like way by co-ope- rating with his neighbors.
 Which Farmer Are You?
 This is the story in a, nutshell of successful marketing and unless we recognize the forces now operating and prepare to meet increasing com petition. we shall be destined to con- tinue to labor quietly on our farms, growing only small surplus over what we can consume ourselves and trading it for those other necessities of life which we cannot raise. Will you be a good farmer, able to meet competition intelligently and through cooperative efforts profitably dispose of your cash crops, or will you be just grower allowing some one else to profit on your surplus? Remember, producing is only one half the game nH e. sc xii l-o