The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1917-09-07
SOUTHEASTERN STATES
CORN CROP THIS YEAR

ing the problem OF marketing this
years record-breaking corn cropin the
territory served by the Southern
Railway System and its associated
lines, has authorized the following
statement:
| he preliminary estimate Of the
United States Agricultural Depart
ment shows that this years corn crop
in the states of Virginia. North Caro-
lima. South Carolina, Georgia, Flori-
da, Alabama. Mississippi, Kentucky
and Tennessee will amount to 678.-
9980OO bushels, an increase of 1885,
100000 bushels, or 81 per cent, over
the crop OF 1916. The South is also
producing, in larger quantities than
ever before, peanuts, soy beans, velvet
beans. cow peas and other stock feeds
and the embargoes on exports vii
| duce the amount of cotton seed meal
| that can be sold abroad. The result
will be that many Southern communi
ties that heretofore have not produced
enough corn to supply the local de-
mand will have corn for sale. This
Will mean that, if farmers are to re-
ceiYe the full market value for their
corn marketing machinery 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 adj
vantage OF local bankers and business
men to cooperate with farmers for
the successful marketing of their
crops
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 Or
ganization 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 GEN
orally be preferable. There have been
instances where a farmer has shipped
corn to distant market while a
ncighbor only few miles awav was
Shipping iii corn from some other
distant point. This is an economic
waste which it is especially desirable
to eliminate at this time when the
.rc!ght equipment of the railroads is
so largely needed for war transpor-
taton. The marketing service of the
Southern Railway System and the
county demonstration agents in the
government service are endeavorinp
to bring neighboring buyers and SELL
ers together and local merchants NAV
be substantially helpful in this. 1t fol-
lows, Of course, that Southern dealers
and consumers should handle and use
Southern corn whenever possible and,
II their wants can not be supplied in
their immediate localities. should
draw on some other Southern To-
callties which may have surplus. In
formation as to where corn may be
bought can be obtained from the
Market Agents and Farm Products
Agents OF the Southern Railway Sys-
TEN as we'll as from the government
agents
'In preparing his crop for sale the
farmer should know the requirements
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, ii shelled
whether it should be shipped i'll bags
or in bulk, If it's 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
Southern markets want 112 pounds
met to the bag, but requirements
range from 100 to l40 pounds
In some parts OF the South there
is a demand for corn in the husk, but
by far the greater part Of the crop
is marketed as shelled corn. In many
I.Southern localities corn shelters are
almost unknown. Where a farmer
has large crop it may pay him to
buy a shelter or the farmers in a COM
munity may buy one in common. At
some points in the South power she'll
ers 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 handled One of the