The Monett times., 1918-01-18
DIR. BEAL is REELECTED
HEAD OF FRUIT GROWERS

Growers association at the annual
meeting of the stockholders held at
Monett this week. Other officers were
reelected, including j. w. Stroud, sec
retary, Rogers, Ark.
| An address by J. F. Nicholson, agri-
cuhurist of the Arkansas Profitable
Farming Bureau of the Little Rock
Board of Commerce, featured one of
of the sessions.
Mr.. Nicholson's subject was "The
Relationship of the Business Man to
the Farm"
"Co-operative effort in the farming
business has come to stay" he said.
"There are more than 10000 selling
agencies such as this one in the United
States and they represent cash bus
mess of billion dollars year. The
California Fruit Growers Exchange
sold $33, 900 worth of oranges,
lemons and grape fruit last year and
handled So per cent of all fruits
grown in California. The Tillamook
County Creamery Association of Ore
gon did half million dollar business
and the Eastern Shore of Virginia
Produce Exchange sells more than
10000 cars of Irish and 800 cars of
sweet potatoes. annually. Iowa has
more than 60 cooperative marketing
Iocccoio+iooc No11,s o,vy inn
has been great factor in placing
the strawberry growing industry of
arkansas and Missouri on a solid foun
dation.
Organizations will enable the
farmer to meet market requirements,
to eliminate waste, establish brands
and trademarks, advertise, find new
markets, extend old markets, secure
information about markets and crops
in other sections, provide storage IA
cilities to hold crops during represing
times, get better financial backing,
purchase supplies together; in fact,
the little fellow gets all the benefits
of an enterprise conducted on large
scale.
owe simply must pull together.
4. Producers of perishable farm products
can never expect to see their produce
marketed and distributed in an equit-
able manner unless the producers arr
organized Foods must be so handled
on the farm, SO marketed and distrib-
uted without waste be available
all at price within reach Of all and
at the same time yield a return that
will repay the grower the cost of pro-
duction plus a fair margin of profit.
If the farmer does not organize TO
help himself, no one can solve his
problem for him. Lack of grading
and lack of standard packages is at
the bottom of most of the difficulties
that arise between the producer and
the man who receives the products for
further distribution among consumers.
An intelligent distribution can be had
only through shipment in carload lots.
The grower must learn to advertise
his wares.
Bankers are willing to finance any
man who can pass the test of personal
honesty, ability and resources. In our
state, the Arkansas Bankers associa-
tion has live agricultural committee,
headed by r. C. Powell of Little
Rock. 1t is composed of good, live
banker in each county. Our bankers
are taking more interest in the farm
and less from it than they did short
time ago.
"Those communities that have live
bankers and intelligent farmers are
forging ahead. Many country banks
are contributing literally to the sal
aries of agents, bringing in pure bred
stock and trading it to the farmers in
exchange for scrubs, are advancing
money on easy terms for the purchase
of seed and stock and are financing
pig clubs and are setting aside money /
to loan to struggling farmers on the
basis of faith in the integrity and
farming ability Of the borrower.
Agriculture depends on the bank !
ers for its prosperity. Farming is a
community affair after all and the lit
tie farmers must cooperate in their
selling efforts, first with themselves
and then with the bankers and mer-
chants. There seems no other way
the local merchant enters into the
game. If he does not, he loses out,
and eventually finds his farmer
friends patronizing those who have
assisted him in his marketing efforts.
The slipshod farmer and his dishon-
est neighbor are being crowded out
and it is their passing that makes the
most of the fuss that one hears about
it,"
Here Mr.. Nicholson read some of