The Prescott daily news., 1918-01-14
Experts Consider Methods That May Be Used to Encour-
 age Production.
ACCESS ID MARKETS NEEDED
investigators Believe Co-Operative Shipping Organizations Are of Greatest Aid to Small
 Producer.

At this time above all others, it is pointed out by experts of Uncle Sam's department of agriculture better mar keting facilities are essential to the in- crease in live stock production, espe- cially in the South, which is desirable from every point of view.
 Various methods of improving the present situation Tn this respect have been tried out. Among the most i'm portant are the organization of coop erative shipping and marketing clubs and of local live stock buying com panies, the establishment of local pack ing houses, the custom of holding live stock sales on advertised dates, and the use of local ice plants in curing farm meat.
 Cooperative Shipping Best.
 Of these, in the opinion of experts of the department, cooperative ship ping is one that is being most gen erally adopted in the United States, and the one most worthy of consider ation. Associations for this purpose have met with marked success in the middle West, and are equally well adapted to conditions Tn some parts of the South. They enable the small pro- ducer to ship his animals to central ized live stock markets at no greater cost of transportation than is paid by the dealer who ships In carload lots In this way the farmer is made inde pendent of local buyers. Another great advantage, 1t is pointed out, of such associations Is that they are sim pie in organization and require no cap ltal to do business.
 In one Mississippi city the board of trade has created a somewhat more complex organization, in order to pro- vide the farmers of thc surrounding country with good local market for their live stock throughout the year. A company has been organized with a paid-in capital of S2,500, provided by local business men, in the hope of in- creasing production of live stock in the section. No dividends are paid and the operating expenses of the company are reduced to the minimum. On two days of each week throughout the year the company buys live stock for cash iu any sized lots, at prices which are the equivalent of those prevailing at the large centralized markets, less the cost of sending the animals to these markets.
 Brings Higher Prices.
 The immediate result of this move ment, it Is said, has been higher prices paid hy local butchers, and their will ingness to pay cash for live stock, in- stead of insisting that payment be made by extending credit to the pro- ducer. Incidentally, the operations of the company have shown that live stock can be bought and shipped to the large markets, and a number of private dealers have undertaken to compete with the company. This has, naturally, stimulated live stock pro duction In the surrounding country.
 These and similar methods are de signed to afford the farmer easy ac- cess to the large outside markets. Without them he is practically de- pendent on the local butcher and the local dealer or shipper In selling to the butcher frequently little or no at tcntlon is paid to market conditions. Hogs and cattle are slaughtered on numerous farms when the weather turns cool, with the result that the market is glutted. This means low
 ,vNk because the product is perishable. To some extent, it is suggested by the de- partment's experts, remedy for this situation may be found in better meth ods of curing meat at home, and also by taking advantage of the refrigera- ton facilities afforded by local ice plants.