The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-16


 For prodccers who wish to market by parcel post the most satisfactory way of finding customers is to write to friends, relatives or acquaintances in cities, seek ing their trade. Purchasers, on the other hand, often can locate reliable producers by corresponding with friends, relatives or acquaintanceS in the country. More than 75 per cent of the produce being marketed by parcel post in number of cities in which investigations have been made is sent by persons who obtained their customers through friends, relatives or acquaintances, according to special ists of the bureau of markets, United States department of agriculture.
 This method of establishing business relationship is especially recommended for the general farmer who has limited amount of prodcce. Those who wish to market a great deal of produce by par eel post may find it necessary to obtain customers by personally soliciting stran- gers or through advertising in news papers and by other means.
 ADVERTISING PAYS
 Information received from persons who have advertised fram produce for sale indicates that usually advertising is not profitable for the general farmer, but
 
 producer who specializes in some product that can be shipped throughout the year. Advertisements should be short and should give a description of the goods, with the prices, and the name and ad- dress of the person advertising. In some cities the Sunday edition of a newspaper gives better results than the daily edi- ton. The person who advertises must offer a product that is wanted by the xr-I,0 thn at bn iY,nQ the product is advertised in the place where the paper has a circulation. In other words, he must know what to advertise, when to advertise and where to advertise.
 USE CIRCULARS CAREFULLY
 From letters, circulars, cards sem to selected list of person have been suggested often as means of obtaining customers for produce by parcel post. The cost of obtaining customers by cir cularzing is often great, and unless the names of persons to whom the circulars are sent are selected very carefully this method of obtaining customers can not be especially recommended.
 Customers may be obtained by making a personal canvass in a selected neigh borhood in city. The neighborhood should be one which is not supplied with a great many markets or green grocery stores in order that the competition may not be as keen as it would be in a neghborhood that has excellent market ing facilities. A suburban district of homes with good incomes offers a good field in which to solicit trade. In many such districts the delivery service of the groceries is not as satisfactory as in the city.
 If the producers farm is on or near a much -traveled road an attractive farm bulletin board placed conSpicuouSly near the road is a help to both producer and consumer in making business contact. Many city dwellers now travel far out into the country by automobile, and this fact can be turned to account in secur- ing customers by using a bulletin board. This method will be especially useful on clean, well-kept farms. The statements on the board should give the articles for sale, together with their prices, delivered to the purchasers door by parcel post, and the main items should be in letter ing large enough to be read quickly.
 Warning notices might be placed at a proper distance in each direction from the main bulletin board. The wording on these warning boards should be brief but pointed. such, for example, as Fair View Farm. Read Marketing Bulletin Ahead"
 STATIONERY A HELP
 If a farmer expects to develop a busi- fn ctra hp