Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1919-06-26
prepared by the United States Depart
pnepf ~ A rrio,,Itr,ro

prepared by the United States Depart
ment Of A~griculture.)
Many farmers who have consigned
products to commission merchants
have experienced trouble at one time
or another and have accused the mid
dleman with unfair dealings. In some
cases, perhaps too often, there have
been betrayals of trust On the part Of
city dealers, but all the shortcomings
attributed to the commission business
are not the fault of the merchant. In
all contracts between producers and
their agents, the commission men, each
party has certain rights and certain
duties and unless one of the parties
performs all of his duties he has no
light to blame the other party for
s,ailure to secure the best results, says
he United States department of agri-
culture.
An example of how the commission
merchant is sometimes falsely accused
Is told by a bureau of markets special
list who, early in his farming expert
ence made frequent use of these mer-
chants as a medium of marketing farm
products. Many Of his consignment
deals were disappointing, he says, and
it was easy to drop to the ranks of
those who condemn before they in
v~estigate. Among the berries he pro-
duced were a few of such attractive
appearance and a~ppetizing flavor that
1t was natural to believe that ship
ment Of such fruit to the city market
ought to be profitable. Imagine his
surprise and indignation when his first
shipment of these superior berries was
reported as undesirable" and "soft"
and sleaking." He determined to In
v~estigate, made another shipment, and
arranged to be present, though I'M
known, when the sale was made. He
was able to identify his berries in the
city market by a stencil number on
each crate. He was astonished to
learn that, however fine the berries
might have been when eaten fresh
from the field, they were so soft and
tender that they could not reach the
market in attractive condition. The
commission man could not be blamed
for the unfavorable sales which re-
suited; and this experience taught the
grower to raise varieties that were
not only good but which would carry
well.
Avoid Competing With Yourself.
One grower who gave great ARE
TO his pack had created a sharp de-
tnand for his products, and his brand
was sought by discriminating buyers.
Since he feared that one commission
merchant would not be able to dis
pose Of his entire crop to advantage,
he divided his daily shipment among
four commission men in the same
town. Not being satisfied with the re-
turns, he visited the city and dis
covered that the four dealers to whom
he was shipping ERE located not only
on the same street, but in the same
storeroom. The shippers fancy-packed
products were on sale at four places,
and buyers were forcing the four
dealers to compete, with a resultant
cut in prices. The farmer changed
his method, shipped all Of this product
to one agent who could set a fancy
price for this fancy pack, and there
was no competition to destroy his
market.
Suggestions to Shippers.
For those who contemplate the use
Of commission men as marketing
agents, the bureau Of markets offers
the following suggestions:
1. Know your agent. Select one
who has a reputation backed by expe-
rience. an advantageous location, and
competent help. A personal visit will
help the farmer in deciding these
points. Have2a clear understanding
as to charges to be made for services
selling. carriage, storage, r%epacking,
etc. Avoid unknown firms that make
unreasonable promises as to what they
will do with shipments. Among so
many dealers 1t is not surprising that
some get business through fraudulent
representation and drop out Of sight
as soon as a cleanup has been ef-
fected.
2. Know your market. From your
carefully selected agent learn the
needs Of the market, the most desir
able varieties to raise, proper contain
ers in which to pick and ship, style
Of pack most desired, the use Of labels
or brands. proper amounts and time Of
shipment. and local preferences, such
as that for white eggs in Chicago ant
for brown eggs in Boston. Try Il
inter to existing market demand.