The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1919-08-21
FARM WORK OF RANKIN A
MONG STATES BEST.

To ship "a cars Of farm prod
ucts and live stock the first year
of cooperative marketing is the
accomplishment Of Rankin coun-
ty under the direction of Farm
Agent S. v. Burks, of Brandon.
J. Ed Ruff, farm agent for
south Mississippi, considers this
feat hundred times easier to dis
cuss than to accomplish. One of
the outstanding features Of dem
onstration work in his territory,
and when asked by Bradford
Knapp, demonstration chief for
the south, to give the story of the
four counties showing most extra
ordinary participation in cooper
alive marketing, quickly cited
Rankin.
Here is the story told by Agent
Burks, the first Of four to appear
in the Daily News:
When the county agent went
to Rankin county in January,
1918, there had never been a car
load of cooperative live stock
shipped from the county. There
being no large towns in the coun-
ty to consume any fresh meats
made it almost impossible to dis
pose of hogs and cattle at any
thing near the market price.
There were some few dealers in
the county but without COMPETE
tion prices were considerably out
of line.
I'm January, 1913, / made plans
for cooperative shipment of
hogs. The farmers were not in
formed as to the plan and success
Of this method of marketing, so it
was necessary for me to make a
canvass of the parties having
hogs for sale and explain to them
in deatil. After % days Of hard
work enough hogs were listed to
make a carload. The day set for
shipment arrived and everything
went well. The hogs were sent
to st. Louis and lacked only 5
cents Of topping the market for
the day. The shippers were all
pleased with the returns and
ready to give the work a boost. It
was only a few days until farm
ers began to inquire about the
plan and asking to cooperate.
We shipped another load of hogs
which brought good results, then
my canvassing days were ended.
My whole time was soon taken up
on those who came TO be served.
Il continued to make co-opera-
tive shipments for some months
in order to get the people all in
formed as to the success and prof
it of cooperative marketing.
They then became assured of a
ready and satisfactory market
and began to grow more hogs and
agricultural products for market.
It was only one season until the
marketing end of my work in
creased to such an extent that /
could not begin to take care Of it
individually.
"Just as soon as conditions de-
manded we started to shipping
through marketing clubs organ
lied by the co-operators. A sec
retary was chosen and given au-
thority to handle all funds pass
ing through the organization also
to buy and sell any article desired
by the club. OF course, the coun-
ty agent was to be advised with
regarding all transactions. The
secretary of the club keeps books
on all business and / also keep
books with them.
"The cooperative marketing
business grew rapidly and with
out organization could not be-
gin to handle it. During the
month Of January, 1918, / market
cd one car Of hogs only and did q
hard months work too. During
the thirty days from March Is to-
April Is, 1919, / handled 63 car
loads Of fertilizer and live stock,
and had an easy month.
AS stated previously, the Sec