The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-05

During the past week T. P. Hay, Jr., secretary of the committee on agricul- ture and marketing of Birmingham, and l.. c. Jennings, special agent of ths Southern Bell Telephone company. made a survey of marketing conditions in Gull man county.
 Their report based on this survey fol. lows:
 Like any mining or manufacturing concerns would do, Cullman county has divided it's agricultural business into two departments-producti and sales.
 'The real influence at the head of
 the production department is County Demonstration Agent Dr. Mercier. through whose hands pass all scientific advice and information regarding mod ern agricultural production methods.
 'At the head of the sales department is c. c. Whaley, sales manager of the Gull man County Farmers and Shippers as sociation, to whom nearly 400 farmers en- trust the responsibility for the sale of their entire output.
 Between 35o and 400 farmers in ,he county belong to this association. The initiation fee is only % cents. but it's ob- legations are strict and binding. No member is allowed to sell his output to anyone. The members must sell through Sales Manager Whaley.
 Conveniently located to the railroad in the town of Cullman. is the office and warehouse of the association, where grading. packing and loading is dona under the strict supervision of MT. Whaley.
 Crates and shipping containers of all kinds are purchased by the association and sold to the members. Packing and grading in the field is taught each mem Der, but each package must pass rigid inspection as to grade and quality be- fore it is accepted
 After the grade is established and the car loaded it has been said that tho high dollar determines it's destination. We have heard it often said that whera commodities are prepared in merchant able condition the buyers will hunt the product instead of the commodity hav- ing to hunt the market. This is exem' piified by the statement of MT. Whaley that buyers find their way to Culman almost before shipping time. Only ID cases where markets not represented by buyers afford better inducements to sell are cars ever consigned to eastern or southern points to be diverted in transit when the sale is made by wire
 This association does strictly cash business If an unknown buyer wants to purchase car of Cullman county products he must wire the money to SC. cure the car number and have the ship ment diverted to him.
 ."Cincinnati, Birmingham, Nashville and even points as far north as PittSburg. Chicago and Indianapolis are said to ba large buyers of Cullman strawberries and sweet potatoes. two of the principal crops grown for the market in that sec tion.
 "Cullman county ships annually about 15O cars of sweet potatoes. There are over 30 sweet potato curing houses in tho county, which enables them to ship grad. ually and take advantage of market con. ditions. They begin to ship sweet pota' toes as early as the latter part of July and sell on through the winter up to about April 1. The potato industry is de- veloping rapidly and each year shows an increase in acreage. One car of sweet potatoes sold by the association last year brough $2300. 4f
 About 50 cars of strawberries ara shipped by the association every year. They begin shipping about May 1 and dustry has been handicapped of late by the shortage of labor used as pickers. but nearly every farmer we interviewed re. ported that the financial yield from an acre of strawberries was quite high.
 "A 10 per cent commission is charged by the association, which goes to main- tain the operating expenses, salaries, ad-