Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-12-02
Extra Care in Cleaning
Cowpeas for Market
Pays Valuable Profit

Until the growers see fit to place
their coWpeas on the market in
clean and attractive condition they
may expect the wide difference be-
tween the price they receive and
the wholesale price charged by the
specialists of the bureau of mar
kets, United States department of
agriculture. When the dealer is
compelled to do work that the grow
er fails to perform, it is the dealer
who enjoys the profits.
Marketing Factors
According to estimates prepared
by the bureau of markets some 1O0,-
100000 pounds of cowpeas enter COM
mercial channels every year. OF
this quantity % per cent is of mixed
varieties and sold at a discount of
from fifty cents to 81 per 100 pounds.
A large percentage of it also is made
containing much foreign matter and
packed in secondhand bags, improp-
erly sewed. AS a result of the use
of these inefficient marketing meth
DDS the average wholesale selling
price for recleaned stock during the
spring of 1920 was so per cent high
er than the average price paid the
growers for the 1919 crop of cow
peas. Similar conditions prevailed
with regard to the 1917 and 1918
crops.
To secure higher prices for cow
peas, specialists Of the bureau of
markets who have made careful in
Gestigation Of the matter recommend
the following practices:
l. Clean coWpeas thoroughly be-
fore marketing. All hulls and other
foreign matter, as well as light and
immature seed, if any, should be fan
ned out.
straight varieties should be planted
for grain or seed production, and
precautions taken to prevent mixing
at harvest time.
8. Sack in new overweight bags,
well sewed. This prevents waste in
more attractive to the buyer.
4: Market in as large lots as pos
sible. 1t costs the shipper or local
dealer practically as much money
to receive, weigh, record, and pay
for one bag of cowpeas as it does
ten-bag lot. If car lots are avail
able the cost of handling per unit is
still smaller.
All efforts made by farmers or
growers to improve the quality and
marketability of cowpeas add to the
initial selling price. The operations
someone along the line of distribu-
ton if the product is to bring the
highest prices, and the agency that
does the work is not only reimbursed
the cost but earns an additional mar
gin of profit as we'll.
Cause of Shortage
Cowpeas are usually grown as a
catch crop, and on most farms re-
garded of secondary commercial i'm
portance. Yet the farm value of
cowpeas produced in United States
is something like $30,000,000 a year.
Approximately 750,OO0,0OO pounds of
coWpeas are produced annually, about
45 per cent or, or 340,000,000, pounds
of which is required for planting. Of
this latter quantity, Is per cent is
sold by growers direct to farmers and
80 per cent normally enters CONNER
cial channels to be distributed by
various dealers. In 1919, and again
in 1920, the demand for cowpeas for
mercial new crop supply, and abnor-
mally high prices prevailed. Despite
this shortage and the high prices,
practically no effort was made to in
crease the commercial supply.
In the opinion of the bureau of
markets the commercial shortage
was not due to decreased production,
but to failure on the part of the
growers to prepare more Of their
cowpeas for commercial distribution.
To increase the commercial supply it
i is seemingly necessary for growers
| simply to conserve the supply pro-
more of it for planting purposes
Such action would directly result in
a larger profit to producers of cow
peas for seed and Indirectly benefit
farmer consumers who desire to
grow the crop for purposes other