The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1921-06-23
MARKETING METHODS
TO Be IMPROVED
COMMISSIONER PECK SEES A
SILVER LINING
While the Farmers Have Had Most
Trying Experience During Past
Two Years, Conditions Can Be Inn
proved-Makes Strong Appeal For
COOPERATIVE Marketing of Farm
Products.

In a message "to the farmers of
the state,p T. F. Peck, the new COM
missioner Of agriculture, outlined the
aims of his department as follows:
'In again assuming the duties of
commissioner of agriculture, / want
to thank you for the kind express
sions you have voiced concerning my
former work / promise you that |
will do all in my power to make the
department of agriculture of real
service to you
"In taking up the work, | shall not
try to undo or minimize any good
work inaugurated during the time /
have been away from the department.
Neither do | intend to infringe on the
work of other agencies for better
agriculture, but promise to cooper
ate and encourage every good move
ment. We want to avoid duplication
and to correlate our work so that
maximum efficiency can be attained
q wanted the legislature to make
provision for market bureau, but
it failed to do so. However the de-
partment will do everything possible
to improve marketing conditions.
Farmers generally are marketing
their products at a disadvantage by
selling in small quantities, indiffer-
ence in grading products, want Of
uniformity of product and lack of
knowledge of market conditions We
should have community cooperative
effort in both production and mark
citing, and by such cooperation we
can have quantity and quality of pro-
duct that will place us in a position
to merchandise" our products in
stead of dumping them on the market
haphazard. If the forces working
for better agricultural conditions
would unite in campaign for COM
munity cooperation in every county,
then blend the community units of a
county into county council of ag-
riculture; also each communitv unit
select one member whose duty it
should be to keep record of the guam
tity Of products in that community
for market, reporting regularly to
the market agent Of the county coun-
ellis of agriculture, and they in turn
reporting to the state marketing
agent, whose duty it would be to
keep in touch with prices and market
demands and in position to supply
promptly the quantity and quality
desired. In this way each farmer
would be assured of full market value
for his product. at less expense to the
individual The product would 90
more direct from producer to con-
sumer and with decided saving to
both. have outlined what | believe
is the most feasible and practical
plan for farmers solving their mark
citing problem.
1.-THE advantages derived from
community cooperative effort are
not confined to the solution of our
marketing problem. 1t makes pos
sible and practical the solution of
our rural educational problem and the
highway problem. With a feasible
solution Of those two problems we
can hope to retain our boys and girls
on the farms and induce good. people
to move to the country and make
homes. They will readily do SO when
they can have assurance that their
children will have religious, social
and educational advantages. We can
materially improve conditions for the
farmer if we will work out a prac-
teal comprehensive plan with all our
forces uniting in putting the plan into
operation. | do not see any need of
new organizations, as those we have
will suffice if we will vitalize them:
the community units blended into
county councils Of agriculture and
they in turn blended into a state
council of agriculture. By familiar.
ity with market demands. we can
produce to meet those demands i'm
stead Of over-producing some com
moditits and under-producAng the
others, as we are now doing. We are
having shipped into the state to sup
ply local demands more potatoes and
more cabbage and fruits than we pro-
duce. while we have soil and climatic
conditions that make it possible for
US to produce as good as the best
anywhere, while we are in some sec.
tions not diversifying and inclining
1
to one-crop farming. The successful
business merchant is successful be.
cause he knows what his trade de.
mandS and he is ready to supply that
demand. Farmers should take the
same business view of their pro,
duction instead Of keeping in old
ruts.
Every agency of the department,
OF agriculture is at the command Of
the farmers to help them produce
what the market demands and t.
merchandise" their products in.
stead of simply dumping it on the
market haphazard. While we exneot
to try to help solve the marketing
problem, we also expect to encourage
soil improvement and livestock i'm.
provement. We do not expect f.
teach agriculture, but we do want e
help and encourage farmers to make
practical use of the knowledge they
have. We do not all, in fact. very
lew Of US, put in practice the knowl.
edge we have of agriculture.
Farmers have had a trying ex.
perience during the past few. years
and the last crop cultivated. wher
marketed, did not pay for the cost y
production, but nothing is gained b,
grieving over SPILLED milk We have
our soils, we have the sunshine anf
rain, and while the situation look,
| gloomy, we must remember that our
forefathRrs have weathered wors,
periods of depression. We have 81
much they did not have-more avail