The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1921-10-07

That Has Put the Farmers Into the
Tailor Business All But Two Pro-
fits Eliminated.
Lansing, Mich, Oct. Especial
Wool pooling has come to stay in
Michigan. Having disposed Of their
1920 pool of $500, 900 pounds on al
quality basis at several cents more
per pound than local buyers had Of
fered, 1900 Michigan State Farm
ing Of the 1921 clip of nearly 5000, 900
pounds thru sales to mills and thru
sale Of virgin wool suitings blankets
and overcoats of their own manufac-
ture.
Tailored virgin wool suitings in so
standard Weaves of cloth 0olens,
serges, cassimeres and worsteds at
prices ranging up to around $40 for
the finished product, took the state by
storm. Starting last March consum-
ers rapidly pushed suitings sales at
State Farm Bureau headquarters in
Lansing up to an average Of 81 900 a
day. Orders came from everywhere.
Thousands OF virgin wool blankets
were sold during the early spring.
An Additional Outlet
Fabric manufacturing on the part
of the Michigan State Farm Bureau
was originally intended as an addition
al outlet for wool in the state pool
when there was little movement of
wool, says A. j. Hawkins, its director,
and it continues to be operated along
that line. The theory is that every
blanket, suit or overcoat sold means
more wool moved from the pool at a
good price to the farmer producer.
Wool is not held in the Michigan pool
but is moved out at current prices
when conditions do not absolutely
forbid sale. Manufacturing goes on
all the time.
Today the Farm Bureau has $4,000
virgin wool blankets coming on for
the fall sales campaign. Prepare
tons have been made to market ma
terial for thousands of suits. The
first order to mills for overcoating
material amounted to more than 5000
yards of cloth 81 inches wide. Five
mills make virgin wool products for
the state Farm Bureau.
Only the farmer and the mill profit
in the fabrics manufacture. The mid
dleman is out of it. The farmer gets
an extra valuation on his raw wool,
as he stands in the role of a manufac-
turer. The mill gets fair profit.
Aside from that the consumer pays
only the necessary handling costs to
place the material on his back. Pro-
fits from fabric manufacture this year
are expected almost to eliminate the
pool handling charges of grading,
freight, etc
Purchasers of Farm Bureau cloth
are hold how much will make them a
suit, about 3Ls yards for the average
man. They have the option of hav-
ing the Farm Bureau tailor their suit
or entrusting that duty to their own
tailor. Excellent WOODEN cloth is sold
by the farmers as low as $2.55 a
yard, and the best material is sold
for around 81 yard, with other
grades Of cloth at intermediate prices.
Today the Farm Bureau is establish
ing local distributing points for Farm
Bureau virgin wool goods in every
part Of Michigan. Exhibits of the
material at county fairs have sold
thousands of dollars worth of pro-
ducts, moving the farmers wool at a
good price and at savings to the con-
sumner.
Michigan farmers pooled wool
locally in 1921 at 100 grading ware
houses scattered over SO counties. The
| Farm Bureau wool department mad
a cash advance to each grower OF 81
per cent of the value of his grade'
wool on the day of pooling. In man.
instances this cash advance has
amounted to as much or more thar
local BUYERS were offering in full pay
Iment. The Farm Bureau paid on :
basis of 80 cents for Delaine wool ant
several cents above local buyers fig
ures for the other grades, with tn
assurance of further returns by rea
son Of the Farm Bureau blankets ant
| fabrics manufacturing project.
| Quick, systematic work is a fea
! ture of Michigan's 1921 pool. Loca
| pooling operations closed in mid
/ August, but the pool remains open in
definitely. Today every pound Q
pooled wool has been graded and ev
cry wool grower has received his 5
per cent cash in advance. Disposal o
II the pool is well under way. No 9th
er state graded locally as it went
thus saving high transportation to
central pooling port.
+ Cooperation by the Michigan Agri
cultural college in sheep extension
work at the pools is going to do grea
J things for the sheep industry in Mich
igan. Growers not only saw thei
wool graded and weighed, but got tn
added educational advantage Of hav
ing the grades explained TO them an
information on how to improve thei
| flock. The wool pool has thrown tn
scrub ram and the coarse wool shee
I into the discard in Michigan, accord
! ing to Don Williams, sheep extension
4 specialist for the Michigan Agricul
tural college.
Eighteen thousand Michigan farm
ers are caring for their sheep as new
Ell before. Lessons taught in 1920 b,
the wool pool graders have stuck
F1eeces chame to the 1921 pool pro
perly tied, tags were sacked separate
4 "; farmers had cleaned the burrs on
1 Of their sheep pastures, care in feed
! ing had largely eliminated chaff.
eeces, and the farmer is pocketin,
the profit.