The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-11-14
The Farm and
The Farmer
BY William r. Sanborn

A North Dakota farmer with a raft |
of hogs and an unsatisfactory price !
and high freight rate in sight if he |
ships them to St. Paul, is advertising |
that he will butcher them and sell the |
best cuts for Is cents a pound. If he !
lives near large town he should do |
a lot of business during the winter; !
in fact he can sell numerous carcasses !
to be hung for the winter to many !
families. or for sailing down, a very
simple operation.
1t wouldn't be surprising if We
should see a farmers meat market in
Richmond this winter. We came
mighty near seeing it last fall. A !
man owning a feed lot full of cattle
and about 800 hogs, came in and dis
cussed the matter with the writer. He
proposed to do the butchering on the
farm and to truck in his meats and
sausage He had ample buildings forl
his work in the country, could hire all
the help needed, he said, and If he
could find a suitable large room in
town, might make a try at it. But his
plan never materialized, and he mark
eted his stock in the regular way.
Pork Lowest Since 1912.
Armour has Just issued a bulletin in
which he calls attention to the fact
that: Pork loin prices are just half
of what they were year ago, ana
are at their lowest level since 1872
The farmer will take this statement
| into account when considering the
price he is receiving for his hogs. Nor
will the consumer be apt to overlook
this fact, if advised of it, when he
81, u "
roast. What has happened to pork
prices has also been reflected in the
prices of other meats, all Of which are
much lower than they were year ago.
! We are gradually getting down to
pre-war basis as to costs of living, but
there are still a few high spots TO be
planed down.
After reading Mr.. Armour's state
ment. giving the actual prices retail
ers were paying for fresh pork, numer-
! Gus Chicagoans are protesting against
retail prices usually charged for chops,
roasts and pork tenderlOins, in that
city.
Making Them Farmers Markets.
In an editorial in the Prairie Farmer
the editor asks: Shall we market our
own grain? and then proceeds to an
! swer his own question. In the course
of his remarks he endorses the U. 5.
Grain Growers. He states that this
organization is now a going concern,
with 10000 members and says: 1T Is
already marketing grain in the north
west, and will soon be ready to go into
other terminal markets.
In continuing the editor said: "The
important thing is that in the U. 5.
/ Grain Growers we have a cooperative
grain marketing institution that is al
ready we'll under way with a plan to
make the great grain markets farmers
instead of traders markets"
The whole organization IS con-
trolled by farmers and is responsive to
their wishes. That is why details are
not important They can be changed
to meet changing conditions, or as ex-
perience may dictate"
Marketing Plan Adopted.
At the close of a twO-day conference
at Chicago the cooperative marketing
plan of the committee of fifteen was
adopted.
The plan, which it has taken almost
a year to work out. seems very sim
pie, and is by no means revolutionary
The idea is to market live stock
through farmer owned commission
companies or sales agencies. The en-
tire plan" is the outgrOwth of the
work already being done by country
co-operatives, and which is in effect
in quite a large way at Omaha, St
Paul and a few other points, where the
excess profits in commissions are di-
vided according to the volume and val
ue of individual producers shipments
This is an old story at some of the
yards, notably at Omaha and Kansas
; City.
Orderly Marketing.
One feature of the plan, if it can be
given effect, will be at least a partial
control of shipping operations. looking
to the prevention of Cutting the mark
cts at any time. Information will be
gathered as to the livestock to come
on the market, when it will be ready
, for market, etc. Farmers will be duly
,, advised of the facts and an attempt
probably will be made to regulate ship.
ments from various districts, as occas
ion may arise, in the hope of being
able TO obtain better average prices
for all shippers. The machinery tc
carry out the plans of the committee
will be provided.
Farmers Use Much Lumber.
The farmers, as a whole. use a ire
! mendOuS amount of lumber. The av.
, erage wellkept farm will use at least
iyo&