Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1922-05-20
AGRICULTURAL NOTES
BY Dan Shaffer. County Agent
Live Stock Shipping Associations.

4
The purposes of "A live stock ship
| ping association are two fold-first, To
save profits made by local buyers;
| second, TO educate the people to know
the class of stock for which the market
would pay the highest prices. When
sold to a stock buyer the farmer with
inferior cattle or hogs are likely to
receive Just as much as those who had
| better stock received. This gave the
man who raises good stock no incent-
| i've to continue raising good stock or
continue building up his herd; and
the man who owned scrub stock knew
of no reason TO improve his herd.
The first shipping associations in
| Wisconsin We're organized at East
! Ellsworth and River Falls in 1908.
They are still going strong. At the
present time something like IS per
cent of the stock shipped to the st.
Paul market is shipped comparatively
and about 10 per cent of the stock
| shipped to the Chicago market is ship
ped by co operative live stock ship
| ping associations, In 1919 80, 900 cars
or IS per cent of the total cars shipped
out of Wisconsin were handled by
cooperative shipping associations.
| w hat does this mean to the farmer?
1t means a saving of $50 90 to $4,000
a car or something like total of
| 81 500, 900 (using the lowest figure
saved to the farmers Of Wisconsin in
one years time. About 500 co-opera-
tive live stock shipping associations
now operate in Wisconsin, shipping
on the average of about 45 carloads of
live stock a year.
Many advantages result to the
members of cooperative live stock
shipping associations and to the com
munity where such an association is
doing business and to the live stock
industry in general.
/. The producer of live stock receives
greater net return. He gets the act
ual difference between the market
| price for bis stock less expenses of
handling. He gets ALI of the profit.
?. The farmer becomes familiar with
the market and market demands.
3. The farmer learns not to oyerfeed
his stock, since oyerfeedng results
in excessive loss from shrinkage, and
death or injuries to stock while in
transit.
4. Much time and labor is spent in
buying, collecting and delivering stock
for shipment by local buyers. This
time and labor is saved by the coop
eratye shipping associations.
>. The farmer can market his stock
when it is ready for shipment with
out waiting for the buyer to see it.
6. Cripples can be disposed of to
better advantage. The farmer gets
nearly the market price for them.
:. The farmer is educated to high
standard of live stock breeding. Pack
ing interests are fayorably disposed
toward shipping associations because
they see that 1t eventually means
choicer quality in the stock they
handle.
:. The community gains in import
ance and reputation by the existence
of live, enterprising shipping associa-
tions.
Conditions required for successful
operation.
l. Good will of the farmers in the
community, and willingness to CO.
operate.
2. Enough stock must be within
reach of the association to make it
possible to ship out full carloads re-
gularly,
3. The association must have at
least fifty members to make it sue
cessful. In new community more
would be better
4. a good manager is necessary. His
efficiency or inetficency may result ia
the saving or loss to the ASSOCIATION
of an amount many times the salary
he receives. The success or failure
depends to the extent of 90 per cent Oh
a competent manager.
Farmers desiring innocuiatiou for
soy beans can get The same from the
county agent.
Say 1t with ads in the News.