The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1923-06-01


n ficuity in disposing of his alfalfa seeC
d at any price. The demand for clover
k seed was better, but the price Offered
i by buyers was low. The association
accepted all alfalfa seed offered by its
:, members as. soon as the seed was
y threshed and advanced on the seed a
I uniform price of 8H cents pound for
No. ! seed. A great many growers
of both clover and alfalfa seed during
3 1922 received offers on their seed and
later pooled the seed and received an
initial advance. greater than the total
amount offered for the seed by buy
: ers. When the final returns were made
to growers II was shown that members
had averaged from three to four cents
! per pound more than non-members Sc
cured. This means that the seed grow
ers' association was worth at least
S45. 900 to Canyon county during 1922,
which IS almost as much as the farm
bureau has cost in Canyon county dur
ling the ten years of its existence. Re-
suits this year will be as satisfactory
for two reasons. First. the government
reports indicated shortage of both
alfalfa and clover seed. This resulted
in high prices for seed last fall. Later
on IT was discovered that the govern
ment report was wrong. and that there
was really surplus of both clover and |
alfalfa seed. The market accordingly |
dropped. The second reason is that
the weather conditions in the east dur
ing the past season have been unus-
ually severe and hence the demand for
clover and alfalfa seed for planting has
been less than for a number of years.
These two factors have tended to
seriously depress markets. and hence
IT will be impossible for the pool to
make as good showing for 1923 as it
did for 1922. Buyers who paid high
prices for seed last fall still have a
large quantity of seed or hand which
is being held at loss. AS a result a
OF this loss they cannot now afford to a
pay top prices for the 1928 crop. For I
this reason the association will be a n
great benefit to seed growers next fall b
for IT will be able to accept seed and Il
carry IT through the winter, and will I
without doubt be able to net members c
very satisfactory returns for spring. II
As compared with terms non-members e
will receive c.
The third attempt of the farm bu- u
eau to assist its members in the mar ~
Seting of their products was made
Turing the spring of 1928 when the al
bureau undertook to organize a coop SC
rative association for the marketing III
4 potatoes and head lettuce For this IN
urpose of the Idaho Producers Un- re
On was organized and over 1900 men, =
ers were induced to sign the market N;
ig contract of the Union during the III
pring OF 1928. The year 1928 prob III
bly, was as unsatisfactory for the be- Hill
inning of new association as could l|II
ave been found in the history of Ida ||
o. Due to the large over-production NH
potatoes there was practically no VIII
arket for the potato crop, at any |||
nee. except during the early part of Hill
e season. The lettuce deal, on the I||EI
her hand. was unsatisfactory due to l||||
c fact that weather conditions de- ilID
royed about 80 per cent of the crop. IIG|
these conditions, the IIII
aho Producers Union, during the llll|
st year of its existence made a more lIII|
vorable showing for its growers than l|lIIl
y other marketing company operat- II|tl
z in this territory. In the lettuce |||||
al the union, after deducting the full lI
st of packing equipment and the cost ||Bl
one packing house. returned to its |l
'mbers an average net price of lit |
over Sl.49 per crate on head let ||
&c, which was the highest net aver m
e made by any shipper handling a
fficient quantity to justify conpar- E
m. In addition TO the net return to
growers, they have credit on the Thai
oks of the association of zoe per HBl
tie, on all lettuce shipped, which lM
y be considered as an asset of con- HUM
cradle value. In connection with HIl
, potato deal, the Idaho Producers NAH
hon was the only shipper in Idaho |l|l
It passed through the entire season I||nI
'hout returning a loss to its men, I||lI|
S on potatoes shipped. Not one lIl||I
gle member OF the Idaho Producers lI|III
ion during 1928 who shipped po- |||
oes through the association, was i!!Ii
led upon to pay freight charges on ||
shipment. In fact small return |||I
S made to the growers on every car |||||
pped and the average net return on |l|l
cars shipped during the season was nl
title over Sll0 per car. In view of HI
fact that number of potato grow
a ~.