The Dolores star., 1923-12-28
hight Marketing
of Farm Produce
VI Benefit to Producers and
consumers, Says Depart
ment of Agriculture.

,,s srehuy stimulated by H..
improved marketing practices exter
ed by federal market invastt,a,a
uurihg the past year. the Unitcd Sto,.
department of Agriculture announce
among the improvements that bav,
shown the greatest expansion sro ,b.
inspection Of farm products Mt shi,-
ping points, use OF standard grada.,
increased use OF warehouse faciIi,I.s
u''ue' federal supervision, cooperative
marketing. and prompt distribution Of
market news.
Inc shipping point inspection sery-
Ice enables farmers TO have ,bei-
products Inspected at loading noIn,s
py state inspectors licensed and super
''sed by the Department OF Agrlcul-
ture. Cooperative arrangements for
such service have been made in %
states, providing inspection at more
than 600 leading shipping points. In
specuons during the pnst year totaled
more than 1900 cars of fruits and
vegetables. OF this number, Inspec-
tions In Colorado aggregated 25,OOO
cars; California was next with ISOoo
cars; Idaho. 1900 cars: Washington
9'ooo cars, and New Jersey, 1900 cars.
Keeps Out inferior Products,
The shipping point inspection serv-
Ice is eHerting a large influence In
keeping Inferior quality products out
OF the channels Of trade, in addition
to providing shippers with an official
record that is recognized In United
States courts as prima facle evidence
or the condition of the products, the
department says. The result is bet
ter use of transportation, better dis
tribution. lower cost of marketing.
higher net returns to farmers, and
higher grade of food to consumers
The service is also tending to place
marketable products on shipping
point purchase basis.
Tentative standard grades were pre-
pared during the year for prunes,
apricots. boxed pears and boxed ap-
pies, and studies were made looking
toward the preparation Of grades for
sweet peppers. The total number of
fruits and vegetables for which
grades have been prepared was thus
brought up to II. Approximately So
per cent Of the national potato crop is
now sold on the basis OF the federal
grades. the department says The de-
partment's aim is to prepare grades
for all farm products so that com
mon trnde language can be evolved
that will be understood In all parts
OF the country. Much confusion that
has tended to increase waste and mar
keting costs has resulted from the
use of multitude of terms to describe
the various grades and quality of farm
products.
Use for More Warehouses.
There has been greater use of ware
houses for farm products, and a larg-
er increase in the number of ware
houses coming under federal super
vision under the terms of the United
States warehouse act, than ever be
fore, the department announces. Cred
II for this healthy development that
makes for more orderly marketing as
determined by consumptive needs Is
given largely to the bankers OF the
country who have indicated their Will
ingness to lend money to farmers, the
loans being secured by warehouse re-
ceipts. Demands are pouring in on
the department for the licensing OF
warehouses for products such as po-
tatoes, beans and br0omcorn, ana
work in that direction is now being
undertaken.
Approximately 10000 farmer coop
eratiye organizations with member
shin of more than 1,OOO,OOO farmers
are now actively operating IN the
United States, the department says.
As result of the departments stud
les of cooperative principles and prac-
tIces both In the United States ana
abroad. the principles of snccesstu'
cooperation are now fairly wen uh-
derstood. and food producers all over
the country are applying them to their
business. The department is regarded
MS the leading authority on this SUD
iect the information developed beihs
widely disseminated through agrIcui-
,ur,l extension services, county
agents. and the press.
Farmers Keep in Touch.
Extension of the federal marke'
news service by telegraph ana r""'"
during the year now makes II pos
sible for farmers anywhere 10 Keep
in doIIv touch with general crop anu
,,ork.t conditions. More thah oo
rod,o hroadcasting stations disPatcn
rho news over the continent, ana ny
means of n leased telegraph wire sSs-
tom that stretches across the counlrs
from Roston to San Francisco 'i,o
rho southwest and along the A.'aius
saahoord important market hasnes
arc dlspatched 12 hours daily IRON rom
and TO the Leading market centers m ao'
snbseouent distribution among ra,"
su'I s.s and other agricultural interests
These marketing services 10 a,,ne an.m
orc have been rendered more o.',,. enee
hy w the consolidation of the eeono'n. n,,.
-. oS the department lhto ''