Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-08-07
C, NJ, WHITE RENDERS REPORT ON
COOPERATIVE MARKETING kSSONS.

, throughout the State last year was
four cents for yellow sweet corn.
The advantage of several years
work in accommodating a file OF by
laws. contracts, and forms of organ
ization were especially evident dur
ing the last year when many COM
munities have sMght to organize
cooperative CreamerieS, cheese
factories and other marketing
organizations. The Division has
been able to answer all requests
for working out from the material
at hand forms which would be APP
plicable to local conditions. The
tentative form of contract and by
laws from which the final draft was
made by the Maine Poultry Pro-
ducers' Association were furnished
by tho Division of Markets. This
service Is gladly given to any COM
munity in the State requesting the
same.
Lectures and Demonstrations
During the period covered by
this report the chief of the division
has delivered addresses and
illustrated lectures at 112 meetings
attended by 5O37 people, or an
average attendance at each meet
ing of 46 persons. Marketing sub
jects have been discussed in every
instance and the effort has always
been to make the information given
apply to Maine conditions. Other
7 members of the division have at
tended and addressed practically
one-third as many meetings and
people.
Each year the Division has done
its part toward putting on the
exhibit at the Eastern States EX-
position at Springfield, Mass. Each
year this work becomes more and
more worth while as the Exposition
is coming to be recognized as the
greatest of its kind east of the
Mississippi river, and from 100000
to 100000 persons attend each year.
There is no better way in which to
sell Maine and Maine opportunities
to the people at large than to reach
this large number of people by an
attractive exhibit
Some five years ago the Depart
ment assisted in Organizing the
wool growers of the State into
sales agency known as the Maine
Sheep and Wool Growers Associa-
ton which has prospered from the
start. Each spring this Division has
assisted the various locals in their
bagging operations in order to
demonstrate efficient methods of
weighing and accounting. In 1922
this work was done at 16 places
and the present year we helped at
IL places. AS the locals have now
become thoroughly acquainted with
the methods of pooling the wool it
should not be necessary to continue
this work much longer.
Fruit Growers Associations
"A careful survey was made of all
the fruit growers associations in
the state during August of 1922.
Mr.. n. *. Gardner of the Extension
Service assisted in this work and n
Few rather definite conclusions were
reached. First. that a successful
association should have a com
munfty packing house to insure a
uniformly graded product. Second,
the members should pool the re-
turns on like varieties and grades
IN order to eliminate any possibility
of a feeling that favoritism was
being shown to any particular mem
Der. Third, that a contract should
he used in order to safeguard the
investment in the necessary equip
ment for packing and shipping, and
also that the work should be car
ried over sufficiently long period
TO thoroughly test it's methods, For
several years young orchards had
been coming into bearing in the
vicinity of Winterport and the
growers were seeking for better
marketing methods. Their con-
illusions seem to have been in line
with those resulting from the survey
of fruit growers associations and
IT was agreed to attempt to carry
them out. (Here Mr.. White de-
scribes in detail the success of the
Winterport fruit marketing CO.
operative enterprise)
Standardization
Under the broad provisions of
Chapter "a. Public Laws of 1921, it
has been possible for the Division
OF Markets TO meet whatever de-
mands have been made upon it for
standardization work. With our
eastern markets constantly being
invaded by carefully graded prod
ucts from the west and even from
foreign countries the need becomes
more apparent each year for market
ing we'll graded products. a ship
ping point inspection of potatoes
was established in 1921 and was en-
larged in 1922. This latter year the
Federal Bureau of Agricultural
Economics also cooperated and 3S4
CARROTS of potatoes were inspected.
Not a large number, to be sure,
when compared with the total ship
ped from the State; the significant
part being that none of these were
rejected as being below grade. This
same service was started in the fall
of 1928, but because the Maine Po-
tato Growers Exchange was just de-
veloping its sales organization and
did not wish TO pledge a definite