The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-07-06
seller and the buyer in all parts Of

ten years. Today, the Unlte0 otate'
grades for wheat are recognized II
all foreign importing countries. Th'
grading Of wheat helps the farme
to get the best market price for hi
wheat. 1t is true that there still art
unsolved problems in the grading o.
wheat. You all know that wheat con
tanning relatively large percentage
of high quality gluten sells at
premium in our central markets
Farmers do not always reap the full
benefit Of these premiums, since
present grades for wheat do moi
adequately measure this gluten con
tent. This problem, however, is re
find some practical method of clutter
wheat industry what the Babcocl
tester has been to the dairy indus
try.
Retain Screenings
"The grading Of wheat in accord
ance with national standards is hav.
ing a beneficial effect upon produc.
ton by calling to the attention OF
the farmer certain bad production
| and marketing practices. Dockage
in wheat will indicate what l mean
Spring wheat farmers have for years
suffered very heavy losses by ship
ping. to market wheat containing
foreign material that can be remov-
ed. 1t has been estimated that in
twenty one years, since 1902, a total
Of 10000, 900 bushels of dockage
were shipped to the Minnesota mar
kets. In the year l922, alone, it is
estimated that 100000 bushels of
dockage were shipped to Minnesota
markets, entailing transportation
cost Of several hundred thousands of
dollars. Surely there can be no more
effective way of reducing marketing
costs than to retain on the farm the
screenings which have value as feed
but which, when shipped to market,
represent a total loss.
IL am one Of those who believe
that cooperative marketing will be
an important factor in the solution
of many of our production and mar
keting problems. / do not by any
means regard it as cure ALI for the
troubles of the farmer, but it has
real possibilities. wonder if you
fully appreciate the extent to which
cooperative marketing activities in
this country have been developed
The first farmers cooperative in
this country was organized shortly
before the civil war. Today there
are over $4,000 farmers cooperative
organizations, with membership of
about 100000 farmers and doing an
annual business Of approximately
$500, 100000. While this develop
ment is remarkable, there is nothing
mysterious about it. 1t is merely
common sense applied to the market
ing problems of the farmer. At the
present time, l am more interested
in the question of making these
farmers cooperative organizations
highly efficient than ! am in organ
izing new associations. For, after
all, the success of the cooperative
movement will depend very much
upon the success of the organizations
already established.
Supply Information
;; "The cooperative marketing asso-
citation will succeed only if it per-
forms the functions required in the
marketing processes as efficiently
and as economically as others can
perform these services. There are
a number of things which farmers
should be able to do better through
their cooperative organizations than
as individuals. ! have, time and
again. emphasized the Importance Of
adjusting production to the market
demands. To my mind one of the
greatest services that the coopera-
bers is to supply crop and market
information which will help them
make such adjustments.
s.sThronu NO oEor%e 80 %bo n,n
ish cooperatives, the Danish farmer
discarded the old lard-type of hog
for which there was a market in
Germany and developed the more
profitable bacon.type hog which is
peculiarly fitted to the desires of
British consumers.
cooperative marketing among the
orange and lemon growers of Cali
fornia reaches away back to bud
selection. BY organizing cooperative
lv in the marketing of their products
the California orange and lemon
growers have successfully solved
many Of their marketing problems by
adjusting and improving their pro-
duction methods and practices.
"The standardized grading of pro-
ducts, Of course. can be performed
more efficiently by farmers when
organized into groups. The grading
Of the product near the source Of
production makes it possible to re-
dpce the cost Of getting the product
through the marketing chapmel to
the market. Perhaps I can illustrate
little more fully the advantage of
grading the product before shipment.
A large number of producers Of
lambs in certain sections of the coun-
try had been in the habit of shipping
their lambs to market without having
them locked. At. present the CO.
operative livestock shipping associa-
ton is marketing these lambs, and
II knows full we'll that carlot Of
lambs with long dirty tails will not
bring as much money as o we'll fin
ished carlot of lambs that are prop
erly locked. The association has
succeeded, in very short time, in
getting this information back to
growers, and shipments are now
made Of properly docked lambs that
command better prices,
Watch Markets
"The cooperative association has
still another important function to
perform; namely, that Of feeding the
product to the market at the time
and in the place where needed. CO.
operative associations can be very
helpful in avoiding the Cutting of
markets at harvest time, in obtain
ing Q wider distribution Of the pro-
duct and in elevating the general
average price received for the pro-
duct as q whole.
1.-THE success of cooperative assoc
Citations hinges upon q number Of
factors. First of all, I should say
they must have honest and efficient
management. II you will carefully
scan the cooperatives that have been
most successful, you will find that
invariably they, have been fortunate
in having efficient managers. It is
equally important that the farmer
members of the cooperative take "a
personal and active part in the &C.
tivities Of their Organization, and