Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-06-12

perennial legumes, such as alfalfa
and the clovers, may be cut as soon
as they are well in bloom. The
best hay made from any crop is al
ways that which is made the most
quickly and with the least exposure
to sun and air. Too much exposure
to the sun bleaches the hay, making
it less attractive when placed on
the market and also less palatable
and less digestible.
FARM MARKETING
CONFERENCE RECOMMENDED
The conclusion that better mar
keting Of high quality products of
New England farms is the most i'm
portant problem before New Eng
land agriculture, and a recon-
farm marketing conference be held
this fall are contained in the re-
port of the Agricultural Commit
tee of the New England Council
presented at the quarterly meeting
of the Council in Burlington Friday.
The report was read by Mr.. Harry
X. Lewis, Chairman, of the Lewis
Farms, Davisville, r. I. He stated
that the Committees findings were
the result of conferences with the
Commissioners of Agriculture of the
New England states and their
marketing experts, who also concur
in the Committees Recommended
lions. Mr.. Lewis declared that
some action is especially necessary
to protect both farmers and con-
arc from IA oil aF fax,
modities from distant areas as
home grown New England products.
The Committees report is in part
as follows:
There seems to be an almost I'M
animous opinion among all branches
Of the agricultural industry in New
England that the one big problem
which should be given serious con-
sideration at this time is that con-
corning the Standardization and bet
ter protection of New England farm
products in New England markets,
and the need for more systematic
and standardized methods of mar
keting. The New England farmer
has come to learn, like the New
England manufacturer, that his
greatest safeguard and protection
against distant competition lie in
the superior quality of his product
The great mass of our New England
people have learned of the superior
advantages of New England produce
ed agricultural commodities such as
milk, eggs. vegetables. fruit, etc.
Owing to the natural demand for
these superior nearby products,
there is a growing tendency in chan
nels of distribution to practice eX-
tended substitution by which means
foreign or distant produced COM
modities of inferior quality and of
decidedly less freshness are passed
off and sold as local or nearby
products. This practice RS nothing
less than unfair competition, works
a hardship upon the New England
farmer, and imposes an injustice
upon the New England consumer,
who as a result of such substitution,
pays a premium for an inferior
product.
AT a recent conference, when
your Committee had as guests the
Commissioners of agriculture and
their marketing advisors. the need
for some concerted action directed
along marketing lines was urgently
stressed, and all these officials pres
ent pledged their cooperation and
support to any worth while move
ment which the Council might sug-
gest or initiate. which might be ex-
pected to lead to constructive action
on the farm marketing problem.
THE questions of defining stand
ard grades, qualities. identifications,
ETC., will have to be worked out at
future conferences in which the re-
spective production groups will work
in cooperation with state market
ing and control officials. The Ques-
lions of the policing of these
standards, and control of identifica-
ton are matters which will require
extended discussion and probably in
most states, direct legislative &C
ton.
1T is readily appreciated that the
establishment of standards which
are correct with reference to COM
modities produced in New England,
even so far as they might be applied
to any one single commodity, is a
rather long and serious undertaking.
Widely varying state views will
have to be considered and reconcil-
ed. Federal standards already in
operation will have to be incorpor-
ated in the New England scheme.
The actual standards set must re-
late to what the farmers themselves
can actually put into a package I'M
der present production conditions
rather than be in the nature of a
pure ideal.
"In order that progress of a very
definite character in the direction
above outlined can be quickly made,
your Committee. at the request of a
number of conference groups, have
already requested the Commissioners
of Agriculture of the several New
England states, each to name those
commodities of most interest to their
respective states, from the stand
point of Standardization and identi-
fication for marketing purposes.
ITO the same end your Commit
tee have invited views and sugges-
tions from the Commissioners re-
garding ways and means of Identify
ing farm products of their re-
spective states for marketing pur-
poses, as we'll as for suggestions
pertaining to methods of controlling
such identification and standards
when established. Your committee
have also invited the commissioners
to advise as to what machinery is
available in their states at the pres
ent time for establishing and main
tanning farm produce standards.
when these data and recon-
mendations are actually in hand,
the Committee proposes, if the
Council shall approve, to proceed in
cooperation with the Commissioners
and the agricultural interests in
volved, to take steps looking to the
actual defining, establishment, and
Identification of standards of such
farm commodities as may be joint
ly selected.
Lastly, in order that this whole
matter of promoting and protecting
the quality of the New England
produced agricultural commodities