Milford chronicle., 1927-06-03
DIR. C. LAYTON GRIER
HEADS DEL L-MAR-VA
SHORE ASSOCIATION
CONTINUED from first page)

ware, is a resident of Milford; grad
uate of the University of Pennsylva-
mia; president of the L. d. Caulk
Company, one of the largest manu-
facturers of pharmaceutical and
dental supplies in the country, and
is president of the Milford Chamber
of Commerce.
DR.. Bomberger, in his talk said:
agriculture on the Peninsula is
confronted with three grave prob
lens. First, as a business it must be
more productive today than it was a
very short time ago. The demands
that are made upon the income from
agriculture are much greater than
they were 20 years ago. In that day
the farms of the Peninsula were cal
led upon to provide the income
which would provide the dirt or
shell road, the little one-room school
house, the crossroads store, the lit
tie rural church, the horse and bug
gy and a family budget which per-
mitted little purchasing except those
required by modest standard of liv-
ing.
"This same agriculture is now
called upon to produce an income
out of which taxes must be paid to
build the macadam and concrete
highways, stretching almost from
farm to farm, to provide, equip and
maintain a modern system of public
schools from kindergarten to univer-
sity, to support the rural mail de-
livery, the telephone, the radio and
the automobile, which destroy iso-
lation and annihilate distance and
multiply opportunities for spending
money to an unlimited degree.
"The second problem confronting
agriculture on the Peninsula, is that
it must produce in the face of a
continuing over production. This
over-production is so universally la
mented that it scarce needs further
comment but it does add to the diff
ficulties of the agriculturist on the
Peninsula.
"The third problem confronting
agriculture on the Del-Mar-Va is
found in the fact that it must be
carried on in the face of competi-
ton that is not only relatively new,
| but is most far reaching and in
tense. Instead of enjoying the non
competitive markets, which were
once ours Ito a limited extent at
least) Del-Mar-Va products must
now meet organized competition,
competition which has learned in
the hard schools of experience the
lesson of low cost production and
effective standardization of pro-
ducts"
DR.. Bomberger went on to say that
he was much impressed on recent
visit to the Pacific Coast and the
Northwest by the tremendous scope
and highly organized character OF
this competition.
| DR.. Bomberger explained that ii
was not only fruits and vegetables
from the coast that compete with
ours. The egg and poultry situation
reveals a similar condition. At Pet
aluma, Cal, the home of 100000
hens, there is controlled for market
in the East by one association, the
eggs produced by 100000 hens. By
this association, 376,150 cases of
eggs were shipped East and 134,042
cases were stored. This is said to be
so per cent of all the eggs shipped
out of California and it makes Del
Mar-Va production seem insignifi-
/ cant.
mot only is this competition as
shown by these illustrations, liter
ally tremendous, but it is also highly
effective" he said. 1.-THE idea that
the Pacific Coast producer is so far
distant as to be harmless to the COM
! petitors, is an idea which in the
/ judgment of DR.. Bomberger, must be
abandoned"
DR.. Bomberger dismissed the idea
that there is anything magical or
miraculous about these transactions
in the west. Nothing less magical, he
said, could be imagined. 1t is done
by the application of sound business
principals of their industry. There
are just two phases to the process.
First rigid, ruthless standardization,
second, marvellous efficiency in the
method of production, handling and
distribution of their products. He
cited the case of the Pacific Coast
egg. Not merely is every egg graded
according to quality, weight and
size; not only does the organization
set up its owndistribution agency in
the New York market, thus insuring
the most advantageous merchandise
ing of their products; not only do
they install every labor saving de-
vice in their packing plants whereby
the cost of handling the business is
reduced to a minimum. They have
done more than that. They have
gone back to the growers with a
thoroughly scientific program for
improvement in methods of breed
ing and feeding their f1ocks and car
ing for the eggs until they are de-
livered to the association.
1--WE can't Afford" the manager
said to me, ito grow Gull apples"
Whatever is grown, however, in this
Northwestern region it is rigidly
graded and standardized both as to
quality and package. By this method
they capture and keep the apple
market of the East. Finally through
organization and cooperation, they
eliminate competitive selling as far
as is humanity possible and by order
ly marketing program, they d1str1-
butte the crop throughout the entire
year."
Concluding his address, Dr.. Bonn
berger said if this means anything to
agriculture, it signifies
that the old days of careless, happy
go-lucky farming has passed away.
1t indicates that in order to remain
in the business, the Del-Mar-Va far
mer must initiate the example of his
Western competitor. He must cut his
production cost; he must improve
the quality of his products; he must