Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1942-01-23
Farmers Were Out In
Large Numbers, 10Th
Continued From Page /

the meeting, Mr.. J. H. Blandford, act
mo chairman of the State War Board.
He discussed the purpose of the meet
ing was to obtain the views of toma-
to growers on prices of canning to-
matoes for the coming season.
Mr.. Blandford asked the tomato
growers to give costs of growing to-
matoes, yields and their recommends
tons.
Representative growers from each
Of the counties which produce more
than one third of the tomatoes grown
in Maryland took part in the discus
sion. The morning session closed with
a poll of the growers who recon-
mended an average price of Al cents
a basket. The price ranged from 81
cents to Is cents with largest number
stating As cents and so cents.
A Committee of growers one from
each county met with the government
and state representatives during the
lunch recess and on return to the al
ternoon session S. B. Shaw, State Dl-
rector of Markets gave a report OF
the Committee that they recommend
ed a contract price of 45 cents a bas~
ket. There was considerable discus
sion of this contract price, however 1t
was unanimously approved by the
growers.
The Somerset tomato growers and
Gamers do not feel that they desire
to enter into contracts for ripe toma-
toes.
1t was mentioned that if it was nee
essarv for the Gamers in this area to
contract for the full capacity of their
plants, that they would not be able
to handle all tie tomatoes grown in
his county, as they don't have the
plant capacity.
Several Baltimore Gamers attend
ed the meeting and stated that they
contracted for tomatoes and that the
Virginia and Delaware growers rec
ommelded price of around 35 cents
u basket.
Mr.. w. H. Evans represented the
u. s. Department OF Agriculture and
stated that the government desired
pack OF 40 million cases of tomatoes
about Is percent increase over the
pack the past year and had offered
to place contracts with the Gamers on
the basis Of 95 cents a dozen for r1m-
Der . cans. He stated that canning
tomatoes in areas outside of the East
ern Shore is grown on a contract pa
sis, and it was the desire of the De
partment to avoid glut of tomatoes
and a loss to the growers, if the to-
mato acreage was increased and the
growers did not have contract with
the Gamers to handle their tomatoes.
Mr.. Evans mentioned plan would
have to be worked out to take care
of the tomatoes grown for the green
market.
Following the meeting representa-
tives of the growers met with a num-
Der of Gamers who attended the meet
ing from Worcester and this county.
1t was the opinion of the growers
and Gamers that the
best policy would be for the Gamers
to aglee on a minimum price for rire
tomatoes on the open market and the
growers could obtain any higher pri-
ces which might prevail during the
seas, n. This would enable the grow
ers to market part Of his crop out
side of his own community and give
them the best opportunity to obtain
the highest prices.
1t was also suggested that taa Ia
Dor regulations be relaxed in order
that sufficient help could be obtained
to peel the tomatoes. The Gamers es-
timated that if they had sufficient
help in the canning houses that they
could handle about 20 percent ad-
ditional volume of tomatoes during
the season.
The War Board also held meetings
at Denton and Baltimore and oh the