Year: 1874

own pastures. The buyer has time to look
around him and form proper judgement.
upon the merits Of the animals. On the
other hand, the farmer has oft.times high
ideas. lie sees before his eye his own stock
that perchanco he has raised and is sorry to
part with +; in fact, they stand there as his
earthly god. Thus bargain is often hard
to make. Ina large country it would be
impossible, from the extent, that dealers
can ply profitable trade. Year by year
those men are disappearing, even in our
thickly populated districts.


The second plan is perhaps less in use
than any Of the four. From experience, we
fnd that fairs are very unequal Stock at
market by being knocked about looks jaded
and tired An animal with dull, lileless
eye, and hair standing on end, makes but a
poor show. The farmer, once at the mar
ket, can scarce meve back except at consd-
erable loss, aud will rather sell at what he
can.


Thirty years ago, every village Of two or
three hundred Inhabitants had its annual
show Of sale stock. They exist but in name
now, and are only good for supplying the
children Of the surrounding neighborhood
with gingerbread aud sugar-candy. With
the decline of this system rose up the third
plan OF placing stock in the hands Of COM
mission agent, who sold the animals straight
to the consumer. The general charge for
selling stock is | to per cent. The idea
in employing such party was to give him
the profit a dealer was supposed to get in
his case the exact sum was defined, whereas
the dealer might gain more or less. Yet
this method has not a large hold on the
farming community, at least not that degree
of influence it appears to have in America.
This plan has very serious objections. You
lose sight Of your stock, and after that no
check exists upon the agent. | have heard
! the sins and iniquities of American COM
mission agents dilated upon, and from what
know of ours at home, can believe what
would appear to the impartial observer very
exaggerated statements 1t is human ma
ture to strive after gold, and most people
will take hold of 1t in whatever manner it
presents itself Farmers being about the
most simple class of men alive-and | say
SO although L belong to the Brotherhood
easily imposed upon by such sharpers as
commission agents generally are. Their
very trade renders them acute and decisive,


So much for those three plans, which
however, have Of late years been dwarfed
by the last plan Of auction sales. Where
such sales can be organized, they are un
doubtcdly the most satisfactory to all par
ties.


Let me give few facts about the man
ner Of conducting them in Scotland. Every
little town and central point has its auction
ring; some places have two and produce a
good amount Of rivalry. The town in which
we principally market, has had ring fol
the sale Of stock for seven or eight years. A
the present moment, the farmers of tn,
district have taken the matter in hand ant
are erecting suitable wooden house, will
pens aud other necessaries for an auction
sale. Those premises are built by the mon
ey of joint stock company Of farmers, an,
the probable cos will be about six or scve
thousand dollars. They intend letting thi
structure to the local auctioneer, man @
very high ability and good position. Th
subscribers to the fund number most of til
surrounding agriculturists, who have thus


complete check upon the sales made in thei
own ring. Other places are run by privat
parties and act equally as well. But til
great idea to my mind is for the farmers t
have proper erection Of their own aud EN-
ploy their own auctioneeer, and give him


liberal commission, so as to advertise an


bring together buyers in sufficient quantit
to produce healthy competition.