STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 21 



The Office of Markets and Rural Organization of the United 

 States Department of Agriculture was organized and began 

 its investigations in the spring and early summer of 1913. It 

 found that little or no information regarding these market 

 factors was available to most farmers and dealers. Some deal- 

 ers conducting large businesses, some dealers' organizations 

 and a few producers' associations, were equipped for securing 

 partial information regarding produce in general, or fairly full 

 information as to a few products. These organizations found 

 the possession of such information very profitable. Though 

 it was conceded that information gathered by private organiza- 

 tions was of great benefit to them, the practicability of estab- 

 lishing and operating a market news service for many products 

 for the information of everyone was questioned in many 

 quarters. 



The fear was expressed (and still exists in the minds of 

 some) that published information indicating a short supply in 

 a given market and attendant high prices would cause man}- 

 shippers to send their commodities to that point, thereby caus- 

 ing a glut which would be followed by financial loss and a 

 general loss of confidence in the news service. As far as the 

 work has been carried out this has not proved to be the case. 

 In our early investigations, it was found that, contrary to the 

 general idea, shippers of perishables as a rule did not operate 

 as individuals. The bulk of perishables shipped went either 

 through cooperative producers' organizations, or through local 

 shippers and distributors. The men in charge of these rela- 

 tively large scale shipments, were fairly familiar with general 

 transportation and distribution methods, and it was felt, could 

 make reasonable use of market information. It was decided, 

 then, to conduct an experimental market news service covering 

 a few perishable products. 



The work was begun in April, 191 5, with the opening of the 

 strawberry season in southern Louisiana. At this time this 

 section was the only district shipping berries into Northern and 

 Eastern markets, and complications were therefore at a mini- 

 mum. This first work consisted very largely of keeping the 

 producers informed as to the demand and prices from day to 

 day in the principal markets, and as to the amount of their own 

 berries at certain points and on the way northward. Informa- 



