MAEKETS AND EUEAL OEGANIZATION. 373 



Arrangements with transportation companies. — In order that 

 the information on shipments might be accurate and complete this 

 office secured the cooperation of practically every railroad and express 

 company engaged in the transportation of these products. These car- 

 riers reported to the office by night telegram the number of cars of 

 each product originating on their lines during the preceding 24 hours, 

 Avith destinations. Diversions and reconsignments at important gate- 

 ways were also secured. Arrangements were made by which the car- 

 riers delivering products at points where the office was represented 

 b}'^ market reporters furnished these representatives with a daily 

 statement of all receipts at those points. 



Field work in producing sections. — Work in the producing sec- 

 tions began in Louisiana during the latter part of March when the 

 movement of the strawberry crop assumed important proportions. 

 Our representative was kept informed of the number of cars moving 

 each day with destinations and all diversions ordered. The Wash- 

 ington office kept him informed as to arrivals and prices prevailing in 

 all markets. This information was made available to all growers, 

 shippers, and associations by telephone communication from Ham- 

 mond, La., and by public bulletins displayed at important shipping 

 points. Support and cooperation was received from all of the pro- 

 ducers and from nearly all of the shipping agencies. As a result 

 of the work in Louisiana this office has secured a complete history of 

 the distribution of the strawberry crop for the past season. This 

 history shows exactly how many cars went to each market, the com- 

 petition encountered therein, and the prices realized. 



Similar experimental work to bring the news service within the 

 reach of producers and to determine its practicability and usefulness 

 to them was carried on at Crystal Springs, Miss., and Jacksonville, 

 Tex., in connection with the movement of tomato crops from those sec- 

 tions ; and in the Imperial Valley of California and at Mesa, Ariz., in 

 connection with the movement of the cantaloupe crop. A modifica- 

 tion of this system was tried out, with St. Louis as a basis of opera- 

 tion, in the marketing of the peach crop of Texas, Oklahoma, and 

 Arkansas. The important peach-carrying railroads of that section 

 cooperated effectively in distributing to their shippers all of the infor- 

 mation at the disposal of the office. A similar experiment in connec- 

 tion with the marketing of northwestern peaches and pears from 

 the Pacific coast States had its headquarters at North Yakima, Wash. 

 Similar work was inaugurated at the proper time in connection with 

 the marketing of the cantaloupe crop at Rockyford, Colo. 



Benefits to producers. — Letters have been received from every 

 producing section where these experiments have been tried indicat- 

 ing that distribution has been improved ; that glutted markets have 

 been prevented to some extent; that total shipments from several 

 districts have been greater than they would have been without this 

 service; and that large bodies of growers have been given accurate 

 and disinterested information concerning conditions prevailing in 

 important distant markets. 



Field and informative work in the markets. — The placing of 

 permanent employees of this office in several of the larger markets 

 has made this experiment of value to those actively engaged in the 

 wholesale handling and distribution of the perishable products re- 



