MARKETS AND EURAL ORGANIZATION. 389 



GRAIN MARKETING. 



Preliminary work on this subject was developed in connection 

 with the project Marketing Business Practice. Near the close of 

 the fiscal year, however, a separate project was drawn up for this 

 work, and investigators were appointed to devote their entire time 

 to the subject. 



An investigation was conducted in the State of Kansas and in 

 Kansas City, Mo., during the summer of 1914 in response to House 

 Resolution Xo. 5T1. A report of this investigation was published as 

 House of Representatives Document No. 1271 : Prices of Wheat to 

 Producers in Kansas, etc. 



A special investigation was made in the States of North Carolina, 

 South Carolina, and Georgia with respect to marketing conditions 

 for the purpose of ascertaining the requirements for handling the 

 increased crop of grains and hay due to the decrease in cotton acre- 

 age. From this investigation material was secured wdiich was used 

 in making recommendations to organizations and farmers generally 

 throughout the Southern States. 



Investigations of the marketing of grain and hay at country points 

 and terminal markets are now in progress. It is planned to begin as 

 soon as practicable an investigation of the methods of distribution 

 of gTain, grain products, and hay to the consumer in the Eastern 

 and South Atlantic States. 



RURAL-ORGANIZATION INVESTIGATIONS. 



RURAL CREDIT, INSURANCE. AND COMMUNICATION. 



RURAL CREDIT. 



Data with regard to prevailing interest rates on farm-mortgage 

 loans and on short-time loans to farmers (with personal or collateral 

 security) have been received from banks, from special correspondents, 

 from representative farmers in the several States, and from the 

 county and local correspondents of the Bureau of Crop Estimates. 

 Averages have been computed, by States, for the reports from each 

 source, and, in addition, the reports from the farmers have been 

 tabulated in such form as to show, for each State and for districts 

 within the State, the number of reports, giving each individual 

 interest rate. On the basis of this tabulation, colored charts (bar 

 diagrams) have been constructed, showing, by States, the relative 

 number of reports, giving each rate. 



Likewise much information has been secured relative to the im- 

 portant question of commissions on farm-mortgage loans, and 

 figures have been compiled representing in general the commis- 

 sion rates prevailing in the several States, and the total cost of farm- 

 mortgage loans for interest and commission together. Information 

 is also at hand with regard to the method of payment of commis- 

 sion, the approximate proportion of loans made without commission, 

 and other incidental questions. 



On the basis of reports received from over 14,000 banks, or more 

 than half the banks in the coimtry, estimates have been made cover- 

 ing the total amount of farm mortgages held by the banks in each 



