80 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



in relation to questions of buying and selling. But, as a rule, there are 

 many preliminarj- steps before the farmers of a community are in posi- 

 tion to take advantage of the best markets in an economical manner. 

 Successful buying and selling implies products of definite standards and 

 grades in quantities sufficient to be handled in car lots, and this calls 

 for community action and organization. 



As an outcome of potato association work, two agents report the sale 

 of 300 bushels and 400 bushels, respectively, to be used for seed, to the 

 members of a Farm Bureau in another county in Michigan. One of these 

 counties also sold Ihree car loads of potatoes for seed in Ohio, Indiana 

 and Illinois, the sales being made through the Farm Bureaus in those 

 states. 



The work of the community breeding associations in relation to mar- 

 keting has been chiefly in purchasing better stock, a large number of 

 sires having been bought in this way and also some pedigreed and some 

 good grade cows. As a result of this kind of organized live stock work 

 one agent has reported a sale of registered cattle, the first of its kind 

 in his county, and another the selling of a car load of dairy cattle. One 

 agent assisted his farmers in the purchase of four car loads of cattle for 

 grazing. 



The agents have been in close touch with the live stock shipping asso- 

 ciations, of which a large number has been formed in Michigan in recent 

 years. In two counties the agents have been confronted with the prob- 

 lems of marketing milk, and through their efforts these have been taken 

 up b}^ committees of the Farm Bureaus. 



Exchange lists of products wanted or for sale, are issued by the agents 

 of several counties and these have proved helpful ; in one county a Buy- 

 ers' and Sellers' Association has been formed. 



Three associations for the marketing of fruit have been reported as 

 formed since January 1, and in the other counties where fruit growing 

 is important the agents have aided in reorganizing associations or in 

 strengthening them through federation. Tlie work of all these associa- 

 tions is being made much more effective through the demonstrations 

 which have created a greater interest in fruit of good quality, carefully 

 graded and packed. Through the local and state exhibits the counties 

 are being brought into closer touch with the best markets and by other 

 means of advertising a greater demand is being developed for fruit. 



An interesting illustration of cooperation of different interests in mar- 

 keting is that of the method followed by one county in adjusting a dif- 

 ficulty in regard to jjrices of wheat between farmers and millers. Through 

 the offices of the agricultural agent, committees from the millers, the 

 Farm Bureau and the Association of Commerce met together for discus- 

 sion of their differences. The outcome was the adoption of a cooperative 

 plan satisfactory to all parties. 



INSTITUTES AND ONE-WEEK SCHOOLS. 



During the winter months the institutes and one-week schools occupy a 

 large part of the time of the county agents. In January, February and 

 March twenty agents reported a total of 874 meetings with an attend- 

 ance of 57,230. Since the inception of the county agent movement the 

 tendency has been to make meetings of this character a part of the regu- 



