278 STATE BOAUD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Michigan Potato Growers' Exchange: 



Work on the Michigan Potato Growers' Excliange has been devoted 

 priucipallj to the standardization of the output and very considerable 

 progress has been made during the last fiscal year. A potato specialist, 

 Mr. Wade Weston, has been placed in charge of the work in general, 

 under the Farm Crops Department, and an Experiment Farm, donated 

 by the growers, has been accepted by the College. This latter develop- 

 ment, as a result of the efforts of the Michigan Potato Growers' Ex- 

 change, demonstrates tlie theory that organizations should not be alined 

 primarily at marketing but simply using marketing as a basis of common 

 interest, around which the organization can be built for the advancement 

 of the indnsti'y as a whole from the point of efficiency as the ultimate 

 object. 



Co-operative miarketing units of the I*otato Growers' Exchange have 

 been assisted in reorganizing and iu financial problems. 



The Elevator Exchange: 



The Michigan Elevator Exchange has made splendid progress during 

 the year past and is now in excellent financial condition, handling a 

 large volume of business, and is without question the largest factor 

 in grain handling of the State. The organization handled approximately 

 22% o>f the bean crop of the past season and a program to increase the 

 membership is expected to still further advance the influence of the 

 Exchange on the bean market. 



Assistance has also been given to a number of local co-operative ele- 

 vators in re-organizing and in financial problems. 



The Michigan State Farm Bureau: 



At the last annual meeting of the Michigan State Fanii Bureau a plan 

 for consolidating and co-ordinating the commodity exchanges of the 

 State with the Farm Bureau was completed. This movement assures the 

 haranonions development of the forces within the State and is aimed at 

 a complete mobilization of the economic power of farming and should 

 bring the power of the organizations of the State to bear on the larger 

 problems effecting the agricultural interests. 



The Farm Bureau Wool Departmient has been reorganized on a basis 

 of complete Farm Bureau control and promises the succesisful handling 

 of the pool this year. The Seed Department, without question, furnishes 

 the best co-operative seed service of any organization of its kind in the 

 country. The Purchasing Department of the Farm Bureau has made 

 steady progress during the year and its plans for the future give ex- 

 cellent promise. The Markets Department has been consulted and has 

 assisted in the improvement of these services. 



A program, which is directly associated with the marketing work over 

 the State, is the re-organization of the County Farm Bureaus on an eco- 

 nomic basis, rather than a basis of political sub -divisions. The Michigan 

 State Farm Bureau will issue a bulletin iu the near future on this project. 

 The Markets Department hias given assistance to the study of this 

 problem. 



