i8 Bulletin 85 — Grain 



to stand up under adverse conditions. As might be expected, also, few 

 of them have made adequate provisions for proper financing.* 



One or two small marketing associations, however, stand out from 

 the rest so far as strength and stability are concerned. The association 

 which handled practically all of the commercial lettuce crop of the 

 Valley in 191 7 was well organized and well managed in many respects. 

 The strength of this organization rests largely upon the fact that they 

 have narrowed their field of operations to certain specific purposes and 

 have not attempted to handle more than could be satisfactorily handled 

 through an association which necessarily had a limited membership. 

 The citrus growers' association has never adopted a systematic selling 

 plan. This is the one important inconsistency in connection with this 

 organization. The association has been, however, the prime factor in 

 holding the citrus interests together and for this reason alone can be 

 said to have fulfilled its mission. 



SPECIFIC MARKETING CONDITIONS 



Grain The Salt River Valley is not a region of surplus grain 

 production. The principal grains are barley, milo maize, wheat, oats 

 and corn. The latter two are grown in comparatively small quantities. 

 The annual acreage planted to grain is not a uniform quantity from 

 season to season. Prevailing market prices determine very largely the 

 annual acreage which is devoted to the production of small grains. A 

 great reduction in the quantity of wheat produced in 191 7 was largely 

 caused by the fact that most of the 1916 crop was sold by producers 

 at $1.65 per 100 pounds, which made this crop comparatively unprofit- 

 able. 



Yields vary with the season and with the individual. Barley will 

 average about 1,800 pounds to the acre, and wheat about 1,500 pounds. 

 More than 90 per cent of the wheat is Early Baart, a semi-hard wheat 

 which does well in this section. A small quantity of California Club 

 wheat is also produced. Little effort has been made to encourage the 

 production of well matured, clean grain. One weakness in the present 

 system of marketing is the fact that the farmer whose grain is dirty 

 receives practically the same price as the farmer who has been careful 

 to produce a high class, marketable product. This has practically 

 placed a premium on slack methods of harvesting and has not encour- 



* U. S. Department of Agriculture. Bulletin No. 541, Co-operative 

 Organization By-laws, by C. E. Bassett and O. B. Jeeness, 1918. 



