106 EXPEKIMENT STATION RECORD. 



" has no better basis than farm vahies made fluid." Rightly developed, 

 bonds based on land mortgages have no superiors in the invest- 

 ment field. These, it was explained, should be of small enough de- 

 nominations to be accessible to all classes, and available on all ex- 

 changes. But the prevalent machinery for this is too expensive a 

 burden on agriculture. 



Professor Lauman did not advocate leaving the problem to either 

 the government or- private cai)ital for solution, but urged organiza- 

 tion. " If agriculture organized to make it possible to demand the 

 lowest rates of interest the market affords, can not live and develop, 

 not even state aid will prevent its ultimate decay." 



In considering some of the problems of marketing and distribu- 

 tion, Mr. C. J. Brand of this Department, presented the needs of the 

 farmer in the way of assistance in establishing a market system 

 which will return to him the true value of the various grades of 

 crops he produces, minus reasonable charges for handling, transpor- 

 tation, and the legitimate profits of middlemen. He outlined the 

 various lines of study which are being pursued by the Office of Mar- 

 kets and Eural Organization. These are concerned, in part, with a 

 study of conditions as they actually exist over the country in the 

 handling and marketing of special classes of products, with statis- 

 tical studies of supply and demand. Market grades and standards 

 are also being investigated, with the object of effecting greater uni- 

 formity; and transportation and storage, as to methods, the adequacy 

 of facilities, and the relation of warehousing, refrigeration, etc., to 

 prices and to stabilizing supplies. 



Market surveys are being made with a view to collecting facts and 

 developing methods for supplying promptly to producers and con- 

 sumers useful information in regard to prices and supplies. The 

 practice in vogue in marketing and distribution in large cities is the 

 subject of a special inquiry, to make comparisons and arrive at the 

 most advantageous plans. Direct dealing through marketing by 

 parcel post and by express is being studied, not only as to practica- 

 bility and advantages, but as to systems for bringing producers and 

 consumers into contact and establishing business relations. Coopera- 

 tive buying and selling naturally attracts considerable attention, 

 with inquiry into the methods and success of organizations, and the 

 supplying of assistance in organization, systems of accounting, audit- 

 ing, etc. 



The partial enumeration of these lines of effort illustrates some 

 of the present problems in marketing. From a consideration of cot- 

 ton handling and marketing, Mr. Brand showed that the acute prob- 

 lems are not confined to perishable crops. Tlie cantaloup trade was 

 cited to show an overdevelopment of the industry, due to ignorance 

 as to the development of competitive areas, wdiich in 1914 resulted 



