THE COOPKRATIVE MARKETING OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE 



which have severaltimes occupied our attention (i), the Grain Growers' 

 Grain Company and the Farmers' Co-operative Elevator Company. We need 

 only recall the important role they plaA' on the grain exchanges and the 

 large amount of grain the}'' handle. The representative of the producer is 

 through them himself in a position to know how grain is handled and to 

 prevent the deflection of profits to middlemen. 



The De])artment of Agriculture has a branch for marketing butter di- 

 rected b}^ the Dairy Commissioner. All creameries may have their butter 

 marketed through the commissioner if they sign an agreement with the de- 

 partment. They send their butter to him at Calgary directl}' ; it is graded 

 and placed in cold storage ; and may be either sold immediately or kept 

 until its price rise. As soon as it is received the commissioner or one of 

 his staff reports to the buttermakers on its quality, and advises as to its 

 improvement, sometimes in the person of instructors sent out to the factories. 

 This system has a good effect in standardizing the grades of butter and 

 improving its quality. 



Egg circles are less numerous in Western than in Eastern Canada, where 

 there is more poultry and settlement is closer. In igi6 however eight 

 of these associations were organized in Alberta by the representative of 

 the Dominion Department of Agriculture. Each member of an associa- 

 tion agrees to sell his eggs by its means. In some cases he deposits $5 

 which go to form a fund with which to finance sales and which allow an 

 advance payment to be made for each consignment. In the first place the 

 eggs are graded : they are sold by grades ; and as their identity is 

 preserved members supplying high grades are rewarded and those supply- 

 ing low grades x)enalized. Xo eggs may be sent by a farmer when the}^ are 

 more than three or four days old. 



A farmers' Egg Marketing Service has been established. Until the 

 farmers themselves are able to manage it, it will be supervised by officials 

 of the poultry division of the Provincial and the Dominion Departments 

 of Agriculture. 



Its objects are : (a) to provide farmers of the province, including those 

 in the most outlying districts, with the best possible marketing facilities ; 

 {b) to provide for the efficient grading of the eggs with a view to obtaining 

 the highest prices ; (c) to make it possible for individual farmers to receive 

 prices proportionate to the quality of their eggs ; (d) to ascertain, by exami- 

 nation of the eggs, which members are not following effective methods, so 

 as to be able to advise them intelligently ; {e) to stimulate a larger produc- 

 tion of poultry.and eggs for the benefit of the farmers themselves as well 

 as to meet the exigencies of war conditions ; (/) to eliminate the unneces- 

 sary loss now consequent on inefficient marketing and to develop a good re- 

 putation for Alberta eggs. 



Any farmers' organization will have the privilege of consigning eggs. to 

 the Egg Marketing Service. It is suggested that in the case of such as them 

 as are not specially organized egg marketing associations, arrangements 



(i) See our issue for March i<ii 7, ]). 18. 



