May IS, 1923 



The niinou Agricoltaral Association Record 



411 



Page 3 



Illinois Poultry Products Amount To j 

 Total of Over $60,000,000 in One Year 



The lowly hen is not consid- 

 ered an especially important 

 factor in agricultural produc- 

 tion in Illinois, yet the value of 

 poultry and egg products in 

 the state was $63,771,952 in 



1919, the last year when a com- 

 plete census was taken. 



In the country as a whole, 

 poultry and egg products in 1920 

 contributed almost seven per cent 

 of the nation's agricultural 

 wealth, or $1,225,000,000, a sum 

 not to be "sneezed" at by any 

 means. And this has been done in 

 the face of the tact that poultry 

 production on most farms is con- 

 sidered of very minor importance 

 and little attention has been paid 

 to poultry marketing by the pro- 

 ducer. 



Much is heard of the virtues of 

 California as a poultry and egg 

 producing state and doubtless 

 many have taken it for granted 

 that the Golden Gate state is the 

 leader in that phase of agricul- 

 tural production. Yet Illinois, ac- 

 cording to the 1920 census, pro- 

 duced in 1919 nearly twice as 

 many eggs as did California. 



While California's hens may 

 cackle more loudly than the bid- 

 dies of Illinois, the real secret of 

 California's success lies in co- 

 operative marketing of eggs. 

 This product has made the Peta- 

 luma district in that state espec- 

 ially noted and the eggs from 

 that section have attained great 

 fame on the New York market, 

 d;ie to more efficient marketing 

 methods brought about by co-op- 

 eration. 



niinois Ranks Third 



In cold figures of egg produc- 

 tion, Illinois ranked third in 1919 

 with over 100,00k),000 dozen pro- 

 duced. Iowa and Missouri stood 

 first and second with over 114 

 million and 112 million dozen, re- 

 spectively. California placed sev- 

 enth with somewhat over 57,000.- 

 ftOO dozen as her production. 

 - New York and Chicago natur- 

 ally take the lead as the nation's 

 principal egg markets. The egg 

 receipts at the New York market 

 in 1920 were 5,157,535 cases, 

 while Chicago received 4,153,584 

 cases. 



Strange as it may seem, Illi- 

 nois furnished almost 20 per 

 cent of the New York receipts for 



1920, being the leading source of 

 eggs for that market. Her con- 

 tribution was 1,006,440 cases. 

 Iowa was second with 616,130 

 cases, while Indiana and Cali- 

 fornia stood third and fourth. 



Chicago Market 



Market figures ;for' 1921 show 

 Ibat Missouri led on the Chicago 

 market, having shipped 825,912 

 cases of eggs. Iowa was second 

 with 705,995 cases, and Kansas 

 third with 481,684 cases. Illi- 

 nois only supplied 205,178 cases 

 to Chicago, being eighth and fur- 

 nishing only about five per cent 

 of the eggs on the market. 



The accompanying map portrays 

 the distribution of egg production 

 among the counties of Illinois and 

 ithe "egg belt," or area of great- 

 :«Bt production, is outlined. 



Wayne County In Lead 

 j According to 1920 census fig- 

 ures, Wayne county led in egg 

 production in 1919, having pro- 

 duced 2,247,180 dozen, with 

 Shelby and Iroquois counties 

 closely following at second and 

 third places. 



McLean county is credited with 

 producing the most poultry in 

 1919, with 585,420 head, Shelby 

 being second and Iroquois third. 



ILLINOIS AND THE GOLDEN EGG 



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Map showing distribution of ega production in Illinois. Each dot 

 represents 15,000 dozen eggs. Note "egg belt " in south central part of 

 state or the area where greatest production in indicated. 



Bradfute Calls 

 Conference of 

 Research Men 



President O. E. Bradfute of the 

 Amtrican Farm Bureau Feder- 

 ation has called a conference of 

 agricultural economists of twelve 

 middle western states to meet in 

 Chicago, May 18, at the Sherman 

 hotel. 



The object of the meeting is to 

 talk over the research work which 

 is now being done by various or- 

 ganizations and to consider the 

 desirability of organizing a Mid- 

 dle West Agricultural Economics 

 Research Committee. A similar 

 group functions in New England 

 successfully, serving as a clearing 

 house for economic information. 



Stimulation and co-ordination 

 of research activities bearing 

 upon agriculture in the fields of 

 taxation, central market distribu- 

 tion, transportation, market and 

 mortgage financing, farm Income 

 and production would be among 

 the, duties of the committee. 



Invitations have been sent to 

 state colleges of agriculture, state 

 departments of agriculture, state 

 bureaus of markets, state farm 

 bureaus. Federal Reserve Banks, 

 Federal Land Banks, Chambers of 

 Commerce, as well as to many 

 miscellaneous organizations allied 

 to agricultural economics, to at- 

 tend the conference. 



STRONGER LOCALS 

 ARE PLANNED FOR 

 STEPHENSON 'CO-OP' 



^ In response to a request from 

 the Stephenson Couiity Farm Bu- 

 reau, the (. A. A. Dtf ry Marketing 

 Department has been devoting 

 some time recently in supplsriog a 

 stronger type of organization to 

 locals of the SteQhenson County 

 Co-operative Marketing Company. 



The plan will give each of the 

 12 locale of the co-bperative a 

 stronger organization with officers 

 and enable them to function better 

 in carr)'ing out the plana at tbe 

 marketing company. 



Each local may elect one repre- 

 sentative from each 60 meiub^h*s 

 to serve on an advisory council 

 composed of representativas from 

 all the locaJs. This advisory icoun- 

 cil participates in each meeting of 

 the board of directorsjrf the mar- 

 keting coiipany. Thus each local 

 is given a more direct ' voice in 

 the affairs of the co-operative. , 



T4ie Dakota Local Branch has 

 adopted ttie new plan and other 

 locals have expressed a desire to 

 use the plan to strengthen their 

 organizations and to give them 

 more responsibility , in the govern- 

 ing of the association. 



Producers^ Board Hears of 

 Great Growth of Movement 



The production figures of these 

 three counties do not vary 

 greatly. 



I. A. A. Investigates 



In 1922 the Poultry and Egg 

 Marketing Department of the I. 

 A. A. made a careful study of 

 market methods as affecting 

 poultry products. Investigations 

 were made as *to the advisability 

 of forming co-operative poultry 

 and egg marketing associations 

 and a start was made in the 

 formation of some associations, 

 notably in Shelby county. In 

 some localities where such co- 

 operatives were contemplated, the 

 department advised against or- 

 ganization, due to the fact that 

 there was not a sufficient volume 

 of business to indicate success. 



Associations were formed in 

 Oconee, Tower Hill, Shelbyville, 

 Westervelt and Stewardson, Shel- 

 by county, and at Flora, Clay 

 county. 



Resnlts Secnred 



As a result of careful grading 

 and standardization of the poul- 

 try products handled, every ship- 

 ment made by these associations 

 sold for at least half a cent prem- 

 ium, and many shipments com- 

 manded as hifeh as five cents 

 premium on the Chicago market. 



Economy In marketing costs 

 was also evident. For example, 

 one association which transacted 

 $4,410 worth ol- business in a 

 month, did it at a total cost of 

 only $158.00. 



One result of the formation of 

 associations was the fact that in 

 pommunities where co-operative 

 marketing associations were 

 formed, the prices of eggs rose 

 from three to eight cents per 



:'. i . . ■ ■ ■ i V 



dozen and poultry from four to 

 eight cents per pound in the im- 

 mediate neighborhoods. This 

 boost in price naturally caused 

 farmers in outlying districts "to 

 bring eggs and poultry to the 

 town where the prices had been 

 boosted. This brought about a 

 raise of about three cents in egf 

 and poultry prices in these out 

 lying districts. Thus the effect 

 of farmer marketing reached ,,out 

 far beyond the territory in which 

 the associations were located. 



Educational Value 



The educational value of the 

 associations was also great, in 

 that the farmer members have 

 learned bow to standardize, grade, 

 and make their own individual 

 shipments to market at proper 

 times. They also learned how 

 to study market conditions and 

 market trends. 



'it may be said that, among 

 other things, the verf existence 

 of the poultry marketing asso- 

 ciations formed by the I. A. A. 

 had its effect upon- poultry and 

 egg dealers all over the state. 

 Prices were kept up to discour- 

 age the forming of co-operative 

 associations. This is emphasized 

 by the following statement made- 

 by a member of an egg dealers* 

 organization in 1922: 



"While dealers will be • in- 

 clined to pay lower prices for 

 poultry and eggs this year in 

 order to make up some of the 

 losses suffered in the industry by 

 readjustment, we would advise 

 yon to pay as much as possible 

 because the lower prices will tend 

 to stimulate the springing up of 

 co-operative marketing associa- 

 tions." 



■ Approximately 100,000 farm- 

 ers are marketing their live 

 stock through' eight agencies of 

 the National Live Stock Produc- 

 ers Association at the rate of 

 $100,000,000 annually, aqcord- 

 iug to the report of President 

 "John G. Brown at the regular 

 quarterly session of the board 

 of directors held in Chicago a 

 few days ago. 



A steady gain in volume of 

 business is being experienced 

 each niottth by the Producers. 

 For instance, a report showed 

 that the total value of live stock 

 handled in February was $5,455,- 

 090.12 on 194.138 head, anid for 

 March, $5^63,683.08 on 2616,203 

 head. Or these about 4)0.000 

 were cattle, calves, and sheep, 

 hogs making up the bulk of tlie 

 live stock handled. An increase 

 in sales accounts from 6,809 in 

 February to 8,250 in March was 

 noted. 



.Amount of Business 



In Mr. Brown's quarterly re- 

 port, he showed that 15 to 20 

 per cent of the total live stock 

 shipped to Buffalo is sold by .the 

 Producers: 5 to 8 per cent at 

 Chicago, or more than 1,000 car- 

 loads per month; 25 to 30 per 

 cent at Indianapolis; 15 to 18 

 per cent at East St. Louis; and 

 25 to '30 per cent at Peoria, 



Kansas City, which opened in 

 March, has progressed from twen- 

 ty-sixth place during an early 

 week after opening, to tenth place 

 during the last week in April. 



The Peoria Producers have 

 voted- to return to members 10 

 'per cent of the commissions as 

 patronage dividends after May 

 31. Fifty> per cent of the mem- 

 bershijf fee will also be returned. 



The Chicago agency- has repaid 

 its membership fees in full and 

 will pay a substantial patronage 

 dividend after the ' close of the 

 first year's business, June 30. 

 E\|iansion I'rowded For 



The board of directors in ses- 

 sion voted to invest complete 

 executive authority in President 

 Brown and requested that he der 



vote as tuuch of his time as 

 necessary to the executive affairs 

 of the ort:anization. Mr. Brown 

 has established headijuarters in 

 the executive offices ot the na- 

 tional association, 608 S. . Dear- 

 born Si., Chicasu, aUJ^l.i d'l^ 

 the work from thfcre. 



This. ,bfrangemeih was found 

 expedient ^cause the opening of 

 new branches of ihp Producers 

 at various markets requires G^-n- 

 eral Maaafer F. M. Simpson' to be 

 absent ilmost continuously from 

 the Chicago offlce to overw^ th« 

 details ot jstarting new terminals. 



;Mr. Simpson opened up a Pro- 

 ducers agency at Sjoux Falls, S. 

 D., May 3J and has Wenjflevoting 

 his time more recently, to work 

 at Clevelafud and Oklahoma City 

 where ugiencies will be estab- 

 lished. 



TraisC Wurk of Brown ,. 



The national board declared 

 that President Brown had shown 

 unusual genius in harmonizing 

 the various elements of .the live 

 stock indsstry. Effective co-op- 

 eration has been made poBsible at 

 the terminals and the organiza- 

 tion has b^en built constructive- 

 ly upon* at sound foundation for 

 I the ordeiHf marketing of live 

 stock. - 



Addresses were made at the 

 directors' meeting by President 

 Bradfute of the, A. F. B. F. ^nd 

 Walton I'eteet. director of co-op- 

 erative niarketiiK?. Mr. Bradfste 

 congratulated the Producers upon 

 their splendid knd sound growth 

 and named, the organization as 

 one of the outstanding examples 

 of co-operation. Mr. Peteet 

 especially Urged a simultaneous 

 development of the sales depart- 

 ment and field service work. 

 First on Four MarkeLs 



Tile Producers were first on 

 four markets, Bnrfalo. Indianap- 

 olis. St. l-9>^is. and Peoria, during 

 the last two weeks of ApYil. '-The 

 Chicago agency stood secong both 

 weeks, while Kansas City ^wung 

 from ele^•e•lfh to tenth plac* dur- 

 ing the seventh and ^eigbth Veeks 

 of business. 



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