204 RURAL MICHIGAN 



stuffs. He might assist in the prevention of waste 

 of perishable food-stuffs. 



This act seems comprehensive enough to effect real 

 reforms in the marketing of farm products. In 

 reality it amounted to very little. The oflficial ap- 

 pointed to the position had little faith in the efficacy 

 of the measure, and confined his attention very 

 largely to the formation of cooperative selling agen- 

 cies among certain groups of farmers, deprecating 

 any effort at assisting in direct marketing between 

 producer and consumer, chiefly on the ground that 

 85 per cent of farm products, as he stated, was not 

 susceptible of such market operations, since they 

 involved manufacturing and other intermediate treat- 

 ment. The act had not provided an appropriation 

 for the maintenance of this department and eventu- 

 ally the position was allowed to become vacant and 

 to remain so. Through a cooperative agreement be- 

 tween the extension department of the Michigan 

 Agricultural College and the United States Bureau 

 of Markets, some features of the work comprised in 

 the act of 1915 were continued. In a small way the 

 standardization and certification of farm products 

 was undertaken, but more particularly the institu- 

 tion of selling organizations among farmers along 

 the lines of such products as potatoes, grain, live- 

 stock and fruit was fostered after the establishment 

 of the Michigan State Farm Bureau, in association 

 with this organization. 



The grapes in the southwestern counties of Michi- 

 gan are marketed by small local associations on a 



