TRANSPORTATION AND MARKETING 285 



ties. In the autumn of 1920, the seed department 

 claims to have bought up one-half of the world's 

 supply of registered Grimm alfalfa, all of which was 

 sown in Michigan. On the other hand, more than 

 750,000 pounds of Michigan-grown clover seeds were 

 handled by this department. All of it was certified 

 as to origin and history. The Farm Bureau reports 

 the handling of no imported or southern-grown 

 clover seed. Through its bonded warehouse, the de- 

 partment stabilized the seed market, issuing ware- 

 house receipts to growers and allowing pre-payment 

 to one-half the value of the grain handled. It was 

 claimed that a permanent improvement in Michigan 

 agriculture has been effected through the services 

 rendered by the seed department. Success was 

 claimed for the wool pool, which gave buyers an 

 advance of three to twelve cents a pound over the 

 prices offered elsewhere. The pool had handled some 

 3,500,000 pounds of wool to April 15, 1921, for 

 15,000 growers. The manufacture of 5,000 blankets 

 from "tags"' and "rejects" brought the grower 

 eighteen cents a pound, it was stated, when the 

 market price for such grades was ten cents. The 

 manufacture of suitings from the clothing grades, 

 under the direction of the Farm Bureau, had yielded 

 a return twice that which would have accrued from 

 outside dealers, it was claimed. Similar profits and 

 savings accrued from the operations of the elevator 

 exchange and the purchasing department, it was held. 

 A saving of three to thirteen dollars a ton on pur- 

 chases of commercial fertilizer was brought about. 



