106 THE COUNTY AGENT'S. SERVICES 



This is especially true of those comparatively small groups 

 of persons who are engaged in handling farmers' products 

 to the consumer. 



For example, certain business men in a small city in a 

 county maintaining a county agent in cooperation with 

 farmers through their county association had always 

 been boosters for the county agent work and had supported 

 appropriations by the local Board of Supervisors. When, 

 however, the needs of farmers demanded the organization 

 of a cooperative milk producers' association which began a 

 retail milk delivery business in that city, they took vigor- 

 ous exception to the county agent's activities in assisting 

 the organization of this efficient local cooperative. In de- 

 fense of their attitude they pointed out that milk sold for 

 about six cents a quart in their city some ten years ago 

 and that it now sells for sixteen cents. Of course the in- 

 crease was charged to the cooperative organization which 

 had been formed with the aid of the county agent. One 

 of the most vigorous objectors was a supervisor who hap- 

 pened to be a dentist in the town. He seemed utterly 

 oblivious to the fact that the same reasons which led him 

 to charge $2.50 for filling a tooth in 1921, which he had 

 been willing to do for 75 cents in 1911, operated in the 

 milk business as well. Nor did he take into consideration 

 the fact that an adequate price for milk insured a steady 

 supply of a high quality product for the future. 



THE PUBLIC IS CONCERNED 



It is as much a public function to help to work out the 

 problems of marketing and distribution of farm products 

 as it is to assist in maintaining and increasing the effi- 

 ciency of production. Efficient marketing and distribu- 

 tion mean standardization of products and packages, bet- 



