would be made more productive by a liberal applica- 

 tion of lime. Farm efficiency would be improved by 

 better farm homes. More power machinery would 

 increase farm output. In a word, under efficient man- 

 agement, more liberal financing of the farm would 

 greatly increase the income of the farm family. 



Better Farm Marketing and Buying 



The farm income is steadily being increased by the 

 more efficient marketing of farm crops and the more 

 advantageous purchase of farm supplies. To illustrate, 

 in California about 8,000 citrus growers marketed a 

 crop valued at about $50,000,000 in 1917. The selling 

 expense was but 1.55 per cent. That is, they saved in 

 the aggregate several million dollars in lower selling 

 expenses. On the average they save about one million 

 dollars a year through cooperative purchasing of sup- 

 plies in larger volume. But the advantages of the 

 citrus growers' exchange are far greater than lower 

 selling expenses. They have used national advertising 

 effectively to develop a larger market for citrus fruit. 

 More efficient selling methods are now used. The 

 fruit is now distributed far more advantageously. 

 The quality of the output has been greatly improved. 

 The net result is a handsome addition to the net in- 

 come of 8,000 growers. 



In a somewhat less marked degree cooperative 

 selling and buying is now used by many lines of farm- 

 ers, such as the potato growers, as well as by produc- 

 ers of truck and fruit in several regions of specialized 

 production. The cranberry growers have a strong 

 selling organization. There are over two thousand 

 farmer-owned grain elevators, about the same num- 

 ber of farmer-owned creameries, and several hundred 

 cooperative stock-marketing associations. Several of 

 the great organizations of farmers have been instru- 



[47] 



