IO8 BEAN CULTURE 



The generally agreed weight on which sales are 

 made is 60 pounds to the bushel. The farmer sells 

 the beans direct to the dealer at the interior ship- 

 ping point. Very few beans are consigned direct 

 by growers to commission merchants in the large 

 cities. The dealer who buys, cleans and subse- 

 quently handles the beans may be an independent 

 operator or may represent some syndicate with a 

 large number of these cleaning and storage houses. 

 After the beans are delivered and properly screened 

 and cleaned the farmer takes the screenings home for 

 stock feed. Beans which have been stored under 

 unfortunate conditions, and are perhaps discolored, 

 or have become musty are practically spoiled for 

 edible purposes, go to stock feed for sheep and 

 swine. In Michigan most of the picking culls go 

 to farmers for feed, the latter paying $12 to $16 a 

 ton. The best culls, however, are often sold to the 

 canning factories for canned beans, realizing a price 

 of 50 to 60 cents a bushel, or perhaps less than 

 half the value of hand picked beans. 



The dealers and operators of these country ware- 

 houses eventually sell the beans, perhaps through 

 city brokers, to wholesale dealers in the large dis- 

 tributing centers. The beans are handled in carlots, 

 60 pounds to the bushel, including the bag as net. 

 A carload consists of 250 bags or more. 



Provided the beans have been properly cured in 

 the fall and stored in a dry, cool place, they will keep 

 without difficulty. But it has been often determined 

 that if damp when thrashed, it is very difficult, if 

 not impossible, to dry them thoroughly, except by 

 kiln drying. Consumers, and to some extent grow- 

 ers, fail to distinguish the fact fully that there is a 



