218 A YEAR IN AGRICULTURE 



hold products for the month when the market prices of 

 the products are the highest. The United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, "Washington, D. C., sends free on re- 

 quest the Crop Reporter, and this publication is of great 

 value in all marketing of farm products. The question of 

 marketing is how to sell, whether to sell direct to the con- 

 sumer or to commission men and distributing agencies. Direct 

 marketing of farm products is likely to develop only through 

 cooperation and farm organization. "When farmers and con- 

 sumers are properly organized, direct buying and selling can 

 be carried on and some of the unnecessary costs of handling 

 eliminated. Express companies and the parcel-post system 

 are doing effective leadership in some localities in bringing 

 producers and consumers together in retail marketing. Grain 

 elevator companies and large truck and fruit farmers have 

 solved some of the problems of marketing by pooling their 

 interests together and selling through their own paid agents. 

 Products should never be sent to an unknown commission 

 man. "Whatever the system of marketing may be, certain 

 principles should always be observed in making the selling 

 of farm products a success. The goods should be honestly 

 graded, measured, and labeled. The products to be sold in 

 small quantities should be put up in clean, neat, and attractive 

 packages, and a reputation should be established for the sale 

 of first-class plant or animal products. When these principles 

 are followed, the market seeks out the farmer, and his suc- 

 cess is more certain. 



Farm records and accounts. Every farmer keeps some 

 simple account of his business, if it is nothing more than 



