X. TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE FACILITIES AS 

 FACTORS IN THE MARKETING OF FARM PRODUCTS 



QUESTIONS 



i. Is there a complete analogy between the railroad's charging 

 what different classes of traffic will bear and the farmer's incurring 

 transportation costs proportionate to the value of his product ? 



2. Does charging according to value of service and according to 

 cost of service produce approximately similar rates in the case of 

 railroad traffic ? ocean carriers ? 



3. Do farmers gauge their outlays upon road-building in accord- 

 ance with the value of the products to be hauled ? 



4. Explain the principal steps by which the exportation of agricul- 

 tural products of the Mississippi was made practicable and profitable. 

 What effect did this have upon prices in the Middle West ? in Mas- 

 sachusetts ? in England ? 



5. Explain how both the supply and the demand side of the market 

 for cantaloupes are affected by the development of cheap refrigerated 

 transportation from the Far West. Do low railroad rates harm or 

 benefit the eastern farmer ? 



6. What would be the effect upon city milk prices if our railroads 

 were swept out of existence ? What effect has the building of electric 

 lines had on milk prices ? Explain both cases. 



7. Would the additional work needed to take proper care of the 

 eggs on the average Mississippi Valley farm be an expenditure of 

 labor under conditions of diminishing or increasing returns ? Might 

 it be sometimes one and sometimes the other ? Check your answer 

 against the figures in Agricultural Economics on p. 579 showing 

 monthly distribution of losses from bad eggs. 



8. Explain the method of buying eggs "loss off" and its effect 

 upon the egg business. 



9. Is the local creamery's method of buying milk according to 

 butter-fat test and selling the product co-operatively suited to the 

 marketing of eggs also ? Is this method in actual use ? 



10. Does every improvement in the transportation system, such 

 as quicker service, lower rates, or better refrigeration, tend to move 

 the field of production still farther from the consumer ? Is this result 

 desirable or even tolerable ? Explain. 



n. Give a brief account of the method by which cars are refriger- 

 ated. See what you can find out about pre-cooling methods. 



12. How do you explain the fact that the average wagon haul was 

 shorter in 191 5 than it was in 1906 ? How much shorter was it ? 



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