MARKETING FARM PRODUCE. 141 



acid to the space between the claws. Make them raw by draw- 

 ing a coarse rag between them and then tie them up with tar. 

 The great difficulty is to prevent the disease from spreading, 

 and in order to do that' you must guard carefully against dirt. 



Mr. Morton. One of my neighbors, who would not use the 

 milk for anything else, thinking that nothing would poison a 

 hog, gave it to his hogs, and they are in the same predicament 

 with the cattle. 



Professor Law. Yes, sir. All animals with cloven feet are 

 especially liable to it. 



The Chairman. I hope it will teach him more respect for 

 his hogs. They are entitled to it. 



MARKETS FOR THE FARMER. 



BY AVKRY P. SLADE. 



Having been appointed to open the discussion this afternoon, 

 in order that I may not weary your patience, I have decided to 

 be exceedingly brief. 



Experience teaches that the free and universal expression of 

 opinion by an audience, on a subject in which they all have a 

 common interest, is the safest way to arrive at practical results. 

 I feel assured that every farmer present feels the importance of 

 improving his system of marketing his surplus produce, and I 

 have no doubt that many present have important suggestions to 

 make, or matured plans, which in the course of this discussion 

 they will present to this meeting. Farmers are often undecided 

 as to what crop will be in the best demand and bring the 

 greatest price. 



I believe as a general thing they decide in the fall what crops 

 they will grow the ensuing year. And they are more or less 

 governed by ruling prices, and those articles which from scarcity 

 or other causes bring the highest prices at that time, are selected 

 to be grown another year. The consequence is natural and ob- 

 vious: the following year finds the market overstocked with that 

 particular kind of produce and at prices ruinously low. In times 

 past, when from drought or other causes there was a partial failure 

 of any particular crop, we derived consolation- by repeating the 

 old saying, that a half crop would sell for as much as a whole 

 one. • 



This was true to a certain extent before the age of railroads. 



