148 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [P. D. 4. 



repair; its workshop should be centrally located and specially 

 fitted and stocked for general repair work of tools and equip- 

 ment in stormy weather, and in pleasant weather it should 

 attend to the repair and construction work of the community, 

 beyond the farmer himself in ability or equipment. 



The matter of spraying for crops as well as weeds will be 

 much more effective if conducted by a crew especially trained 

 for that service, gaining economy in equipment, materials and 

 labor. This plan will tend to a good equipment for a few crops 

 instead of a poor equipment for many. 



There should be community storage. It is folly to expect 

 each producer will, can or should provide suitable storage for 

 his crops; the cost is unreasonable, prohibitive and wholly 

 unnecessary. It can be easily determined over what period a 

 crop is likely to be marketed, and central storage facilities pro- 

 vided at comparatively low cost to the individual. Every man 

 is vitally interested in this matter, for his product, under the 

 present system, must come in direct competition with similar 

 goods stored, packed and transported under all kinds of favor- 

 able and unfavorable conditions. 



Community storage will likewise change what is now a loss 

 into a profit. On every place, however large or small, there is 

 always a surplus of fruit or vegetables, which at present are 

 being wasted because not in suflBcient quantity to market. 

 With central storage these small lots will, together, be an 

 amount worth shipping. 



At this central house should be community packing. To 

 properly pack a commodity of any kind is a fine art, and to 

 pack for different markets requires special knowledge of the 

 conditions at destination, as well as the distance and means of 

 transportation. 



This central packing house will also help to remove a thorn 

 from the flesh of the producer universally referred to as "the 

 middleman's profit." 



Without defending any one I wish to say that much of the 

 expense between the producer and consumer is due not to the' 

 abnormal profits or dishonesty of any one handling the goods, 

 but to the system itself, much of which can be saved by the 

 method advised, and the chance of dishonesty greatly reduced. 



