11 



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

 method advised, and the chance of dishonesty greatly reduced. 



Having the storage houses the producer will keep control of 

 the goods, so that there will be no reported sales on a rising 

 market or delayed sales on a falling market. No plan has yet 

 been devised to successfully avoid the middleman, and it will 

 be far wiser to work with him. Few commission houses have 

 facilities for handling and keeping the goods under favorable 

 conditions. The producer's storage facilities should be used by 

 the brokers, saving rert, repacking and clerical work, as well 

 as quality loss. They would have a larger stock from which 

 to select and less competition among themselves, at least, the 

 competition would not center around the goods being sold, but 

 would be based on service rendered. It will save self-competi- 

 tion. Very frequently a shipper will send goods to several 

 brokers in the same market, and thus they are bidding against 

 each other on his goods. Fill the broker's order from the 

 storage house nearest the purchaser. 



A purchasing department should be located at this central 

 packing house. A trained buyer will save his expenses several 

 times over, even for a small group of farmers. Buying in bulk 

 is a small item compared to finding stock articles to replace 

 specialties, or to finding a ready-made tool for a particular 

 service. 



The next step is joint shipping, which, properly developed, 

 will save freight, breakage, packing, loss in transit and avoid 

 a surplus in any market. There are distinct advantages in 

 quantity shipping. Many producers desire to distribute their 

 crop during the entire season, or have less than a carload, or 

 after loading have a remainder, in all of which instances, by 

 uniting with other producers, as can effectively be done only 

 with a central packing house, it is possible to match lots so as 

 to load a car of the same grade and quality of product. 



At present, and probably for some time in the future, ship- 

 ments will be made regardless of like goods sent to the same 

 market from other places. The individual shipper cannot afford 

 the expense, nor has he the facilities to watch shipments, but 

 the community department can keep closely in touch with the 

 various markets within his reach, as well as shipping points, so 



