MARKETING LIVE STOCK IN THE SOUTH. 7 



head bought paid for the time spent in the transaction and all costs 

 of making the shipment, including shrinkage on the original 19 head. 

 It is generally considered that conditions which will be favorable 

 to the organization of associations for shipping stock cooperatively 

 in the South must be developed gradually. Until live stock is pro- 

 duced in the South in sufficient quantities to warrant shipping organ- 

 izations for the purpose, a very simple plan of cooperative shipping 

 in which several farmers combine their stock to make up carload 

 lots for shipment may be followed. Many associations in the North 

 have resulted from such a plan and undoubtedly shipping associa- 

 tions in the South will be formed largely in this manner. 



TENNESSEE LAMB AND WOOL MARKETING CLUBS. 



Lamb and wool marketing clubs have been in successful operation 

 in Tennessee for more than 25 years. They were the outcome of 

 unsatisfactory marketing conditions in the lamb-producing sections 

 of Tennessee. The plan originated at Goodletsville, where there is a 

 club with a membership of 50 persons living within a radius of 3 

 miles from the shipping stations, and its success has prompted 

 farmers in other sections of Tennessee to organize in a similar manner. 



The organization of these clubs is comparatively simple. The 

 officers consist of a president and a secretary-treasurer, who, with 

 three other members, form an executive committee, the chairman of 

 which is the secretary-treasurer. The annual meeting for the elec- 

 tion of officers is held early in the spring, that each member may 

 report the number of lambs and the amount of wool that he will 

 have to sell. 



The secretary-treasurer advertises for sealed bids on the lambs 

 owned by the club. The advertisement indicates the number, grade, 

 and quality of the lambs and the date shipment will be made. The 

 lambs are then sold at the shipping point to the highest bidder, the 

 executive committee reserving the privilege of rejecting all bids in 

 case they seem too low. On the shipping date the executive commit- 

 tee is on hand to grade the lambs brought in by each farmer. All 

 lambs not up to the advertised standard are returned to the farmer, 

 who either holds them over for some future shipment or sells them 

 at a sacrifice. This has the beneficial influence of training the 

 owners to deliver only those lambs which will come within the 

 grades advertised by the committee. 



The day for the wool sale is advertised, that bidders may be on 

 hand to see the fleeces, which are graded into No. 1, clear ; No. 2, 

 slightly burry; No. 3, burry; and No. 4, hard burry. Each grade is 

 weighed, and sealed bids are received by the committee, which also 

 reserves the privilege of rejecting all bids. 



The farmer who owns a small flock of ewes has the same advan- 

 tage in marketing his lambs as the large producer. Expenses are 



