MARKETS AND MARKETING 253 



justed many complaints of shippers of agricultural 

 produce, although, of course, it cannot make regula- 

 tions or provide facilities that are not reasonably 

 warranted by the freight to be handled. 



Less than a quarter of tlie products of the farm 

 are ever carried by railroad or other long-distance 

 method of transport. They are hauled to the adja- 

 cent towns and cities and are used locally. They are 

 liauled on the highways. The first movement from 

 the farm is over the country roads and the cost of 

 transportation from tlie farm to the station or to the 

 local point of consumption may easily be as much as 

 the freight cost to a remote market because of the 

 small load that can bo carried. The character of the 

 rural highways plays a large part in the marketing of 

 produce, and also in returning supplies to the farm. 



The average haul of farm products to market l)y 

 wagon was found by a special investigation by the 

 United States Department of Agriculture to be seven 

 and three-tenths miles. The average cost a ton to get 

 to market for eleven important crops was one dollar 

 and ninety cents. The cost a ton for a mile of 

 transportation was twenty-six cents. The cost of 

 railroad freight a ton mile was at tlie same time from 

 one to two cents. Both figures would be much higher 

 at this date. These facts emphasize the importance 

 of rural highways in the problem of getting produce 

 to market. The length of haul, the cost a ton and the 

 cost to the ton-mile in N"ew York as determined by 

 the United States Department of Agriculture in 1907 

 were as follows : 



