2 BULLETIN 979, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 



The purpose of this bulletin is to describe the customs and prac- 

 tices prevailing in the various markets in order that producers and 

 others interested in the marketing of hay may know and under- 

 stand the conditions that must be met in the handling of that com- 

 modity. The information contained in this bulletin was obtained 

 from a survey covering practically the entire country, including 

 all of the important hay markets. 



Three rather well-defined agencies have grown up in the United 

 States for the marketing of hay. These are country shippers in 

 producing sections, dealers and commission merchants in terminal 

 markets, and wholesalers and retailers in consuming sections. The 

 activities of each of these agencies are fairly well defined and each 

 serves a particular purpose. Not all marketed hay passes through 

 all three of these agencies, but a large part of it does and the most 

 economical method of handling at this time, seems to be that which 

 employs one agency to collect the hay into shipping quantities, an- 

 other to locate the best markets and forward the hay to them, and 

 another to distribute in the quantities desired by the consumer. 

 Efforts have been made from time to time to eliminate one or more 

 of these agencies in order to lessen the cost of distribution, but 

 at this time the bulk of the hay is probably marketed by the method 

 just described, or some modification of it. 



COUNTRY SHIPPERS. 



The country shipper collects the different lots of marketable hay in 

 his territory into carload or shipping quantities. In large surplus 

 producing sections he may devote his whole time to this business, in 

 fact may own warehouses and employ several other men; in smaller 

 producing sections he may ship hay as a side line of some other 

 business. 



In grain-producing States the grain merchant is frequently the hay 

 shipper. In some sections the cattle buyer is the hay shipper. 

 Where the amount of hay shipped is not sufficient to pay a man to 

 devote his whole time to the business it is usually handled by a person 

 engaged in the marketing of some other important product of that 

 territory. It is also frequently true that the producer who raises 

 several carloads ships his own hay and possibly some of his neigh- 

 bors' hay. 



Individual producers, however, usually do not ship their own hay 

 unless they are close to a good market or unless they have a sufficient 

 amount to warrant spending the time and money necessary to locate 

 a buyer. The greatest difficulties that producers encounter in the 

 shipment of their own hay are the lack of information as to the grade 

 requirements and trade practices prevailing at the terminal markets 



