30 BULLETIN 979, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



These practices cause enormous losses from time to time and help 

 to increase the spread in prices between those paid to the producer 

 and those paid by the consumer. Many losses could be prevented by 

 trade organizations if regulations for outshipments of hay were made 

 similar to those now in effect for inshipments. Too many markets 

 seem to be pursuing the short-sighted policy of making regulations 

 which do not give proper consideration to those shipping to the mar- 

 ket and those buying from it, with the result that both producers and 

 consumers are now greatly interested in perfecting some marketing 

 agency that will eliminate the large central markets which allow 

 unfair practices. 



MOVEMENT TO MARKET. 



By far the greatest part of the hay which moves to large markets is 

 by rail. However, the amount being transported by auto trucks is 

 constantly increasing. At several of the large eastern markets, in- 

 cluding Baltimore and Philadelphia, the amount of hay received by 

 truck is almost, if not equal, to that received by rail. This condition 

 is subject to change because only hay from neighboring sections can 

 be marketed by truck and the supply of this hay may be very limited 

 some seasons. Hay is also shipped by boat on inland rivers, but in 

 small lots making up a very small percentage of the total amount 

 shipped. The difficulty and expense of getting the hay to or from the 

 boat, and of finding warehouse space to store the hay until sold, are 

 the principal disadvantages of shipping hay by water. There are 

 practically no facilities for loading hay from the boat to cars and 

 hence but little reshipping can be done. 



At practically all markets shipments arriving are placed in outside 

 or hold yards and the consignee is notified. At some terminal mar- 

 kets, however, the various railroads have designated certain tracks 

 or yards as hay tracks or hay yards and place all hay arriving over 

 their lines at these locations. Where special hay tracks have been 

 provided, arrangements are made in some markets whereby the cars 

 are placed immediately on the special tracks. At others the con- 

 signee must surrender the bill of lading and order the cars to the 

 destination desired. 



At Cincinnati a special yard has been leased by the grain and hay 

 exchange and arrangements have been made by which cars from all 

 roads are placed in this yard for sale. A joint railroad agent is 

 stationed at the yards and bills of lading need not be surrendered 

 until the cars are sold and ready to be reconsigned. A switching 

 charge of $3 is made by the road placing the cars in this special yard, 

 but this charge is borne by the inbound carrier if the revenue is $10 

 or more per car. At most other markets no charge is made for plac- 



