THE MARKETING OF MIIX, FEEDS. 13 



WHAT THE COUNTRY FEED DEALER SHOULD KNOW. 



Practically every jobber and wholesale dealer in principal markets 

 issues quotation sheets regularly, some with greater frequency than 

 others. There is therefore no excuse for the country feed dealer not 

 keeping posted relative to the prices of the more active feeds. In the 

 case of feeds handled in comparatively small volume, such as red 

 dog, flour middlings, oat feed, etc., the careful feed dealer obtains 

 samples and quotations before placing his order because of the vast 

 difference in quality and the wide range in prices at which such com- 

 modities are offered. If a country feed dealer does not receive any 

 quotations and is in the market for a car of feed, he should write to 

 four or five representative dealers in distributing centers, describing 

 the kind of feed he desires, the approximate date it is wanted, size 

 of car, railroad delivery, and further particulars, and request that 

 delivered price be quoted and offerings be submitted. Upon receipt 

 of offerings the buyer, by comparing prices and conditions, is in a 

 position to determine which one best suits his needs. Prompt ac- 

 ceptance is essential. 



To select a particular shipment from any of the quotation sheets 

 he receives has at times proved to be an expensive proposition to the 

 buyer. A combination of local rates may be assessed because the 

 delivering carrier is not a participating carrier to the tariff under 

 which the shipment moved. Jobbers and wholesale dealers are fairly 

 familiar with traffic arrangements and do not knowingly apply on 

 contracts those shipments that can not be handled at the through rate 

 from point of shipment to destination. Nevertheless, instances have 

 occurred where through an oversight buyers made an improper selec- 

 tion and sellers refused to make good the excess freight charges 

 caused by the mistake, in spite of the fact that the buyer could not 

 be expected to be familiar on the date the sale was made with the 

 routing of the shipment as indicated on the bill of lading. The sell- 

 er's view in such instances is an arbitrary one, as it is commonly 

 understood that when a sale has been made on a delivered basis it is 

 incumbent upon the seller to see that a shipment is applied on the 

 contract which will make delivery at the fiat through rate. In other 

 words, the liability for all freight and other charges in such cases 

 rests with the seller. 



A knowledge of rules and regulations and of feeding values, par- 

 ticularly of compounded feeds, is as necessary to the successful con- 

 duct of the business of the country feed dealer as it is to that of 

 other feed distributors. While literature pertaining to these features 

 is readily obtainable, it is difficult for him to become familiar with 

 certain undesirable practices, except through experience. Many of 

 these practices, while not indulged in by reputable concerns, are com- 

 mitted frequently. 



The most common experience, one that puzzles most country feed 

 dealers, is that while on declining markets thejr find no difficulty 

 in supplying their needs from offerings sheets of jobbers and whole- 

 sale dealers, a rising market often brings a statement that the par- 

 ticular offering desired by them has been purchased by some other 

 dealer who wired in earlier that day. 



There is really nothing unusual about this, as most of the offerings 

 by jobbers and wholesale dealers are made subject to previous sale, 



