22 BULLETIN 1019, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



try; in fact, many growers think that buyers drive out for broom 

 corn only when they need it. While this idea may influence the 

 belief that the demand justifies holding for higher prices, it is not 

 necessarily true. A buyer may have any or all of the following con- 

 siderations in mind : 



The obtaining .of information on the quantities yet unsold and the general 

 qualit3 r . 



Opportunity of examining the brush at the time of baling, or before, in order 

 to determine the quality more accurately. 



Purchasing entire crops, whereas on street markets only a part probably 

 would be offered. 



More time for making careful examination of prospective purchases than 

 street markets afford. 



The obtaining of exceptionally good brush held off the street market. 



The purchase for future delivery on account of car shortage or in order to 

 secure uniform loading of cars. 



Field buying is practiced extensivel} 7 by traveling buyers. They 

 usually select some shipping point for headquarters close to the sec- 

 tion in which they wish to operate and drive from farm to farm. 

 The manner of dealing in the country for the most part is the same 

 as on a street market, except that there is more opportunity to ex- 

 change views relative to trades. All bales are carefully inspected 

 and enough brush " pulled " to form an opinion as to the quality. 



It is customary for a field buyer to make a bid. If the farmer 

 refuses the offer, the buyer seldom will let a bid " stand " good for 

 a later date. This leaves the transaction open — a condition that 

 invites the grower to see the buyer again before selling to some one 

 else. 



Buying broom corn by this method is usually expensive. In cer- 

 tain sections where Dwarf is grown the territory traveled covers a 

 wide area. Often only a few bales are obtained in one place or the 

 kinds wanted may be widely scattered. Or perhaps the price offered 

 is not inviting to growers and little is obtained. Sometimes several 

 buyers will traverse the same territory with practically the same 

 results before the crop is moved. 



Often, too, trouble is experienced in concentrating the broom corn 

 after it has been purchased. Some farmers sell, but later, on account 

 of higher bids, may not deliver, which means an extra trip into the 

 country to replace what is lacking on shipping day. Or the buyer 

 may have purchased a crop not yet baled, or an estimated quantity, 

 and if the market declines all of it and possibly some of a neighbor's 

 crop may be delivered. 



CONSIGNMENTS. 



The methods of consigning broom corn differ little from those 

 used with other farm products. It is shipped to a commission mer- 

 chant at a terminal market, who in turn finds a purchaser and remits 



