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



handicap to traveling buyers, who may wish to hold small purchases 

 over longer periods than ordinarily needed to secure cars. Local 

 dealers avoid this trouble by having the broom corn hauled to points 

 where they have storage. At most shipping points the available 

 storage ranges from 5 to 20 cars in capacity and is owned largely 

 by local dealers. 



At Lindsay, Okla., facilities are available for handling about 300 

 cars. The warehouses are used chiefly for handling the broom corn 

 bought by the firms who own them. They also store temporarily for 

 others, the handling charges being $5 per ton, which includes storage 

 for 30 days. Patrons carry their own insurance. During the busy 

 marketing season the storage there is entirely inadequate, and when 

 buyers are not able to obtain cars they often pile the bales on the 

 ground. This has proved a costly venture at times, as rains there 

 are frequent and severe and very damaging to the fine pea-green 

 quality marketed in that section. 



It frequently happens during the busy marketing season of broom 

 corn that cars serve as temporary storage. At congested shipping 

 centers the arrival of a few " empties " is often the occasion of 

 arguments among dealers to determine prior shipping rights. To 

 obtain a car is particularly advantageous, since loading can be begun 

 and the car held, even on demurrage, until filled. By putting a few 

 bales in, a dealer obtains grounds for an argument for a prior right 

 and often this is done intentionally where cars are difficult to obtain. 

 Such use of cars should be discouraged so long as the supply of rolling 

 stock is not equal to the general demand. 



TRANSPORTATION. 



In years past the bulk of broom corn was produced in New York, 

 Ohio, Illinois, and others of the more densely populated States, and 

 manufacturers found it practicable to operate in the producing areas. 

 Since then production has shifted west and transportation has 

 necessarily become one of the big factors in its marketing. Approxi- 

 mately 5,000 cars find their way from producing sections to the 

 various States. A portion of the crop goes to the west coast and 

 some to Cuba, but the greater part moves east. 



With the exception of the coastwise shipments from Galveston, the 

 crop is handled by rail, and since broom corn is not perishable the 

 crop moves in box cars by slow freight. 



METHODS OF LOADING AT COUNTRY POINTS. 



Figure 5 illustrates the method of loading cars from wagons. 

 Where warehouses are not available farmers after weighing, drive 

 directly to the cars. The buyer usually hires two extra men and 

 the grower completes the crew. After " up-ending " the bales 



