BULLETIN 979, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF 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 Avas 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 
