MARKETING GRAIN AT COUNTRY POINTS. Sal 
elevator manager guards against price fluctuations and obtains an 
equitable rate of interest on the capital involved by purchasing the 
grain on a relatively wide margin, which means a correspondingly 
low price to the producer. 
, It would seem, therefore, that producers should seek to exert some 
| cooperative effort to standardize the varieties, types, and color of 
grain produced in a community. Such an endeavor, if consummated, 
undoubtedly would yield satisfactory financial returns for the effort 
involved. It is quite likely that the standardization of the grain 
produced in a community would result in a reputation for uniform 
quality, which at times commands a premium over general market 
prices. 
FARM AND ELEVATOR SCALES. 
One of the causes of considerable misunderstanding between the 
elevator manager and the farmer is the use of unreliable scales. Ele- 
vator scales should be kept in good repair and tested frequently or 
checked up by comparison with standard weights. In some States 
the testing is done by an inspector employed by the State or the 
railroads, while in other places the work is performed by a man in 
the employ of the State Grain Dealers’ Association. In both cases 
the inspector is subject to call bv dealers, who are assessed a standard 
fee for services rendered. Some grain dealers, however, do not take 
advantage of the opportunity to ascertain the reliability of their 
_ scales. - 
7 IMPORTANCE OF ACCURATE ELEVATOR WEIGHTS. 
Many dealers assume that their scales are correct, although they 
may not have been examined for several years. The scales should be 
located properly and when doubt exists regarding the accuracy of 
-an elevator’s weights, the scales should be tested every six months or 
at least once a year, before the heavy crop-moving season. Farmers 
may well inquire when and by whom the scales were last examined. 
If more interest were manifested in scale inspection and accurate 
weights generally, there is little doubt that elevator managers would 
give the subject more consideration. 
LOSSES DUE TO INACCURATE SCALES. 
The efficient manager, however, is always anxious to keep his 
scales in good repair and capable of giving accurate weights, be- 
cause a business can not be conducted economically unless he can 
ascertain the exact amount of grain received and shipped out. 
- Losses from inaccurate scales may fall upon the elevator as well 
