98 BULLETIN 1019, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
handicap to traveling buyers, who may wish to hold small purchase eS 
over longer periods than ordinarily needed to secure cars. Local 4 
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. ; 3 
It frequently happens during the busy mnie 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. E 
Such use of cars should be discouraged so long as the supply of rola ; 
stock is not equal to the general demand. 
TRANSPORTATION. 
In years past the bulk of broom corn was produced in New York, | 
Ohio, Hlinois, 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. | Be. 
With the emcepiae of the coastwise shipments from Galveston, the cd j 
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 © 
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