MARKETING SOUTHERN-GROWN SWEET POTATOES. 39 
It is not only necessary to have organizations through which this can 
be financed by equitably distributing the cost in proportion to sales, 
but is also necessary to maintain a high standard of quality in the 
product. 
Until there is a decided improvement in the handling, grading, 
packing, and shipping of southern sweet potatoes the wisdom of 
an expenditure of a large sum of money to advertise the product is 
questionable. However, there are comparatively inexpensive forms 
of advertising which should be employed, such as exhibits at fairs, 
the distribution of attractively prepared booklets of recipes, and the 
preparation and use of publicity material. Some shippers inclose 
in each package shipped a circular or booklet which describes the 
merits of moist-fleshed varieties and the superior keeping quality of 
kiln-dried stock. These usually contain recipes used by southern 
cooks. Considerable publicity has been made possible through the 
cooperation of such agencies and institutions as agricultural colleges, 
departments of agriculture, chambers of commerce, railroads, and 
fair associations. 
BRAND ADVERTISING. 
A number of large sweet-potato shippers, distributors, and co- 
operative marketing organizations have adopted brands and are 
advertising them to a limited extent. This advertising is mainly 
directed to the fruit and vegetable trade, and the mediums used are 
trade journals. Cooperative associations customarily deduct, or 
have the authority to deduct, a certain amount per package for adver- 
tising purposes, so that each member contributes according to the 
amount of business handled for his account. In a few cities street- 
car signs, newspapers, and other mediums have been used to advertise 
brands to the consumer, largely as an experiment. In one city in 
which several thousand dollars were spent in an intensive preholiday 
campaign it was demonstrated that the difficulties in marketing south- 
ern varieties are mainly in the producing section. While sales were 
made for future delivery at more than twice the current market price 
for southern stock, the campaign failed because the shippers did not 
deliver either the quantity or the quality sold. 
A brand is a distinctive identifying mark, usually a design that 
contains an attractive, catchy name for the product and the name of 
the organization using it. Brand advertising indirectly benefits the 
entire industry, but is intended primarily to create or stimulate a 
demand for the product of a certain group or a particular sales agency. 
The appearance of a brand on a package is intended to indicate 
quality, and unless it is used in connection with a standardized product 
the purpose for which it is intended is defeated. The brand should 
be painted, stenciled, stamped, or gummed labels should be affixed, 
only on those packages which conform to the standard represented 
by it. A brand should be a guarantee of quality, a trade-mark, and 
should be registered for the protection of its owners. Information 
relative to registration may be obtained from the Commissioner of 
Patents, Patent Office, Washington, D. C. 
COOPERATIVE MARKETING. 
The development of cooperative marketing associations among 
sweet-potato growers should bring about improvement in growing, 
handling, grading, storing, and selling the crop. The directors of an 
