THE MARKETING OF MILL FEE] S. 13 
WHAT THE COUNTRY FEED DEALER SHOULD KNOW. 
Practically every jobber and wholesale dealer in principal markets 
issues quotation sheets regularly, some with greater frequency than 
others. There is therefore no excuse for the country feed dealer not 
keeping posted relative to the prices of the more active feeds. In the 
case ot feeds handled in comparatively small volume, such as red 
dog. flour middlings, oat feed. etc.. the careful feed dealer obtains 
samples and quotations before placing his order because of the vast 
difference in quality and the wide range in prices at which such com- 
modities are offered. If a country feed dealer does not receive any 
quotations and is in the market for a car of feed, he should write to 
four or five representative dealers in distributing centers, describing 
the kind of feed he desires, the approximate date it is wanted, size 
of car. railroad delivery, and further particulars, and request that 
delivered price be quoted and offerings be submitted. Upon receipt 
of offerings the buyer, by comparing prices and conditions, is in a 
position to determine which one best suits his needs. Prompt ac- 
ceptance is essential. 
To select a particular shipment from any of the quotation sheets 
he receives has at times proved to be an expensive proposition to the 
buyer. A combination of local rates may be assessed because the 
delivering carrier is not a participating carrier to the tariff under 
which the shipment moved. Jobbers and wholesale dealers are fairly 
familiar with traffic arrangements and do not knowingly apply on 
contracts those shipments that can not be handled at the through rate 
from point of shipment to destination. Nevertheless, instances have 
occurred where through an oversight buyers made an improper selec- 
tion and sellers refused to make good the excess freight charges 
caused by the mistake, in spite of the fact that the buyer could not 
be expected to be familiar on the date the sale was made with the 
routing of the shipment as indicated on the bill of lading. The sell- 
er's view in such instances is an arbitrary one. as it is commonly 
understood that when a sale has been made on a delivered basis it is 
incumbent upon the seller to see that a shipment is applied on the 
contract which will make delivery at the flat through rate. In other 
words, the liability for all freight and other charges in such cases 
rests with the seller. 
A knowledge of rules and regulations and of feeding value-, par- 
ticularly of compounded feeds, is as necessary to the successful con- 
duct of the business of the country feed dealer as it is to that of 
other feed distributors. While literature pertaining to these features 
is readily obtainable, it is difficult for him to become familiar with 
certain undesirable practices, except through experience. Many of 
these practices, while not indulged in by reputable concerns, are com- 
mitted frequently. 
The most common experience, one that puzzles most country feed 
dealers, is that while on declining markets they find no difficultv 
in supplying their needs from offerings sheets of jobbers and whole- 
sale dealers, a rising market often brings a statement that the par- 
ticular offering desired by them has been purchased by some other 
dealer who wired in earlier that day. 
There is really nothing unusual about this, as most of the offerings 
by jobbers and wholesale dealers are made subject to previous sale. 
