MARKETING HAY AT COUNTRY POINTS. ' 19 
Real value of a contract. — Notwithstanding all that has been said 
against contracts, there is real value in the contract method of 
marketing. A contract settles definitely the matter of the owner- 
ship of the hay as long as it is on the producer's premises. There- 
fore it is a valuable instrument, because it protects the shipper 
against loss or damage by water or fire until it is actually in his 
possession, and it actuates the producer to take good care of his 
crop until it is delivered. 
BUYING AND SELLING HAY BY GRADE ON THE FARM. 
Hay is not generally sold by grade on the farm, and until pro- 
ducers are educated to see the benefit of this practice it will not 
come into general use. Real selling of hay by grade on the farm 
takes place when the shipper makes the producer an offer for each 
grade that is likely to be found in the stack or barn when the hay is 
baled. As the hay comes from the press it should be sorted into 
grades before storing, so that when it is delivered a wagonload will 
be of one grade only. As each load is delivered a tally is kept of 
the number and weight of bales of each grade and payment is 
made accordingly. 
The reasons why this method of marketing is not in more general 
use to-day are: (1) It is a new method of doing business, and (2) 
many producers believe that the shipper always wants to get ahead 
of the producer by grading down the good hay. This theory is in 
general incorrect, because many shippers wish to make only a fair 
profit and are very anxious to use this method, as it does away with 
a great deal of loss caused by the old " guess " or " sight unseen " 
method. 
Instances have been noted where shippers buy the majority of 
their hay by grade on a written contract. To sell hay by grade on 
the farm it is necessary for the producer to have implicit confidence 
in the honesty of the shipper. It is also necessary that the shipper 
never abuse this confidence by grading the producer's hay carelessly. 
FACTORS WHICH PREVENT BUYING AND SELLING BY GRADE ON THE FARM. 
The one great outstanding factor that prevents the general adop- 
tion of the method of selling hay by grade on the farm is the lack 
of uniform grades. This lack affects both producer and shipper. 
The producer has no way at present of learning the true grades of 
hay. For instance, if a farmer grows timothy containing one-third 
of fine tame grasses and cuts and cures it properly, it may have a 
better color than good " standard " timothy, yet it will not bring as 
good a price as No. 2 timothy with a poorer color. 
The shipper at present grades his hay according to the way his 
receiver grades hay. That is, to one customer he is obliged to ship 
