1911. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
42 7 
CO-OPERATIVE MARKETING. 
No. 2. 
Co-operation will overcome the difficulties with 
which the grower has to contend, just in proportion 
to the willingness of the members to stand by their 
association and the strength which it attains. The 
greatest difficulty which is found in effective co-opera¬ 
tion is the education of its members to realization of 
the magnitude of the difficulties which are to be re¬ 
moved, and to get their loyal and strong support. 
What is needed in order to clean up the crooked com¬ 
mission business is a strong central organization. 
Dealers are already co-operating for the purpose of 
aiding their members in getting proper treatment from 
receivers and railroads. In the first place it must be 
admitted, that before demanding a square deal from 
others, we must first give the square deal 
ourselves, and that means the growing 
of such products as the consumer desires, 
honestly packing them, and never in any 
way using deception as to quantity, qual¬ 
ity or condition. Here is where the local 
co-operative association will render great 
service. It is not possible for a single 
individual, unless doing business on a 
very large scale, to establish a reputation 
on large markets, but it is readily accom¬ 
plished by a number of producers work¬ 
ing together. The common packing¬ 
house to which the products are deliv¬ 
ered direct from the field is indispen¬ 
sable if a standard of excellence is to be 
attained; for here crops out one of the 
worst of human weaknesses. Few are 
so impartial that they are capable, no 
matter how honest, of properly assorting, 
and giving the benefit of all doubts to 
the higher quality. In the packing-house 
grades are established to which all must 
conform, and everyone gets that to 
which his product is entitled. Here is 
developed the spirit of friendly rivalry; 
if a producer finds others have products 
which pack up better, giving a higher 
percentage of fancy grade, he immediate¬ 
ly tries to bring up the standard of his 
own productions. 
When the goods are packed uniform¬ 
ly and stamped with the guarantee of the 
association that they are alike through¬ 
out the package, a reputation is soon 
established, which is a great asset, and 
will constantly grow more valuable if 
the high standard is maintained. At the 
packing-house several kinds of produce 
may be put in a car and shipped direct 
to the jobber, in the smaller towns, there¬ 
by realizing better prices and delivering 
the goods in a better and fresher con¬ 
dition than when reshipped from larger 
centers. Again, many producers, if 
working independently, do not have 
enough to make full cars, and therefore 
have to pay higher freight and get poorer 
service. While the individual members 
may not learn what the consumer de¬ 
sires, the officers of the association, if 
they are alert, will spare no effort to 
learn what will best suit the consumer, 
and endeavor to get such products 
grown and delivered to them satisfac¬ 
torily. 
As shown by the instances where peo¬ 
ple could not get good New York State 
apples, at Rochester, right in the heart 
of the apple district, the home or nearby 
demands were overlooked in the eager¬ 
ness of the grower and shipper to get 
their product to the larger markets. 
Very often shipments are sent through 
towns which could use the goods much 
better than the large markets to which they are con¬ 
signed and would gladly pay much better prices. A 
co-operative association can examine the market con¬ 
ditions closely and take advantage of them. A friend 
of the writer who had several cars of potatoes to 
market, went to a small town in Pennsylvania a year 
ago, and found he could sell his potatoes at 60 cents 
per bushel. He had them shipped on and disposed of 
his crop, so he netted about 50 cents after paying 
freight; he tried to get others to let him sell theirs, but 
they would not, and afterwards took 20 cents. At the 
time he sold his own crop he could have got 35 
cents at home. Co-operation here might have disposed 
of many cars to good advantage. It hardly seems 
necessary to go more at length into the benefits that 
may be derived from co-operative marketing, but con¬ 
sider the question of what will be required in organiz¬ 
ing, and the difficulties which must be overcome, and 
here again we come to the human aspect involved in 
our undertaking. 
It is said that it takes all kinds to make a world, but 
it does not require all kinds to make a successful co¬ 
operative association. If a few kinds could only be 
removed to a good distance such institutions would 
thrive much better. The first thing required is good 
leadership, and if several who will work unselfishly, 
will work together, it will be much easier. Those who 
solicit for membership will be asked all sorts of ques¬ 
tions, and meet with many difficulties, but the easiest 
way to overcome them is to incorporate as soon as 
enough, who are competent to fill the offices, and act 
as directors, have subscribed, as it will be found much 
easier to get subscriptions to a living, working, insti¬ 
tution than to a prospective institution. A corporation 
couraging, but they should not be, for it only shows 
they are doing something; they should go right ahead, 
ever preaching the truth of co-operation and aiming 
always for the highest ideals and success will surely 
follow. When the organization is completed a careful 
study should be made of the methods which have been 
adopted by the successful institutions, and not allow 
the whims and caprices of the inexperienced to enter 
in. Adopt the best business methods; insist that all 
members shall be used exactly alike, whether rich or 
poor, black or white; allow absolutely no special priv¬ 
ileges. c. R. WHITE. 
ALL HANDS IN THE POTATO PATCH. ' Fig. 142. 
A VERY IMPORTANT LITTLE DAIRY WOMAN. Fig. 143. 
WHERE TO PUT THE FARM MANURE. 
I wish to speak a work through The R. N.-Y. 
against what seems to me a' poor practice in the appli¬ 
cation of the farm manure. We fail 
often enough in the proper saving of 
this valuable fertilizer, yet it seems to 
me we make a serious mistake when 
we spread the stable manure on too 
small area. In strict justice to our 
fields the manure resulting from the 
feeding of a' crop should be returned to 
the field producing it before it is asked 
to produce another. In practice we 
cannot always do this, so it seems that 
on farms where a rotation of crops is 
practiced, bringing in one or more of 
the legumes, an economical disposition 
of the manure is made when spread 
upon the clover sod preceding the corn 
crop, and here is the gist of the matter. 
The manure should be spread on all 
the field with the possible exception of 
the very richest spots. This will result 
in all the tilled land receiving an appli¬ 
cation of manure every third or fourth 
year, depending on the length of the ro¬ 
tation. I have observed a practice among 
neighbor farmers of putting all, or almost 
all, the stable manure on one or two 
small truck patches, thus robbing 10 or 
20 acres for the benefit of one or two. 
In noting the rapid improvement of the 
favored plots, we seem to overlook the 
just as rapid depletion that is bound to 
occur in the productive power of the 
larger fields when this is made the rule 
for a series of years. 
Ohio. A. S. PHELPS. 
R- N.-Y.—That is very sensible. It is 
the plan advocated in “Chemicals and 
Clover”—putting all the manure on each 
year’s corn crop and practically all the 
. fertilizer on the potatoes. It often hap¬ 
pens that a few acres in fruit or truck 
pay very well, and of course such land 
needs extra supplies of plant food. They 
should be supplied as an extra outside 
the regular farm supply. 
FALL BEARING STRAWBERRIES AND PLANTS. Fig. 144 
can be formed with a capital stock of $500 or over; 
$500 at least must be paid in in cash or property be¬ 
fore the corporation may assume any liability, and 
one-half of the capital stock must be paid in within 
one year from date of incorporation, according to the 
laws of New York State. Those who are posted and 
full of public spirit will enter into the work with a 
will, being content to derive their benefits as they 
will naturally accrue to all alike, and will be found 
ready to do what they can to promote the interest 
of the institution and to defend it against the attacks 
which will surely be made by those who will or who 
imagine they will, be injured by the association, and 
by that useless class who habitually hang around pub¬ 
lic places looking for chances to pick flaws and peddle 
gossip which will be, nearly always, of a defamatory 
nature. To the beginner these things will be very dis- 
SOME PROMISING YOUNG STOCK 
Our pictures this week show some of 
the best stock that a farmer can possibly 
raise or bring up. Fig. 143 shows us a 
view on the lawn of Sunset View Farm 
in Michigan. Here is stock that is hard 
to beat. The little one is not only hold¬ 
ing the white heifer, but can help take 
care of the baby. 
At Fig. 144 a picture of the children 
of L. J. Farmer, Oswego Co., N. Y., 
picking or packing Fall-bearing straw¬ 
berries. This picture- was taken last 
September and shows the berries and the 
plants as they grow in that locality. 
Fig. 142 is a Pennsylvania scene. This 
farmer is growing a big crop of potatoes, 
and it has become pretty much a family 
affair, with all hands having a chance to work. We 
should consider it an unfortunate farm on which 
there were no children, or at least pleasant memories 
of them. It is a beautiful thing to have the little 
ones take an interest in the work. 
Many questions reach us about a famous “chain 
letter” which is being sent to our readers. This let¬ 
ter calls for 500,000 canceled stamps to be sent to a 
school in Australia. The Post Office Department at 
Washington tells us that no legitimate use can be made 
of such stamps. This “chain letter” was started years 
ago and apparently died out. Now it has started up 
once more, and should be broken off. Do not under 
any circumstance keep this “chain” going. Break it 
by refusing to write the letters. You do far more 
harm than good by keeping it up. 
