Published by 
The Rural Publishing Co. 
333 W. 30th Street 
New York 
The Rural New-Yorker 
The Business Farmer’s Paper 
Weekly, One Dollar Per Year 
Postpaid 
Single Copies, Five Cents 
Von. LXXVII. NEW YORK, APRIL Rl. lOlS No. 4477. 
Result of Grading New Jersey Potatoes 
Making a Standard Market Product 
ETTING TOGETHER—The Mercer County, 
NeAV Jersey, Potato Growers’ Association, 
which proved last year (its fu*st year) to be such 
a success, was fonned as the outcome of the desire 
of a few iocal growers to market thedr potatoes to 
Letter advantage. Although New Jersey potatoes 
hold such an unde.sirable place in the general mar¬ 
ket, these growers knew that the stock grown in 
Mercer County equalled that grown anywliere in the 
country, so, after some delay and much hard work, 
an ass*ociatiion was formed through Avhicli all the 
potatoes grown by these men w’ere graded and sold 
direct to the consumers. Two or three of the men, 
leaders in the work of the assoc-iation, were willing 
at the beginning to push with vigor any feasible 
pian for co-operation in grading and selling, but 
much dilliculty was experienced in getting others to 
l>lo<lge their crops. Many liad experienced an actual 
loss two years ago, when several carloads of graded 
])otatoes Avere sold through one of the largest 
farmers’ selling organizations in Noav Jersey. Then, 
by us would consider the job even for an exorbitant 
salary unless guaranteed work and pay for a longer 
period. We luckily persuaded the junior meml)er of 
a local firm, Avhich had handle<i the major portion 
of the potato business at our town for several years, 
to accept the job at a moderate salary. Although 
our manager came to us Avith no experience in actual 
selling, he had Avorked for his father for three 
jears, and had learned much that proved valuable 
to him and to the association later. We talked 
frankly Avith him at the start, and gave him all the 
responsibility of the selling of our potatoes. He 
wa.s answerable, of c(>urse, at all times to our ex- 
ecuth-e board, or rather to every member of the 
association, for his actions, though lie Avas made 
to undei-stand that this authority would not be exer¬ 
cised unless something Avent Avrong. In other words, 
he Avas told “to make good,” unhampered by the 
members of the association ho AVorked for. I be¬ 
lieve that much of the success of our association 
was due to the co-partnershiii betAVCon the members 
and the manager and among the mombe'rs them- 
s<'lv(‘s. The membership Avas localized, so that all 
the men either met together or talked oA'cr the tele- 
above the market, and a loss avrs experienctxl on 
only one day—^three cents per bushel. Our No. U 
U. S. Standard stock usually brought us an average 
of within 10 cents a bushel of the street price for 
hand-graded and lield-run ixitatoe.s. This Avas e.spe- 
cially pleasing to tho memb(‘r.s. as “seconds” brought 
in by farmers to the local dealers did not bring half 
the price of our U. S. Standard No. 2s. 
GRAOfNG.—All of our stock Avas Inspected by a 
government employee obtained through the Rui'eau 
of Markets. This made for uniform grading and 
helped put stability into our organization at the 
Aory beginning. 'I'he inspection Avas so strict that, 
aHhough we had the usual kick from the deah'r 
AAho bought our .stock on a declining market, not a 
car was turned doAvn during the Avhole shii>ping 
season. The Boggs grader Avas ustal, and the ma- 
lority of the potatoes graded at the cai-s. Nont' 
Avere graded in the fields, mostly becau.se of iu;i- 
Lility to liaA'e proper inspection there. Sevei'al car¬ 
loads Avere graded in cellars or buildings near the 
(lid of the !<eason. 
T)l'7r.MLS OF TIIK WORK.—During the sea.son 
many dhliculties had to be adjusted or overcome. 
too, some of us were losing money every year by 
grading by hand (not U. S. Standard) and selling 
tlirough the local dealers, Avho paid us little or no 
more than other growers who .sold "field nin” 
potatoes. 
THE BEGINNING.—Vv''e held four meetin.gs to 
discuss plans for an organizaaon, to which all grow- 
ei*s Avere invited. \'ery little interest was mani¬ 
fested, and the acreage pledged to suppoi-t a move¬ 
ment of this kind Avas practically nothing. Never- 
iheless, .six more meetings Avere held in the homes 
of the dozen men Avho seemed interested, and at the 
last meeting held in my hou.se an organization Avas 
formed called the Mercer County Potato GroAvers’ 
A.ssociation. All present (seven) signed as mem¬ 
bers, pledging their crops, and tsAm more interested 
growers AA'ere admitted the folloAving day. We took 
immediate steps toAvard incorporation AUider the laAvs 
ol our State, and began selling Avithin a month, 
marketing .1144,000 Avorth of potatoes. 
SELECTING A MANAGER.— The first hard prob¬ 
lem Avas the selection of a manager. Most of our 
j)otatoes are sx>ld from the iield as .soon as they 
dug, so that our selling season lasts only al)out three 
iQonths a year. Very feAA' good men Avhen approached 
Gradinff and f^aclcing Potatoes in the Field. Fig. 212 
phone everj day, and every member avjis in daily 
consultation AA’ith tho manager. The time and en¬ 
ergy put into our a.ssociation daily hy the combined 
member.^hip Avoi-kiug in unity Avith the manager is 
Acliat really made a success of our enterprise. 
CNITEl) WORK. — It is my belief that many other 
similar co-oi)erative organizations may be success¬ 
fully foiaued if the members aa’III put hard, united 
Avork on their individual problems. In most ca.ses 
the .smaller association Avill AVork out better tlian the 
larger one, as, although the latter may Im able 
financially to do larger things it must necessarily 
lack the success obtainal>le only through the active 
intei-ests of a small localized membeivsliip, the im¬ 
portance of Avhich cannot be overestimated. Our 
association Avas able at the beginning to net only 
a fcAV cents til)ovo the general market “on the 
.street” in our home toAvn. hut in a .short time Ave 
wore able to iiud a ina.rket for our U. S. Stamhird 
graded ])otatoes to factoiT-buying organizations, and 
.so Ave ended the season Avith a good profit. 
PRICES AND RESULTS.-1 find upon looking 
are over our I’ccords that aao netted for the season a 
gain over street prices in our toAvn of 18 cents per 
bushel. The hig’aest net gain Avas SO cents a bushel 
For instance, because of the lack of building sirace, 
the membei's Avho had tlnnr potatoes graihal .at the 
cars Avere obliged to cart home the No. 2 culls and 
dirt. This caused general complaint, so that for 
the coming year arrangements are being perfected 
for the use of a building large enough to imstall a 
poAver grader and to accommodate the No. 2 potatoes 
until suilicient have accumulated to fill cans. Then 
there Avas the matter of bookkcAopiug. Our mana.ger 
liad so much to do that the books Avere not always 
properly kept, and straight(niing them out caused 
u:uch dissatisfaction and a great deal of hard AA'ork. 
t)ne of the Aveakest points in farmers’ organizations 
seems to be the careless manner in Avhich the ac¬ 
counts are kept, and so I AA'ould strongly advise nenv 
associations to have all their books audited by com¬ 
petent authorities, even if the cost is considerable. 
More easily to obtain the benefits of this service, the 
Merchjr Gounty Potato GroAvers' Ass<JCiation has 
signed a contract for the coming year AA'ith the 
Farmer.s’ Co-operative Association, one of the feiv 
leally co-operatiA'e associations in the country and 
one Avith an e.<tablished reputation, to take care of 
the bookkeeping end of our Avork Avhile Ave retain the 
active management. Our first season has proven 
