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_A A Marltetioiig Bluegrass cmd Orcha.rd Grass Seeds 43  
» to discourage rather than encoura.ge consumption. Improve-  
ment should result from a more uniform price thruout the season  
· and a well directed marketing organization should be able to be  
~ of service in bringing this about.  
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COOPERATIVE MARKETING  
i The Kentucky bluegrass seed industry lends itself favorably · 
— to cooperative marketing because the seed is produced in com·  
paratively limited areas in Kentucky and Missouri, which sim-  
pliiies the formation and operation of an organization. The seed I Z
meets with very little outside competition. and its use very  
probably couldibe increased thru advertising. Encouraged by  
. the widespread interest in cooperative marketing and the success  
  of the Burley Tobacco Growers’ Cooperative Association, in its 4  
  iirst year’s business, the bluegrass seed growers organized a  
° cooperative marketing association under the Bingham Coopera  
Q tive Marketing Act early in 1922. Contracts covering the de- 4  
{ livery of about 500,000 bushels of the 1922 crop of seed were  
’ signed by producers. The Association, thru its executive com- at
· mittce, made contracts with Ken·tucky dealers to clean a.nd sell  
. the seed and agreed to pay them fifteen cents per bushel of i,
rough cured seed for cleaning and ten cents per bushel of clean ‘ Cl
I seed for selling. The seed was graded upon delivery and after  
‘ sales are made, each member is to be paid according to the grade ,  
if and quality of his seed.  
The 1922 crop being unusually large, much of the normal  ci
I Cl@lll€l11(l for bluegrass seed was suipplied by proclticcrs ill the  
Missouri area and non-members in Kentucky who seemed willing  ll
to sell at prices slightly lower than those at which association fg,
A seed was offered. In February, 1923, however, the association y  
l made a distribution to its members of about $250,00000, cquiva-  
. ` lent to fifty cents per bushel of seed handled.  
Early in March, following the Hrst payment for seed, a gsi
`   _ meeting of the association was held and a committee was selected  
[ to work out plans for increasing the membership. A tive-year ll
[ contract was to be used and signatures secured, representing  
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