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ICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

1293 00627 1013

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Ever since potato crowing tecame an important
iniustry in Michigan, Vontcalm County has stcod cut ag a
big producer. For several years her one shipring station,
Greenville, sent out over one million cushels: annuezlly, there-
by earning the reputation of being the larcsest producer's
market in the United States. The fame of her tubers long 220
rag established in the larcer retailing districts. Only of
late years, however, has she been the price=maker for tne state.
“reenville's aquiotations are now rotez in the daily market
reports as an index of sales prices for Micnican. There are
two rensons for thi:: Firet,Tne North Greenville narket is
the nome of the head offices for a nuvber of commiszion
_firms that operate vany otner buying staticns. Necessarily
these commanies studv and know market conditions. Second,
the high prices of this market are due to the operations of
one cf the first farmer's oGiie sreanizaticne to be
estavlished in this state. It is knovn as the Greenville
Preduce and Supply Company, Limited. This Association is
composed entirely of farmers, potato-proiucers, vith its
scle object the precuring of the hishest nrice for potatoes.
It is a successful ccomrany and has transacted over one mill-
ion doll*rs worth of business during the past eleven years

withcut any ~rofite (Next page).

93908
or dividends for its members other than those obtained ty all
rotato producers within fifteen miles of Greenville, market
yrices of from five to fifteen cents per tushel actove those
paid at neichboring *uying stations. It is a producers
agssociaticn vet the benefits are community-onerative rather
than co-operative. The smallest crower, and he may not telong
to the association, shares its prcefits in like prorortion
rith 2 director of the organization.

The creater part of Montcalm County has soil
sell adapted to potato growing. It is a light, almost
sandy, loam eacily worked and readily warmed, with good
natural drainage. The early settlers brought ° few potatces
“ith them and they grew so well in the newly clearec land
that tne family ants could easily be satisfied. Not until
the summer of 1867 ere more grow than those needed for
-home consumption. The two or three brave spirits who
attemrted the growine of this new crop were successful but
they had to dra tieir surplus to Ionia, a distance of twrenty-
two miles, and sere tne only market was in the stores.

Up toc this time potato culture had been merely
&@ process of plscineg the seed niece in the ground, keeping
the weeds down and harvesting the matured crop. Stories had
been told concerning a tug that would attack a potato vine
and ina fe: days devour all of the leaves but they vere

unknown until July 1869 wnen a few of them were discovered

in a garden in Greenville. Great interest was aroused when
it was decided that the dreaded "potato-bugs" had actual-
ly made their 2ppearince. Many were the stories told
about these dangerous pests. It was reported that two
men were killed from inhaling the fumes given off from
some bugs they had picked and thrown into a stove. Other
men were bitten and a great many badly frightened because
of the general supposition that the bugs were poisonous.
The wide telling of such stories could not but make many
farmers hesitate in planting potatoes which would thereby
bring such a menace on their farm.

Up until 1870 small aceéyages of potatoes were
Planted. Ordinarily the farmer -rould have a few in his
corn field either in a separate plot or more often in «trips
ajong either side of his field or perhaps all the way around.
These were usually planted with a hoe, cultivated with the
corn and dug with a hoe in the fall.

In 1870 the Pere Marquette R2ailroad completed
ite line from Ionia into Greenville and the first shipping
of potatoes commenced. An opportunity was presented to
send carload lots out of the state throuch Detroit.
Almost immediately a numeer of farmers,to set into the car-
load class, increased their acerages. The method of
cultivation at that time vas to plow the field early and
summer fallow the ground until the miiile of June. There

were two methods ordinarily used in planting the potatoes;
some marked out their fields vith a pole
and chain marker. This implement consisted of a pole
fifteen to eighteen feet in lensth with licnt chains
fastened to it, tnree feet apart. This pole wes carried
across the field by two men.and tne chains draccing on the
ground left marks to suide the planters. The potatoes
“ere then planted by dizt ing a role and covering the seed
cith a hoe. The other metiod of planting common at this
time as cy means of a cultivator marker. This marker
had tvo legs thirty six inches apart, each with a double
winged cultivator to-th or shovel rttacied to it. A

stick ran out three feet to one side of tie marker «nd
drag-ed a chain to show the rositicn of the return ~ trip.
This arrancement s°rked tne ground and opened a nice ditch
for the potatoes to be dropred into. wen followed behind
and dropped the seed three feet apart in these trenches.
They were then either covered with a hoe or by the draczing
-f the field vith the old tyre, V-shaped, sprine-tooth, vocd=
en drag. Ordinari! + tre petatces were cut into large
pieces, two of vhicn were pl=ced in each hill. Experience
eoon tauzht the growers that Kip good results were obtain-
ed «here just section was used. Tae harvesting of the
crop “as accomplished by hoeins out the potatoes on some
farms, on others with a petato hook , ina still otuers

used the fork.
In 187% Frank Rich opened up his office on
the main street of Greenville. He vas the first tuver
and shirper of potatoes in Montcalm County. His vcusiness
was cood from the verv beginnins. Mr, Richge office and
scales were some six blocks from the railroad ani the
story is told that the fcrmers weigh’ their loads and t..en
drove to the staticn to *e unlosded. Usually a fe~ culls
were sorted out, The farmer would forget to place the
tail board back in the wegon, his horses were started out
on a trot and by the time they were back at the scales
not a sort was to te found.

With the increased aceryare of potatoes two
other buyers, Crawford and Packard,opened up offices in
Greenville and shipped over the Pere Marquette. In 1888
the T. S. & M. division of the Grand Trun& Railroad as
completed tnrouch North creenville. The officials of this
road wanted the potato business and they made an offer to
tne buyers whereby they acreed to furnis. scales and a
man to do all their weichine for then, Lf they “suld ship
over their lines. Accordingly, the three commissicn
offices went to Nortn Greenville rind accepted tne offer.
At this time Greenville was ‘he only buying station in
Montcalm County, and potatoes were drawn there from fif-

teen to twenty-five miles from all directions.
 

 

 

Shortly after the arrival. of the new railroad another
company, Miller & Foster, commenced buying. - The four
concerns ordinaril7Zy shipped from sixteen hundred to
ty> thous:nd car. loads of potatoes each year to New York,
Chicago, ind points between. A definite grade of potatoes
wae required at this time. Upon the variety depended the
price,a condition not found on the market now, much to
the detriment of Greenville's name. Green Mountains,
¥Yhite Stars, Burbanks, Cayuga Chiefs, Chicago Markets,
Early and Late Rose, were the popular varities of this
county. Some of these received from eight to ten cents
more per bushel than others, depending upon the market.
With the continually increasing aceyage and
increased business several otner companies opened up
offices at Greenville. They soon gave up the oneescale
weiching and each company installed its own scales. This
cecame a source of troutle between growers and buyers and
many were the complzints of short weight and che:tirg. As
railroad facilities improved the Greenville companies
establisned sub-etations at different points in the County.
There were no barks at these places. All buying had to
be done by cash and the early morning train north from
Creenville used to carry several thousandsof dollars in
the care of Ben Stickney one of the most trusted conductors.
he would dole out the money alone tne line to the difterent

buyers. This incre2zsed expansicn, caused adied competitio:n
 

between the comrnanies in Greenville. Prices were good for
a time. In time the attractions of a pool became s0 great
that tre derzlers decided to try it out. Their plan was to
set a good safe price for each day ani all stick to it. In
order to have things convenient, a long bench was erected
out next to the street where each company had its buyer,
Wien a load of potatoes came in, buyer No. 1 made a -id on
it. Noone would raise his offer. Buyer No. 2 would get

the next load and so on. Naturally the profits were much
greater and more certain under this system. The producer!s
became very bitter in their stories of cheating but to no
aveall except that the price in Greenville went down to an
averazge of from ten to fifteen cents lower than that paid
at any place where "outsiders" were buying. In time the
"ring" tecame so strons thet they hired one man to do all
their buying, he divided up the loads, sendins one to each
company in turn. Naturally potato-r2ising received quite a
set back through this manipulation and much of the ~cusiness
was turned avay from Greenville. Farmers could make zood

wages by hauline their rctatoes to other stations.
Conditions were of this nature in the fall of
1905. The producers were anery but did not think they
could ever change the situation as iny new buyer was
either run out or drawn into the combine in a short time.
One day Ed. W. Lincoln drove into town with a load of
potatoes and they were sold to one of the companies.
After unlozding he drove back onto the scales. Another
bcuyer walked up and started in to critize him for sell-
ing to that man rather than to him as he was supposed to
have his potatoes. This set Mr. Lincoln into action. He
commenced t2lking to his neizhbors and awakened them to
the serious condition of affairs into which the producers
had been placed.

In the neizthborhood where Mr. Lincoln lived the
farmers had a local organization for the discussion of
farm proctlems and tie promotion of community sociability.
“wr. Lincoln was on the pvogram committee and he ur-red that
a2 meeting te given over for the discussion of direct sell-
ing of potatoes. It was finally decided to do this at
the first meeting to be held in January 1906. Tne sub-
ject was teken up at the home of Mr. Will Harris, with
most of the members pretty skeptical. Mr. Lincoln had
tried to fini otner organizations of this nature to p2t-
tern after but was una-le to do s0..He hzd been doing
some thinking however ani he sug-estei a plan of orz2ni-

zation that was finally -dorte:.
He proposed tnat trey form a stock company, each
farmer to take stock in proportion to the number of bushels
of potatoes he expect7d to raise--%100 for 1000, $200 for
2000 etc. This company was to open up an office in North
Greenville, place a buyer on the street in competition with
the organized de:lers and handle potatoes on as close a
margin of profit ad Sonsistent with good business methods.
Any profits were to be divided among the stock-holders.

The second mestinzg was held at the home of James Verplanck.
A committee consisting of E. W. Lincoln, T. H. Verplanck
and Richard Vainners had bean appointed to investigate the
feasibility of such a plan. They made 2 favorable report,
recommended the adortion of the plan ani the organization
of a company. Each man present signed the report as
evidence of his support. During the next veek 4990.00 was
subscribed for.

Qn March 7lst 1906 a meeting was called at the
Granze Hall in Greenville for the orzanization of the
company. Mr. John Tenman vas chosen as temporary chairman
and Sam Peck as Secretary. Eizhty-eicht memoers sizned
the following statement: Under the act No. 191 of Pudlic
Acts cf 1877 entitled "An act autnorizins the Formation of
Partnership associations in which the capital subscribed

shall alone te responsible for the debts of the association
except under cert2in conditions and the :ctsa amendatory
thereto" we do hereby make. e-ecute, acknowledze and adopt
the following Articles of Association."

1. Tne name of this asscciation and n2me by
which it shsll be known in law is The Greenville Frrm
Produce and Supply Co., Limited.

ll. The purpo-e or purposes of this association
are as follows: To buy, sell,ship, market and conduct a
general dealing in hay, grain, wocd, potatoes and all other
farm products; ani to hanile, buy, sell and conduct a
general retail dealing in lumber, bricks, lime, cement,
coal, wood ani all kinds of manufactured goods, f-ei stuffs,
merchandise, machinery ani implements.

lll. The operations of this association shall te
carried on at, in and from the City of Creenville, Montcslm
county, Michigan.

1V. The capital of this association hereby orzan-
ized is the sum of

 

V. The amount of tne capital of tnis association

 

actually s.dscribved is the sum of Tnous:nd dollars, and
the amount of tne capital actually raid in cash is the sum
of ~——— dollars. Each subdscriser hereto naving paid

in 15% of the capital sisscericed by him.
Vl. The balance of the capital subdscribed by each
subscriber hereto shall be paid when called for by the
board of managers.

Vll. The capital of this association shall be sub-
ject to the reatrictive provisions of section (4) of said
act number one hundred ani ninety one (191) as amended.

Vlll. The princip3l office of this association
shall te located in said city of Greenville.

1X. Tie duration of the existence of this associa-
tion is hereby fixed for the period of twenty years from
and after the date of the execution of these articles of
association, unless sooner disolved according to law.

X. There srall be elected annually the last
Tuesiay in May five managers of this association.
Xl. The present officers of this ass cciation are
as follows.
James Verylanck, Ch irman.
Edward W. Lincoln, Secretary.
Georce P. Johnson, Treasurer.
Ed-vin Rowley, Manager.
Edwin Tallman os ‘
All of whom have been resularily elected manazers
of this assxciation and the said James Verplanck, Geo. P.

Johnson ard Edv. Lincoln have respectively been elected

Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer as a>cove stated.

"9 9 8 SSP nance seen eee
In witness whereof we the parties hereby associating
for the purposes of giving legal effect to the articles of
association, hereunto subseribe our names and affix our places
of residence and the amount of canital subscri-ed by each
respectively.

During the summer a plot of land was rented of the
Grand Trunk, ani an office erected, and scales installed. A
store-house was rented Of the Greenville Lumber Company.
"hen the serson opened Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Johnson started
ovuying. They were tne laughing stock of the "Cine" who
declared they ould ust them by Christmas as tiey had many
other tuyers who had tried to compete witn them. It so
happened that there was a serious car shortage that fall.
The Farmers Company could have bought over 2/3 of the
votatoes that came on the market but were compelled to go
slow because they could not set car:. The other nine
companies were buying and loading tocether, vet they claim-
ed nine cars to each one of tne Farmers, paying demurr?ge
on them rather than allow them to te used. Tne P. M. rerus-
ed the Farmers cars entirely. This Railroad was completely
controlled by the organized buyers. The Grand Trunk pl2y-
ed fair tut at trat only a few cars could be obtained. As
“ny shipper has a right to a car in orier of his apnlicaticn

this

the Comnany used the different members in fient for cars.
p

— we
They chartered cars for vrivaite use and nersonally
superinteniei tre loaiing for tre Company. This raised a
great stir amon the other buyers and sorn brougnt the head
officers of tne Company to Greenville for an investiz tion.
It was finslly proven tnat tne nine Companies were buying
together and so could claim only one-half the cars. This
vag quite a victory for the Farmers and enzbtled them to zo
tnrcugh the season with the hichest rrices paid on tne market
in many years. Difficulties vere encountered during tne
first two or three years in getting tneir cars sold safely.
All influences were usei by the old companies to h:ve loads
side tracked, refused or docked. Considerable loss
occured from this until the firm -ecame well known and
had gained experience enourch to vprevent these operations.
During the first year coal sheds, to h-use several
carloads vere erected, coal 2nd rood was purchased, (tne orice
of coal dropped $1.00 per ton tne dey trey started sellins),
Clover seed, fence posts, wire, ani farm machinery, Aside
from the last these different commodities have been haniled
ever since. The second yezr land was purchased =nd a
storehouse cxpable of housing 4000 bushels of potatoes ‘was
erected. Tne entire investment of the Company to date in

buildings ani supplies is between $3000 and $4000.
The potato business is so uncertain that each
year the Company ioes ~ell to *‘reak even. Sever2l years
with a capital of £500 a bisiness of %75,000 to £100,000
has been done. Mr. Joanson handled the buying for five
years, Stacey Rowley for one year and Mr. Will Taylor hss
had charze of tie office since then.

In the fall of tne year 1915 at the annuzl meet-
ing, Mr. Tavlor refusei to act as Secretary if he had to
buy potatoes. He declarei tnat tne farmers were not
supporting the Company as they should and that they needed
a4 jolt. Accordingly it was decided tnat for this enftire
3eason the Pr-iuce Company would refuse to buy. Cortitions
were soon like those of former years. Creenv' lle nrices
dronped vcelow those of other towns ani relatively few
vnotatoes were drawn into the market. The majority went to
neighboring stations where there w2s a little competition.
The producers woke up at once and besiesed the Company
to buy, and the bankers and business men of the town added
their plea for they knew that tne business and money were
goins to other toywns.

This was the only year that the Commany mde
money,for the profits from coal and seeds vere not used
in buying potatoes. The only dividend ever vaid was declar-
edat tris time - 6°: on all money invested.

Tne lesson was a sood one for when tne season of

1916 brought on its potzto harvesting tnere commenced
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