ate lines were found; some
traversing routes as long as 125 miles on daily trips. Large quantities
of farm produce are handled, and charges are made according to published
rates. The excellent highways of California made it possible for these
lines to develop rapidly.

The detailed survey among patrons of a number of these routes discovers
the fact that there are three great economic advantages in this method
of transportation:

1. Food production is stimulated since the regular outlet to market
encourages many farmers to expand production which they would not
be justified in doing if they were obliged to transport their own
produce to market.

2. Shortage of labor is greatly offset from the fact that the
system leaves the farmer on the farm and his time is not consumed
in trips to market.

3. There is immediate improvement in the efficiency of the farm
since supplies, machinery, and repairs can be secured promptly from
city distributers of fertilizers and farm machinery.

From the national standpoint these routes aid in several ways:

1. They relieve the railroads of local freight which permits
car-load lot of materials and foodstuffs from distant points to
enter the terminals.

2. They help to avoid the necessity for local freight embargoes.

The need for the system of carrying goods to market without requiring
men and teams is generally recognized by farmers and where production of
the individual farmer has justified the purchase of a motor truck, the
adoption has been very rapid during the past few years. On many farms,
however, the quantity of production is not sufficient to justify the
investment in a truck by the individual farmer if he must maintain his
teams for farm power. The use of the rural express with its greater
speed enables the farmer to operate the same or an increased acreage
with fewer horses, making more land available for food production which
was previously needed to grow grain and hay for teams. In many
instances, the introduction of rural express has enabled farmers to
engage in the production of milk which requires daily marketing.

The rural express greatly aids the country merchants in carrying more
complete stocks of goods; in filling special orders promptly, and in
avoiding temporary shortage of staples due to delayed shipments or
embargoes on the railroad. In many instances the country merchants have
reported