Page 19

SHOULD WE ADVERTISE
By HERMAN J. GEBHART. Black River Falls, Wisconsin.
Members of the Association, Ladies and Visitors: In considering
the subject, "Should We Advertise." the first thought that comes
to me
is the little saying, "Experience is the best teacher." The key
to the
_       solution of many a knotty problem however, is to be found in the
answer to the question, "What is the experience of others?" Applying
that question to the problem, "Should We Advertise?" the answer
in-
variably is that "It pays to advertise."
It is hardly necessary to call your attention to a large mercantile
concern in Chicago that has boasted that it possesses the largest print-
ing outfit in the world which is used almost entirely to convey to the
consumer the merits of the numerous articles they offer for sale.
Advertising has become an art. Pick up any leading magazine;
your attention cannot escape the many skilfully prepared, attractive,
and interesting advertisments. You are attracted by them; you read
them and the thoughts expressed therein, are often more interesting
and truthful than the editorials. Why do people adyertise a commodity
they have produced? It is for the purpose of calling the attention
of the consumer, and the consumer to be, to the merits of the article
produced. resulting in increased sales which in turn benefits finan-
cially the producer, and above all. the consumer should be pleased with
his purchase. That is successful advertising.
Now, what have we Wisconsin Cranberry Growers to advertise? We
produce that which has rightly become the national berry-the cran-
berry. In that fact alone there is a fund of advertising material.
What would Thanksgiving be without cranberries prepared in the
various ways? The holidays that follow call for the national berry.
Sometimes I think the cranberry is almost a necessary food, cran-
berries each day will keep the doctors away.
Of course, we cranberry growers know that in this age of watered
stock, the cranberry is right up-to-date in possessing, as you know,
some 90 per cent of water. However, we need not particularly en-
large upon that point, but we can, nevertheless, tell about the quality
of that water swamp water, composed, as you know, of the extract of
leaves, roots, gums, herbs, barks, balsams, blossoms, berries and
_       boneset. The little bud is protected from chill with swamp water;
is      when In blossom, we nourish and stimulate with swamp water and in
maturity, their firmness accelerated by the bright, invigorating Sep-
tember days, we gather them bathed in swamp water gathered more
gently than a mother handles a babe, for the water gently raises and
lowers them within the scoop or rake, never permitting them to be
jostled or threshed about,-the cushion method, as one may say, of
gathering cranberries.
19