MARKETS AXD RURAL ORGANTZATIOlSr. 379 



STUDIES OF TEEillNAL-JIAKKET PROJECTS. 



Much interest in the development of modern terminal markets is 

 apparent in several of the larger cities. These movements are being 

 observed closely and the tentative plans studied so that the office may 

 be placed in position to guide other cities in this important phase of 

 city distribution. 



Mr. G. Y. Branch is in charge of this work, with Miss AchsaK 

 Lippincott as assistant. 



MARKETING BY PARCEL POST AND EXPRESS. 



The work done under this project has been pursued along the same 

 lines as shown in the last report, with such minor variations as have 

 been necessitated from time to time by circumstances. Experimental 

 shipments during the year have consisted of the following commodi- 

 ties: Oranges, grapefruit, pineapples, strawberries, huckleberries, 

 blackberries, raspberries, gooseberries, grapes, cherries, cantaloupes, 

 plums, pears, peaches, apples, lettuce, milk, butter, eggs, cane sirup, 

 maple sirup, maple sugar, and assorted vegetables. In nearly every 

 case the success of the shipment depends upon the judgment used in 

 regard to the quality of the fruit shipped and the type of container. 

 Special suggestions are given in a manuscript which has been sub- 

 mitted for a Farmers' Bulletin, entitled Suggestions for Parcel-Post 

 Marketing. 



EXPERIMENTS IN SHIPPING. 



Two hundred and twelve parcels, about 800 pounds, of lettuce 

 produced by the Arlington Farm of this department, were shipped to 

 various parts of the country with a satisfactory degree of success. 

 The wetting down which some shippers of lettuce insist is necessary 

 has been found to be undesirable, as it produces considerable soft rot 

 and more loss than when the lettuce is shipped dry or practically dry. 

 When thus shipped wilting results, but this is readily overcome by 

 placing the lettuce in cold water when it is received. There is appar- 

 ently good reason to believe that a successful and profitable distribu- 

 tion of lettuce can be made to retailers who handle but small quanti- 

 ties, such as 10, 20, or 30 pounds. 



Twenty-six boxes of oranges and 143 boxes of grapefruit have been 

 shipped experimentally. For distances in which shipments of such 

 fruits can be made economically the usual commercial crate may be 

 used. Twenty-six shipments of pineapples were made. This fruit 

 is easily bruised and requires care in packing, so that the handling 

 it will receive will not cause undue injury. It is apparent from the 

 retail prices prevailing in many parts of the country that the dis- 

 tribution of this fruit in such quantities as consumers might desire 

 could be made economically from central distributing points, where 

 they are received in car lots by fast freight. 



An effort was made during the strawberry season of 1915 to handle 

 a sufficient quantity of strawberries so that fairly satisfactory con- 

 clusions might be reached. Two hundred and forty crates weie 

 handled, 122 by express and 118 hy parcel post. Apparently the 

 chief problem to be solved (as is true with the handling of all berries 

 and small fruits by parcel post) was the devising of some means 



