REPORT OF STATE HORTICULTURIST. 73 



spent his time and money to secure this information, and this 

 bid is made with a generous allowance for the speculative 

 chance which he assumes in buying. The buyer in bulk some- 

 times loses, but I have known of more cases where his profits 

 have been two or three times the profits which the grower 

 made, and he the one who has taken many chances in growing 

 his crops. Selling in bulk may be haphazard for the average 

 grower, but it is a good method for the intelligent one. 



Now consider selling by the barrel on the tree. This is one 

 step further, where the buyer agrees to pay a certain price for 

 what the orchard will pack. The trouble with the deal is that 

 I never knew of a contract that was sufficiently definite as to 

 what should be a proper packing grade to satisfy both parties. 



If the markets for apples were high at the time of packing, 

 the buyer would pack everything that would net him a profit; 

 but if the market prospects were low, he would grade the apples 

 so close that much marketable fruit would be culled out. Until 

 a standard of apples can be determined this plan will be the 

 cause of much controversy. Probably you don't have as much 

 trouble with that in Maine as in some other states. 



Consigning on Commission. 



While there are many reliable commission firms in large 

 cities, they are usually in the cities that have an over-supply 

 of fruit, and this shipping to cities results in a form of concen- 

 tration rather than one of distribution. However, the reliable 

 commission firms are in touch with a large consuming trade 

 and can move a large amount of goods, selling at a more or 

 less fair price, but this selling on commission is hardly to be 

 considered as marketing. 



Selling to Retail Dealers. 



A grower who has a nice crop of fruit can find retail dealers 

 who can use a great deal, sometimes as much as a carload. 

 These dealers are usually located in a section that has no good 

 local supply and are not in touch with the cold storage supplies 

 of any large cities. But in these deals the grower must adhere 

 to his plan long enough to secure a reputation and then aim to 

 cater to a special trade. In case your orchards are near a large 



