476 Report of Farmers' Institutes 



exceed those that could be realized from the ordinary retail trade. 

 The small gTOwer thus engaged, being in close touch with the 

 consumer, is in position to understand all the whims and caprices 

 of each individual customer, and he should capitalize them by 

 catering to their desires. 



One advantage enjoyed by this class of producers that should 

 not be overlooked is the fact that risk is very largely eliminated. 

 The producer is doing business at first hand and should not incur 

 any bad debts ; also, he can arrange his planting to meet the de- 

 mands of his customers, and he is not so badly handicapped by 

 competition, coming sometimes fro;n unexpected sources, as those 

 engaged in the other classes. Success in this class depends on 

 the ability of the grower to produce a high-grade article, while 

 catering to the desires of his customers, working to get the highest 

 class of trade, and exercising courtesy and general good business 

 methods. 



DEALING WITH RETAILER 



The larger producers, supplying the retail trade, are those that 

 are near enough to market to keep in close touch with retail dis- 

 tributors, but whose business is too gi-eat to permit of further 

 distribution. Here, again, it is necessary to study carefully the 

 requirements of each retailer. Every city has many dift'erent 

 classes of customers, and it is seldom, especially in our larger 

 markets, that any store has a very wide range of customers. Some 

 retailers, therefore, will require only the very highest grade of 

 products, and others, the ordinary, while there is always a class 

 of trade that can use the poorer grades. Hence, the producer 

 supplying this kind of trade can dispose of all classes of goods, 

 but it requires a close study and understanding of the require- 

 ments of his distributors. He is thus relieved of the unpleasant- 

 ness of dealing with so many individuals and of the large number 

 of small collections, and hence has more time to devote to pro- 

 duction and preparation of his products. 



DEALING THROUGH SHIPMENT 



The third class of producers, who furnish by far the largest 

 proportion of the food products of the country, have entirely dif- 

 ferent and more difficult problems to solve. Their fields of opera- 



