REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. 33 



revolutionary in their ultimate effect upon fruit and vegetable 

 marketing. 



First, the true meaning of standardization has been brought home 

 to the grower as never before. 



Second, the growers' organizations have improved the quality of 

 their offerings and have found a new and acceptable basis for 

 pooling. 



Third, potato growers especially have learned what sort of stock 

 should not be shipped at all except in years of extremely high prices. 



Fourth, the shipper has a new basis upon which to offer his prod- 

 uct and has no fear that the prospective buyer will discount his 

 statements. 



Fifth, the buyer can order in safety without seeing the goods. 



Sixth, the certificate acts as a general insurance policy in case of 

 loss or damage in transit. 



The trade quickly realized that this service made possible a new 

 system of car-lot marketing. Auction companies have been formed 

 in both eastern and western cities which sell only cars in transit and 

 on which certificates have been issued. The success of this system 

 has been marked from the start. On the first 500 cars of cantaloupes 

 thus sold the commissions were only one-third as high as those 

 generally prevailing at the time. The final destination of the car 

 was determined during its first day on the road, and it moved without 

 indirection or delay to the place of consumption. Meantime the 

 shipper had his money, transmitted by telegraph, within 48 hours 

 after loading his car. Thus has the road between producer and 

 consumer been shortened and straightened, and a clear saving of 10 

 per cent of the f . o. b. price has been effected by the shipper. 



Prior to last year our inspection service in terminal markets had 

 never earned in fees more than five-sevenths of the appropriation 

 made by Congress for this work. Last year, without curtailing the 

 city service and without a dollar of increase for this item, we more 

 than trebled the number of cars inspected and have returned to the 

 Treasury six-sevenths of the amount appropriated. When considered 

 in connection with the profound reforms and economies to which 

 the work has given rise, this is one of the most marked accomplish- 

 ments of the vear in our entire field of economic service. 



