Specific Marketinx Problems — Lettuce 53 



actively in El Paso with Southern California offerings, it was neces- 

 sary for the Salt River Valley growers to allow I2^c per loo pounds 

 on sales made in that city to cover freight differences. It estimated 

 that had there been adequate inspection before shipment, and had the 

 growers been afforded proper protection against unjust claims for 

 damages, fully $12,000 could have been saved to the shippers on these 

 83 cars alone. 



Experiences in 191 7 and during previous years have indicated 

 that individual action by the growers is usually disastrous. Since 

 practically all of the potatoes are produced by about n dozen growers 

 in a very limited district it would seem feasible to organize a small 

 potato shipping association, organized for the purpose of consolidating 

 the output and handling the crop as a unit. It does not appear expedi- 

 ent to recommend that the growers attempt their own selling. A potato 

 shipping association, however, would have a sufficient quantity of 

 marketable potatoes to enable it to contract for the marketing of the 

 entire crop with some reliable potato-selling agency, who could and 

 should enter into individual contracts with the members of the asso- 

 ciation to handle all potatoes on a commission basis This contract 

 should obligate the sales agency to furnish complete inspection services 

 at loading platforms and this agency should also undertake a certain 

 amount of educational work among producers during the digging 

 .season in order to insure the harvesting of good commercial stock. 

 By the terms of this contract, the potato growers should be obligated 

 to dispose of all their potatoes for the season through the agency with 

 whom the contract is executed and should also be required to accept 

 the judgment of the agency's inspector at the loading platform. Be- 

 cause hot weather usually prevails at harvest time it is very desirable 

 that Salt River Valley potatoes be dug as early as possible, be care- 

 fully sacked, and rolled to market as rapidly as possible. If these 

 conditions are fulfilled, and an adequate inspection service is offered, 

 there is no reason why the potato crop from this section should not 

 be permanently profitable. 



Lettuce The lettuce crop ranks next in value to cantaloupes as 

 a speculative crop. The acreage has varied greatly from year to year 

 in response to the stimulus of changing prices. Practically all of the 

 crop is produced in the vicinity of Glendale and shipped from that 

 l)oint. In 1917 about 225 acres were grown. Most of this acreage 

 -•vas seeded to the New York Head variety, although some of the 

 Boston Head variety was grown in a relatively small way. Individual 



