692 EXPEEIMENT STATION RECOKD. 



RURAL ECONOMICS. 



Outlets and methods of sale for shippers of fruits and vegetables, J. W. 

 Fisher, Jr., J. H. Collins, and W. A. Sherman {U. S. Dcpt. Agr. Bui. 

 266 {1915), pp. 28). — This bulletin attempts to show the available outlets for 

 the individual producer in marketing his fruits and vegetables and how he can 

 get in touch with these outlets. The authors call attention to the following 

 points in summarizing: 



" Cooperation is desirable betn^een grower and grower, and grower and con- 

 sumer, but is needed especially between the producer and the distributor. The 

 grower must realize the necessity of living up to an agreement and doing 

 business on a businesslike basis. 



" The grower should keep in constant touch with the market, either through 

 the newspapers, trade papers, private firms, auction reports, or by telephone, 

 telegraph, or mail. In offering goods for sale, shippers should give definite 

 and detailed information regarding the prospective shipments, such as the 

 probable date of shipment, the commodity, number of packages, kind and size 

 of package, quantity and quality of each variety, whether freight or express 

 shipment, and the road and route. . , . 



" Personal visits to the market patronized will enable the grower to obtain 

 the pi'oper market perspective. He will see the difficulties under which the 

 distributors work, he will see his products in competition with those from the 

 most highly specialized districts, and he will learn the necessity of good 

 quality, honest packing, and standardization. 



" Before establishing market connections, the dealer's commercial standing 

 should be studied very carefully. Commercial credit agencies, trade papers, 

 chambers of commerce, and local bankers all can be of assistance in this 

 respect. 



" The producer can sell either individually or cooperatively. Cooperative 

 associations assume all marketing responsibilities for the individual shipper 

 and are in a much better position to keep in touch with the market and to 

 secure an equitable distribution. 



" Sales direct to the consumer are not always advisable owing to the diffi- 

 culties of transportation and the problems of collections and bad accounts. 

 Direct-to-the-consunicr sales are usually possible only with highly specialized 

 commodities of small bulk. . . . 



" Under present methods of distribution most car-lot shipments must be 

 sold through wholesale distributing agencies. 



" Sales to country merchants, country collecting agents, country buyers of 

 special products, and traveling buyers are desirable in that the grower deals 

 with the buyer in person and receives cash at the time of sale. . . . 



" One advantage of selling goods f. o. b. destination is that although they 

 are liable to rejection in case of damage in transit or a decline in the market, 

 there is at least the prospect of a buyer, and, with rea.sonable allowances made, 

 the car usual y will return a greater profit than if it had been shipped to the 

 market unordered." 



Methods of wholesale distribution of fruits and vegetables on large 

 markets, J. H. Collins, J. W. Fisher, .Jr., and W. A. Sherman (U. S. Dept. 

 Agr. Bui. 267 {1915), pp. 28, figs. 2),— The authors of this bulletin attempt to 

 explain certain general practices at large distribution centers which receive 

 fruit and vegetables in car-lot quantities. 



" The widening distance between producer and consumer has called into ex- 

 istence the middleman of to-day. The fact that the middleman has certain 

 useful functions to perform makes it inadvisable to eliminate him without 

 arranging for some other agency to assume his duties. 



