650 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



tail dealer, so far as we cau, and make a leputation for our goods, 

 So liis customers will come day after day and call for our particular 

 brand, and while you may never get the extreme high prices as iu 

 some big markets, you will never get the extreme low ernes, and 

 there will be a high level of proli table prices which you can draw 

 upon fiom that retail grocer. I have one orchard in Connecticut 

 olf to one side, where they are not used to paying high prices; they 

 will stand about so much. So A\hen 1 am getting 50 per cent, more 

 in a far away market, I give the fruit to them at their price, then 

 when the drop came in the big markets we held the home. We sup- 

 plied them from it last year. 1 think we started selling at same old 

 price to the grocers at 75 cents per one-half bushel basket. W'e aie 

 going to make them this year SO cents a basket, while in the big out- 

 side markets we have to take 85 cents to $1. So you can make 

 most money in the home market, the moderate-sized grower, who 

 will take care of the market that is nearest, and always remember 

 your neighbors and friends are the best people to deal with. When 

 you have to go to a distant maiket, ship by rail a long distance away, 

 besides paying the freight, you must use the commission man and 

 pay well for his services. I haA^e often been tired and hurt in horti- 

 cultural meetings to hear the wholesale condemnation o'f the com- 

 mission men. There are a lot of crooks, not high-class commission 

 men, Avho go out about the country Avith pretty stories, soliciting, 

 promising you that they will do so much better for you, and the 

 man who is a little green sends a fcAV to Jones and some to Smith, 

 and so on ; a mistake always. Never ship to a commission man until 

 you have investigated him. Make up your mind certain markets 

 you intend to utilize, go there and look up the commission man. 

 You Avill haA^e no trouble finding honorable men. Mean men shoAv 

 it in their faces. So from a business standpoint, go and get into 

 direct contact with the commission man you want to deal with. 

 Find out Avhat you Avant to about hiio; tell him Avho you are. Say 

 to him, "Mr. Commission Man, come out Avith me and see the or- 

 chard." He is too busy to go or it costs too much. No matter what 

 it costs, tell him you Avill stick by him if he sticks by you, and if he 

 won't go this 200 or 500 miles, more or less, to your orchard, ask 

 him to please lecommend you to some other felloAv doAvn the street 

 who has more courage. Ten chances to one, he Avon't recommend 

 anybody else. He Avill go himself. Take him to your orchard, let 

 him see how you cultivate 3'our trees; how fine the fruit is; and 

 shoAV him the nice ucav white packages you have, all regardless of the 

 cost. When you can buy one grade of package for ten cents a piece, 

 or something of cleaner, better and whiter Avood for twelve cents, 

 don't hesitate for the two cents. ShoAV him those packages under 

 cover in the fall. ShoAV him the details of your business, how you 

 grade and pack, etc., and say, "Do you think you can sell those 

 goods if I get them to you in good order?" He goes home feeling 

 he has a personal interest in that orchard, and thus Avhen the fruit 

 comes to market, and some one says that another dealer has some 

 as good, he says, "I don't know, I have seen that orchard, I have 

 seen hoAv that fruit groAA's and is packed, and I am going to get a 

 quarter more;" and finally he gets the quarter more. Get in close 

 touch with the man you do business with. The meanest man you 



