I RUCK FARMING. 609 



made it is difficult to say. Heavy and manifold losses have no doubt 

 occurred through the rascality of commission firms. It being impos- 

 sible to restrain or sui)ervise their operations villainy has a fair field. 



Truckers should beware of those who send out circulars of current 

 prices above the market rates. They report a small sale or two at a 

 rate higher than actually received, and then make the shortage good as 

 soon as they have gained the confidence of the shipper by reporting 

 sales at a lower figure than the produce actually sold for. I have even 

 kuown otherwise reputable houses to resort to this shar]) practice to 

 secure shipments. The business standing and credit of a particular firm 

 is ascertainable through a mercantile agency, but such an agency fails to 

 impart the desired information to the vegetable shipper. It would, how- 

 ever, be rank injustice to make a sweeping charge of swindling against 

 the entire class of produce commission agents. While it doubtless con- 

 tafns its proi^ortion of sharpers there are numerous responsible firms in 

 every market who aim to build up an increasing business and a sound 

 reputation by honesty and fair dealing with their shiiopers, and who 

 frown upon the disreputable members of their own calling. These 

 reliable firms should be supported, not only by exclusive consignments, 

 but by the good will and frequent recommendations of their friends 

 at the South. 



It is noticeable, too, that specific charges of having been swindled 

 occur most frequently in unfavorable seasons, when goods of inferior 

 quality are forwarded — a coincidence which suggests that the charges 

 are probably unwarranted. ]Sro buyer in any Northern market is so 

 charitably disposed towards the seller as to pay a good round price for 

 an article fit neither for the food of man nor beast. 



These accusations do not usually emanate from experienced and prac- 

 tical truck farmers, but from men carrying on the business either as a 

 hobby or as a secondary matter, who have others to superintend it even 

 less experienced than themselves. 



Another drawback consists in the many difficulties of transportation. 

 Since 1858, when shipments of melons had to be intrusted to the custody 

 of the captains and pursers of the steamships to secure their protection 

 against stealage, for which, together with attending to their sale in Xew 

 York, they received 50 per cent, commission, great improvements have 

 been made in transportation. Only a few years ago the losses on mel- 

 ons by robbery was very considerable. The interests of the growers and 

 the conveyors' to market seeming identical, it is probable that in the near 

 future the various transportation companies may see the wisdom of en- 

 couraging an industry which helps to support them. It is principally 

 the melon industry, as a branch of truck farming, which has to complain 

 not so much against the quality as against the freight rates of transport 

 tation. The former has much imi)roved within the last few years. At 

 first common box-cars were used, and where the melons were piled loose 

 ualt would sometimes be left upon the floors. Now well ventilated, safe, 

 and clean fruit cars have been constructed in sufficient numbers ex- 

 pressly to move the enormously increased melon crop. But the melon 

 growers on the line of railroads complain that unless the present rates 

 of freight to the West be reduced they wiU be compelled to abandon the 

 industry. Truck farmers iirotest against all adverse discrimination in 

 the matter of freight rates. The average intelligence of the Alabama 

 growers at Mobile is unable to understand with what degree of fairness 

 their 38,363 barrels of potatoes are made to pay nearly double the freight 

 from Mobile to the West that the Western farmer would have to pay 

 from the West to Mobile for the same number of barrels. 

 39 AG— 85 



