924 THE FRUIT INDUSTRY IN XKW YORK .STATE 



PUBLIC SALE WIDENS DISTRIBUTION 



A recent concrete example of the way public sale of fruit in- 

 creases the number of buyers, and thereby widens distribution, 

 is the sale of bananas at public auction in the cities of New York 

 and Baltimore. The company importing the largest amount of 

 bananas changed from private sale to public sale in New York 

 city, April, 1913, and in Baltimore, July 1, 1914, with the result 

 that the number of buyers increased nearly tenfold. Although it 

 has happened that in a single year in some public-sales cities, sales 

 of California deciduous fruits have increased 30 per cent, and 

 100 per cent in a period of five years ; when California had a heavy 

 crop, the public sale has been sufficiently flexible to take care of 

 and distribute the increased crop. Similarly, sales of Florida 

 oranges in Boston have, in a period of five years, at public sale, 

 increased 350 per cent. 



Xow compare with the foregoing the consumption of noith- 

 western box apples in Boston under private sale: ' 



Season Cars 



1911-1912 370 



1912-1913 365 



1913-1914 354 



1914-1915 360 



It is evident that, although the crop of northwestern box apples 

 has increased greatly, private sale has not been sufficiently flexible 

 to widen distribution. 



SPEED IN DELIVERY 



One great essential in marketing fruits and vegetables is prompt- 

 ness in the delivery to the buyer. " The private seller's ability to 

 make prompt delivery is limited to the number of trucks owned or 

 controlled by his boss truckman; but the auction method, with 

 its immense volume, employs so many public truckmen for its 

 daily work that it is at all times equipped to handle any quantity. 

 For example, one hundred cars of California fruits in addition 

 to the other lines of different varieties selling are sold and 

 delivered in a single day, and have not overtaxed the capacity 



