MARKETING OF GRAPES IN ( 'n AT TAT-QUA BELT 1327 



I 



ment: " These grapes are put up under contract for the Poni- 

 fret Fruit Co. and are guaranteed free from given, dirty, or mil- 

 dewed fruit, and anyone finding anything wrong will please 

 notify the company. Signed, John Doe, Grower." 



Every complaint that came in had careful attention. If we 

 were convinced that the fruit was not right, the money was re- 

 funded. Less than tifty complaints were received in the ten 

 years. Every grower agreed to stand the loss if his name was 

 the one given. Did it pay { Xo. The only advantage we gained 

 was that our grapes sold first when the same price was asked. 



One quotation from the many letters received will show just 

 how it worked out: u Gentlemen: I have been looking for your 

 fruit, I always buy it when I can get it at the same price asked 

 by the others. Are you still selling grapes?" It shows that all 

 love a bargain in fruit as w r ell as in everything else. It ended by 

 the growers putting in their baskets the same kind of fruit as 

 all others did, for they did not feel that they could lose a quantity 

 )f poor fruit if the choice fruit was not appreciated by the buyers 



the extent of at least breaking even when the poor fruit was 

 >ft out. At present we have cooperative companies and cash 

 myers, which are about equal as to business done. 



METHOD OF HARVESTING 



Two methods of harvesting are used : first, picking in crates or. 

 trays, which are taken when full to the packing houses and 

 allowed to stand until the fruit is wilted before being packed in 

 the baskets for shipment; secondly, picking and packing in the 

 field. The latter method is the cheaper, no doubt, but it is an 

 >pen question as to whether the grapes arrive on the market in 

 good shape as when wilted before packing. Some companies 

 iave refused to accept the- field-packed fruit, 



POPULAR VARIETIES 



The leading variety is Concord. Probably 95 per cent of all 

 te grapes grown here are of this variety. Next come Worden, 

 iagara, Moore's Early, and Champion. Over one hundred other 

 varieties may be found that are grown in an experimental way, 

 mt very few have qualities that make them of any value as a 

 mnnercial proposition. 



