THE MARKETING OF PRODUCE 3 1 1 



same time the articles one has to dispose of. 

 I regard it as risky, and, in any case, expen- 

 sive ; whilst it is extremely easy to overdo 

 this form of trade. Where one succeeds a 

 dozen will fail. 



U A third suggestion was, that the pro- 

 ducer should secure friends to take regular 

 supplies, and then to get them to give in- 

 troductions to others. This, too, is all very 

 well in a way ; but experience proves it is a 

 very unsatisfactory form of business. The 

 less one has to do with one's friends in trading 

 transactions the better. They will not always 

 pay you the price you require and deserve ; 

 they will not always pay you promptly ; and 

 you will find, in time, that they will give you 

 the maximum of trouble with the minimum of 

 profit. They will, in many cases, gradually 

 begin to ' talk,' you will eventually lose some 

 probably the whole of their custom, and 

 you will be worse oflF in every way than if 

 you relied on the open market. 



"These are somewhat negative criticisms, 



