212 THE CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



dealt I have nothing to say. It would be a good investment of 

 time and money for a farmer to visit, at least once a year, 

 a large market like Boston or New York to observe the re- 

 quirements of package, grading, varieties, etc. ; in fact, all 

 conditions under which farm products are sold. Besides, he 

 would become better acquainted with the dealers who handle 

 his crops, which is important, as at present between the com- 

 mission dealer and the farmer there too often exists a feeling 

 of mutual distrust and svispicion, due largely to a lack of 

 knowledge on the part of each of the conditions under which 

 the other is laboring. When a grower packs number two 

 apples or veg-etables in the middle or bottom of a package and 

 marks it number one, it is often due to his belief from past 

 experience that goods so packed will give greater net returns 

 than the same goods if properly graded. In other cases it 

 may be due to a lack of knowledge of proper methods of 

 grading and packing such goods. I fear such methods are 

 often adopted with an idea of misrepresenting the contents of 

 the package and with disregard for seller and consumer. An 

 attempt at justification on the ground that honesty avails 

 nothing when selling on commission, is rather far-fetched. 

 The grower should deal fairly with the commission man and 

 then demand from him similar treatment. 



Co-operation for the farmer has been much discussed, and 

 while but little progress has as yet been made, it can and 

 doubtless will, solve many of the present-day problems of 

 selling and distributing farm crops. We often hear it said 

 that extremely low prices are entirely due to over-production. 

 In the case of our common vegetables and fruits, the cause is 

 not so much from over-production as a lack of proper, rapid 

 and cheap distribution and a little advertising. It often 

 happens that when the grower is receiving a very low price 

 for a certain crop, in fact below the cost of raising, due to 

 a plentiful harvest, the consumer buys no more of this crop, 

 as the price to him is but little, if any, lower than under 

 normal conditions. 



