150 



the buyers by expending some time and a little energy. The 

 outside market is a little more difficult to get in touch with, 

 but I am sure the Boston Chamber of Commerce and your 

 own State Board of Agriculture will be only too glad to 

 furnish you with a list of buyers in the large markets. There 

 are some growers who have gotten in touch with large re- 

 tailers in Boston, and working together the growers are 

 marketing part of their fruit. This is a good way but can 

 only be used to a limited extent, as the majority of retailers 

 do not want to buy of the grower because they do not know 

 the growers, his brands or reputation. These retailers want 

 to buy from day to day from a wholesaler who will furnish 

 them just what they want when they want it, adjust any 

 claims for poor and damaged fruit and at times extend 

 them credit. There are a large number of general commis- 

 sion men who handle more or less apples, some buy outright 

 of the owner and others handle on consignment only. The 

 growers have found a great deal of fault in this way of 

 doing business, claiming the commission men do not give 

 them a square deal, for they read in the paper that apples 

 were quoted $4.00 per bbl. and in going through Quincy 

 Market, a dealer told them he asked $5.00 a bbl. and they 

 had only received $2.50 return from the commission man 

 they had shipped to a week previous. So the grower im- 

 mediately concludes the commission man charged him an 

 enormous profit. The grower did not understand that his 

 shipment was a small one, the commission man did not know 

 in advance the kind or quantity ®f the apples, or that he 

 was to receive any at all, so he had no time to work up a 

 market, but as the grower wanted his money right off he 

 had to sell at what he could get. Then on a small quantity 

 the overhead charges are very high. 



If the grower has small lots of apples to sell which he 

 ■wishes to sell through a commission man, the best thing he 

 can do is to go to the nearest large town or city, look up 

 some commission man, become acquainted with this man, 

 and work with him to dispose of his apples. This generally 

 is very satisfactory. If not, find another man to deal with, 

 but the grower must always remember that if he does not 

 look out for his interests, nobody else will. The same method 

 applies to the selling of apples to the wholesale commission 



