Introductory Remarks 



The buying and selling of fruit in America is 

 largely in the hands of commission men, speculator^ 

 and others professionally engaged in the traffic, but 

 not interested directly in fruit growing. This ten- 

 dency to transfer the commercial part of the business 

 out of the hands of the fruit-growers and into the 

 hands of quite another set of men will probably con- 

 tinue to increase the difference pointed out. In other 

 words, the business of trading in fruits belongs less to 

 the farmers and fruit-growers than it does to the 

 commission men, speculators, cold storage men, pro- 

 fessional buyers, transportation men, and others of 

 that class. 



It is hardly necessary, however, to preface the fol- 

 lowing pages with an explanation that they are not 

 addressed to the men of this latter class, even though 

 they do have the largest interest in fruit marketing. 

 The fruit-grower continues to have his interest in the 

 matter, too; and it is the interest of the producer that 

 The Fruit-Grower has first in mind. There are two 

 other reasons why the present author does not under- 

 take to instruct the speculators and commission men: 

 First, they are usually quite able to take care of 

 themselves; second, the present scribe has never 

 studied their business from their own standpoint. 



It is the plain purpose of this book, therefore, to 

 help the fruit-grower. If anything can be done to 

 help him in disposing of his crop at a profit the 

 purpose of this book shall have been fully satisfied. 



There can be no doubt but that the fruit-grower 

 needs to study carefully this business of fruit mar- 

 keting. It is one thing to grow good fruit, and quite 

 another to get profitable returns from it. The diffi- 

 culties are growing constantly larger and larger. The 



