PACKING AND MARKETING FRUITS 7 



fruit-grower to learn after he has mastered all the 

 instructions here given. Still these instructions are 

 nqjne the less necessary. 



It is the plan of this booklet to treat the different 

 fruits separately, discussing picking, packing, stor- 

 age, etc., for each. The apple is placed first, because 

 it is the most important of our American fruits. 

 Many of the methods employed in marketing apples 

 are applicable also to other fruits, so that in subse- 

 quent chapters it will often be necessary to repeat 

 statements already made or to refer to what has 

 gone before. The latter alternative will usually be 

 adopted. 



The index at the back of the book will doubtless 

 make it easy to find any information required. 



The Fruit Markets 



The man who expects to grow fruit for market 

 ought to understand something about the fruit mar- 

 kets. There are many different markets, and they 

 all have their peculiarities. For a proper understand- 

 ing of the matter it will be best to divide these mar- 

 kets into two general classes: (1) the retail markets, 

 and (2) the wholesale markets. In this country the 

 wholesale markets are much the larger and absorb 

 the great majority of all fruits. The retail markets 

 are numerous and growing, however, and ought to be 

 more commonly and more carefully cultivated. 



There are great advantages in selling fruit at retail 

 whenever the fruit-grower can do it. The expenses 

 of freight, the charges of the commission man, and 

 the loss by various sorts of shrinkage are all elim- 

 inated. These often amount to more than the initial 

 price of the fruit. 



In selling fruit direct to one's own customers at 

 retail one can cultivate a much larger list of vari- 

 eties. Whereas the wholesale grower is obliged to 



