CONSIGNEES 95 



CHAPTER XVIL 



CONSIGNEES. 



IK the cities of Philadelphia and New York there is a 

 class of men known as commission merchants and prod- 

 uce dealers. They have stands or stalls in the markets, 

 or in some of the streets where fruits and vegetables are 

 principally sold. But their more profitable and impor- 

 tant business in a fruitful season is to sell fruit, and espe- 

 cially peaches, on commission. The distance between 

 Philadelphia and the center of the peach district being 

 only about seventy-five miles, the time very short, and 

 only the smaller portion of the crop sent there, the com- 

 mission men seldom make any very special effort to obtain 

 the trade, or arrangement for its delivery. They rely upon 

 the ordinary provisions of the roads and steamboats. But 

 not so with those of New York. A large portion of the 

 crop is sent there ; the competition for the trade is very 

 brisk, and consequently strong and earnest efforts are 

 made to secure the patronage. Hence, as soon as it is as- 

 certained, to a reasonable certainty, that there will be a 

 crop, the commission men visit the peach district in per- 

 son, or send expert agents, to secure consignments and 

 engage cars and shipping agents. They first estimate 

 the crop; then engage the number of cars requisite to 

 transport the consignments that will be made to them; 

 and then the local shippers at the different stations where 

 peaches are to be delivered. This completes the arrange- 

 ment at the producing end of the line. At the sale end, 

 carts are engaged to haul the fruit from Jersey City, the 

 end of the railroad line, to points of sale or re-shipment in 

 New York. A portion of the fruit is sold at the stands of 



