28 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



to the buyer. The California growers of fruits and vege- 

 tables have taught us a valuable lesson in this respect. With 

 no advantage in quality, they are shipping their crops long 

 distances to the east, and competing with us successfully in 

 our home markets. This is because we are at least a decade 

 behind the California growers in handling our products after 

 they are grown. A great many people further back from the 

 large cities are continually inquiring about the methods of 

 selling their crops. It is a problem with them whether to 

 grow in a large way and send to the larger cities, such as 

 Boston and jSTew York, or grow in a smaller way and sell 

 in the home market. Usually the local market, if of suffi- 

 cient size, is preferable. If not, it becomes necessary to ship 

 to the larger cities, where the selling must be done through 

 commission men. I believe in selling direct, if possible. A 

 great many are selling on commission, and it is necessary in 

 a great many cases to do so; but where not, sell outright. 

 The dealer takes your goods on commission, and, as he also 

 buys outright other goods of the same nature, he will natu- 

 rally give the preference to his own. 



I don't say they all do this; I say it is natural that they 

 should do so, and it is all we can expect of such a dealer. I 

 have frequently heard a commission dealer say to a customer, 

 " I can give you a good trade on that lot, as it was sent in on 

 commission." A large part of our garden products are perish- 

 able goods ; therefore the greater necessity for a general 

 knowledge of supply and demand, learned only through or- 

 ganization. We must look out for our own interests ; we 

 must fight our own battles. The jSTew England gardeners 

 are past masters in the growing of their crops, but are be- 

 hind the times in the matter of selling. This condition is 

 doubtless due to the lack of organization. The manufac- 

 turer and dealer establish their own prices, the banker fixes 

 the rate of exchange, while the gardener seldom knows the 

 price of his goods until he arrives in the market and is in- 

 formed by his customer. 



Organization is the watchword of the hour. We should 

 work together, buy and sell together, and in general act to- 

 gether, for our mutual advancement and protection as occa- 



