134 HORTICULTURE, FORESTRY, FLORICULTURE 



fruit should be of uniform quality throughout the package if the 

 grower hopes to build up a desirable reputation in his market. 



Every package should be branded with his name, and this should 

 be a sufficient guarantee of the uniformity of its contents. Such a 

 brand will often insure against loss during gluts, and cause prompt 

 sales at advanced prices when the conditions affecting demand and 

 supply are normal. (Y. B. Reissue 1905.) 



Local Peddling. Local peddling is only possible where the 

 grower lives near his customers and, where practicable, it is a very 

 satisfactory way of disposing of the product. A variety of fruits can 

 be carried and disposed of in this way, and besides it gives oppor- 

 tunity to combine truck growing wdth fruit growing. The large 

 grower must find some one to sell his produce. It may be best for 

 him to sell through a commission merchant. If the grower concludes 

 to sell in this way it is of extreme importance that the commission 

 house that he sells to be honest. Before selecting your dealer make 

 careful inquiry respecting his character and responsibility. The 

 usual commission for handling fruit is 10 per cent of the gross sales. 

 (U. S. E. S. B. 178.) 



FRUIT GROWERS' ASSOCIATIONS. 



The growing of fruit itself is an intricate business and is usually 

 all that one man should attempt. If he makes a success of orchard- 

 ing, the time of the average man will be fully occupied. Then he 

 can afford neither the time nor money to keep posted on the condi- 

 tions of the markets every day, or to become acquainted with the 

 many intricacies incident to marketing. 



An association, on the other hand, can afford many of these 

 things, because of the volume of business involved. For instance, the 

 manager must have daily telegraphic reports on the condition of the 

 markets ; he often has a personal acquaintance with the buyers, and 

 he finds it to his advantage to make occasional trips for the purpose, 

 even to distant states. He can also have a system of diverting can 

 after they have been sent out of the State and thus avoid a glutted 

 market, or send his fruit where it will sell to better advantage than 

 where it was first planned. The icing of the cars can also be properly 

 looked after. Associations are often the means of getting lower 

 freight rates, because the hauling of several hundred cars is an item 

 worth competing for, and in a number of instances, the managers' 

 have been successful in getting rates changed to their advantage. 

 Such rates are, of course, open to all shippers. Buyers often want a 

 number of car loads of a certain variety and are willing to pay a pre- 

 mium if their wants can be supplied, and not infrequently such sales 

 are the means of disposing of large amounts of the inferior varieties 

 or grades. An individual is seldom in a position to take advantage of 

 such opportunities. Associations are successful in maintaining a uni- 

 form pack, and by this means they establish a reputation for their 

 goods. Usually the best grades of fruit are sold as a certain brand. 

 The brand, which should be copyrighted, is sufficient guarantee for 

 the quality, or, at least, it must be if the association expects to gain 

 and hold a reputation. 



