It seems to us that a change is needed. The grower's products go now to a commission merchant, 

 are sold by him (between 12 and 3 a. m.) to the wholesale dealer, by him to the small grocer and lastly 

 to the consumer. This necessitates the following delays and handlings: 



Our products, for instance, would leave the farm at 7 a. m. crisp, tender and fresh; that night at 

 midnight they would be sorted out to the wholesale dealer, the following morning he sells to the grocer 

 and by night the consumer has it. This condition is, of course, much worse where the produce is from 

 24 hours to a week in transit between grower and dealer. 



The day is shortly to arrive when all restaurants, hotels, and clubs will deal directly with the farmer 

 giving to him the full value of his crops. This means to the producer a very large increase in his returns. 



To the private consumer, the "Home Hamper" will bring to the door absolutely fresh vegetables 

 in season, unhandled. If you will stop to think one moment what "unhandled" means, you will be 

 astounded. "Unhandled by a dozen people, not having stood in hot stores, foul cellars, or along dusty 

 streets"; and it means the same to the famous steward as it does to the simple housekeeper. 



The "Home Hamper" means a mail order business, and let me say here, let no man, or woman, 

 undertake market-gardening unless they distinctly understand it is a business; as much a business as a 

 department store or a manufactory. This hamper is delivered in New York or Brooklyn for $1.50; 

 exactly the same price in mid-season, much less when vegetables are scarce, than you would pay for 

 the articles at a fair green grocer's. To the housekeeper within the city limits the mail order gardener 

 opens to her door through which she can bring in fresh supplies for jellies, jams, preserves, canned 

 vegetables, and pickles, the exact quantity she desires fresh from the garden. To the gardener who adds 

 chickens to his other products, a market for eggs is at once opened, for these may form a portion of the 

 "Home Hamper" contents, and "dormant" food for city dwellers be reduced to a minimum. 



Perishable products, such as lettuce, endive, spinach, and radishes, should be picked either in the 

 early morning or at nightfall. They should then be spread in the shade, thoroughly sprinkled and left 

 in the open all night. These products wilt instantly when gathered, and the usual method is to take a 

 barrel into the field cut the crop and pack it at once, the result being the produce wilts and heats tre- 

 mendously. Radishes when shipped to a hotel or club should be packed in crates, which have had 

 paraffin paper laid on each side and each end. They should not be bunched, which is a saving of much 

 time to both parties concerned, and every radish should be so perfect that the steward may take up a 

 handful and see that they may be served at once. Is he willing to pay a good price? Of course he is, 

 for it saves him one man's time and brings him much commendation. Lettuce well washed and crisp, 

 saves him further time; infact, the benefit he derives is well worth a fancy price no matter what the 

 vegetable . 



Sweet corn, without a doubt, is the most difficult product to get to market in its best condition. 

 It heats very fast, while after a few hours the sugar is transformed into starch. If possible, pick it in 

 the early morning and ship at once; if not, pick the last thing at night, spread so the ears do not lie on 

 one another and leave it out in the night air, packing and shipping at once in the early morning. 



The Senior Partner says, "A true corn eat is where you pick the corn after the water is boiling,"" 

 but alas for city folks, they will never know a "true corn eat." I doubt not the "Home Hamper" this- 

 summer has given them the nearest to it they have ever known. 



The farm has shipped this summer upward of 100 "Home Hampers," most of them to "history 

 makers" and "critics," which if sold, as many of them were, at the usual rate ($1.50) would have netted 

 a tidy sum — they have been forwarded through New York City to interior points and never failed to 

 arrive in prime condition and receive enconiums. 



The personal equation here as elsewhere means much, therefore study up your packages, decide 

 what you will use and put them together during the winter, time is too precious in the summer season. 



Gathering a crop when it has reached the best stage is a matter that entails much thought. The 

 coming idea is "not how large, but how good." Peas picked when young and sweet will sell as "petit 

 pois" at an advanced figure. Small beans bring "baby bean" figures, while small, crisp radishes are 

 the only ones worth shipping. Young beets are in demand, also young carrots, onions and turnips. 

 Gather your corn before the kernels have reached their largest size and do not wait for lettuce to become 

 as hard as a rock provided it is well blanched and headed. 



It seems to me the mutual interests of market-gardener and consumer could be materially advanced 

 if the former would form a league and meet the National Stewards League of America. They would 

 find their interests identical and here, on equal terms, matters of vital interest could be brought up and 

 discussed. 



The Market-Gardeners' Association could have at its head an agent whose business it would be to 

 keep in touch with the members of the association and the members of the league, so that a larger 

 harvest of one commodity could be disposed of where the league members most wanted it. The Suffolk 

 County Cauliflower Association has been established on these Imes for some years. Their agent keeps 

 in touch with the markets of both East and West, giving to the members the knowledge where to ship 

 to their best advantage and thus save a glut in the nearby market. Now the producer and consumer 

 of garden crops are as far-apart as the poles with the commission man between them. This may and no 

 doubt does sound mo.st tremendously hard on the commissioners; they still have their place in the 

 world however, for the big carload lots and imported commodities must always be looked after by them. 

 The market-gardeners' consignments are usually small and many commission houses do not care to 

 handle them at all. This has been our personal experience this summer, therefore the fact has been 

 forced upon us, that the small producer must find his market direct; easy in this case for the one wants 

 what the other has. 



On the same date from the same house there may be a wide difference in the returns on the same 

 commodity packed in different ways. Again the return from one house may be much higher than from 

 another on the same goods packed the same way. For instance, from one house on the same day we 

 received the same price for a basket and for a crate of melons. The basket, of course held much less,, 

 but the quality of the two packages was the same. At one time and at one house turnips sold for f)7' 



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