114 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 169. 



ultimate consumer, tlii'ough such agencies as car-lot wholesaler, jobber, 

 wholesale grocer and retailer. 



The places of the local dealer, commission man, broker and traveling 

 buyer in onion distribution have already been noted. They come first 

 in the present system of marketing and operate in the valley, purchasing 

 for immediate sale, for speculation or for storage, and are agencies with 

 whom the farmer may deal directly. 



Fig. 38. — Delivering onions for the wholesaler. These onions are deliv- 

 ered to the warehouse or directly to retail stores. The drayage charge 

 is 4 cents a bag. 



Let us now briefly consider the functions of the middlemen who handle 

 the product after it leaves the valley, i.e., those engaged in secondary 

 distribution. 



The Car-lot Wholesaler. 



The car-lot wholesaler acts as the primary distributor of onions arriving 

 at the markets by breaking up the carload lots and starting distribution. 

 He usually prefers to purchase outright through local dealers or brokers 



