HARVESTING AND MARKETING 141 



their work. This is true not only in apple- 

 growing but in all other branches of farm de- 

 velopment. The experiment stations and the 

 Department of Agriculture at Washington have 

 urged the farmer to greater production, and he 

 has responded only to find that the market for 

 tins greater production was about as tangible 

 as so much thin air. It is probably not the busi- 

 ness of the government agencies to market farm 

 products any more than it is their duty to mar- 

 ket any manufactured product. If a manufac- 

 turer works himself into a box by producing 

 more than he can sell he works his way out 

 either by reducing prices or by efficient sales 

 efforts. 



I can see no reason why a farmer or fruit- 

 grower should let his work stop when he has 

 produced his particular product. I can see 

 no reason why he should not also develop into 

 a good business man just as he has developed 

 into a good producer. Nor can I see any rea- 

 son why the farmer should ask for special legis- 

 lation to help him out of difficulties which he 

 is capable of getting out of by his own efforts. 



In the past the fruit crop of the country has 

 been handled chiefly through the medium of 

 "commission men" who receive the fruit in the 

 city markets and sell it to peddlers and gro- 

 cerymen and other large users. Such men 

 usually have well equipped stores, accept ship- 



