MARKETING SMALL FRUITS 131 



would ship in some berries, but I think their desire to 

 hold the best trade of the city would overcome their desire 

 for cheap berries, and would force them to buy of the 

 wholesalers here, to be sure of having best berries and 

 regular supply. 



Mr. Farnham : There is one little point that possibly 

 might be controlled, that, while it is not extensively prac- 

 ticed, still is a drawback upon the sale and price of a 

 good many quarts of berries each season. I refer to the 

 practice among some dealers and hucksters of buying 

 berries, taking them from the full quart basket and putting 

 them into <* snide" or "skin" baskets, thereby making 36 or 

 42 baskets out of a bushel crate of standard baskets. You 

 know a good many of our basket handlers catalogue what 

 they call "standard," "snide" and "skin." The "snide" 

 holds quite a little less than a standard quart, while the 

 "skin" is just what its name implies. We find in some 

 of our markets today that men whom you would least 

 suspect of it have fallen into this deplorable habit ; and 

 while there are not man}' of them who use the smallest 

 size, there are a great many who use what is known as 

 the "snide." 



The result is that men who sell the standard basket at 

 an honest profit must compete with these dishonest dealers, 

 who, by changing the basket, sell at the same price they 

 paid, and still make money. If they can save five to eight 

 quarts on a crate, they can afford to sell almost at cost, 

 in comparison with the profit generally made. This might 

 be controlled, I think ; they do not sell as quarts of berries, 

 but as baskets, and a law should be passed which would 

 compel all berries to be sold in baskets of standard size. 



President Hale : In Springfield and Worcester for 

 some years a large number of the growers have been put- 

 ting their berries in the hands of the commission men 

 early each morning ; each grower's lot has been placed by 

 itself and numbered on catalogue. The dealers and huck- 

 sters have congregated in large numbers, and, after looking 

 over the different lots and marking on the catalogue each 

 his own ideas as to quality and price, they have entered 

 the auction room and the lots have been quickly sold, 



