THE BEST SYSTEM OF MARKETING APPLES. 



D. T. DODD, HUDSON, MASSACHUSETTS. 



In order to be a successful fruit grower it is necessary not 

 only to be able to grow high quality fruit, but also to market 

 the fruit in such a way that the net returns may be the largest 

 possible. Like all producers, the fruit grower's problem is how 

 to get the greatest proportion of the consumer's dollar. In 

 Massachusetts the problem of marketing fruit is far different 

 from that which confronts the western grower. Here we have 

 the best markets in the world at our very doors, while the 

 western growers must transport their fruit many thousands of 

 miles to these same markets. The market being far away, the 

 western fruit grower has found that the only successful way to 

 compete with the eastern grower is by co-operating and selling 

 his fruit through an exchange. By this means he gets a uni- 

 form standard of grades, a uniform pack and a very high 

 standard grade of fruit. As the fruit is all pooled together and 

 shipped and sold by trained men, the individual grower has the 

 marketing of his fruit taken out of his hands, and can devote 

 all his attention to the growing end of the business. Here in 

 Massachusetts, more particularly so in the eastern part of the 

 State, the individual grower must work out his marketing 

 problem in his own way. As we each have our own methods, 

 no one of which is perfect, we can all profit by finding out our 

 neighbors' successes and failures. In the rest of this article I 

 will describe how I have worked out my marketing problem. 



My fruit is sold in two ways, — through commission men in 

 Boston, and direct to the consumer on a roadside stand situated 

 on the main automobile highway from Boston to Worcester. 

 My orchard is located in Hudson about 30 miles from Boston, 

 the stand being about 3 miles from the orchard. 



