CONSIGNING TO LARGE CITIES 



299 



are working independently, and provides for the loading of the 

 cars and other matters connected with the shipping of the goods 

 (Fig. 180). These are the chief functions of the organization as 

 operated at many shipping points, for the interests of the various 

 growers are not pooled. Each grower consigns his products to 

 any commission house he may select in the city to which cars 

 are being shipped. Each lot of vegetables retains its identity 

 upon the market, and returns are made directly to each grower 



Fig. ISO. 



-Muskmelon growers at Alma, Illinois, waiting their turns 

 to load their melons for shipment. 



ior his own goods. The grower is thus directly dependent upon 

 his own commission man for the prices he will receive. 



The prices secured by different commission men on the same 

 market the same day differ widely. Some growers change com- 

 mission men frequently in the hope of securing higher prices; but 

 such results seldom follow, especially when the market is well 

 supplied, for at such a time any good commission man will first 

 take care of the produce from his regular shippers, and sacrifice, 

 if necessary, that received from spasmodic shippers. 



Other growers divide each day's shipment among two or three 



