Marketing Fruit 305 



a uniform pack, and by this means they establish a reputa- 

 tion for their goods. Usually the best grades of fruit are 

 sold as a certain brand. The brand, which should be 

 copyrighted, is sufficient guarantee for the quality, or, at 

 least, it must be if the association expects to gain and hold 

 a reputation. 



Supplies of various kinds, used on fruit-farms, may 

 be bought at wholesale, often in car-load lots, which is an 

 advantage, particularly on such items as spray and box 

 materials. The prices to growers are only slightly in ex- 

 cess of actual cost. It is also advantageous to keep a cer- 

 tain amount of the better class of help from year to year 

 and to furnish them with employment, so that a more or 

 less extensive jobbing business may be conducted; not 

 only is a large quantity of fruit-growers' supplies handled, 

 but a wholesale business in other lines may be done, de- 

 pending on the demands of the locality. 



Finally, an association can be handled more economi- 

 cally than it is possible for most individuals to market 

 their own fruit, unless they depend entirely on the travel- 

 ing buyer, or resort to the doubtful expedient of consign- 

 ing to commission men. 



Given a capable manager and a wise board of directors, 

 there can be small chance of failure under our conditions. 

 But men who are capable of handling 500 to 1500 cars 

 of fruit at a good profit are not common, and when one 

 is found, every effort should be made to retain him. 



When a capable manager is found, he should have a 

 salary in proportion to the amount of business and the 

 responsibility that must be carried. The latter item 

 is certainly important when we consider that he may 



