MARKETING 287 



point as soon as possible, sixty boxes of oranges, each con- 

 taining one hundred twenty-six oranges to the box, one 

 hundred twenty boxes, each containing one hundred fifty 

 oranges . . . these oranges to be of that particular grade 

 known as Martha Washington Valencias. I can sell these 

 at $2.75 per box. A car of oranges shipped from the S. A. 

 (San Antonio) district exchange arrived in rather poor con- 

 dition; most of the fruit was green, and rather coarse in 

 quality. Car No. 2366 from the A. C. G. (Azusa-Covina- 

 Glendora) exchange has not arrived and we cannot locate 

 railroad over which it was routed. Car No. 3003 from the 

 O. K. (Ontario-Cucamonga) exchange has been routed to 

 this point; if we cannot sell it here, to what other city shall 

 we divert it? Temperature is fifty degrees above zero, at 

 eleven o'clock this morning. The Weather Bureau predicts 

 favorable weather." 



Seventy-seven telegrams of this same sort are received 

 each day in Los Angeles from the seventy-seven different 

 selling organizations stationed throughout the United States 

 and Canada. On the basis of this information, the sales 

 office in the exchange in Los Angeles sends out directions to 

 each of these offices telling them what to do under the cir- 

 cumstances, and advises them of any fruit which may be 

 en route to them. Meanwhile, copies of these incoming and 

 outgoing telegrams are sent to each of the nineteen district 

 offices in southern and central California and the managers 

 act in accordance with the information thus received. Thus, 

 each of the various districts of California is kept in contact 

 with actual market conditions throughout the country. 



401. Cost of marketing. There has been much specula- 

 tion and heated controversy regarding the cost of putting 

 agricultural and horticultural products in the hands of the 

 consumer. At present, the United States Government has 

 marketing experts engaged in collecting information along 

 this line, and within a few years probably more will be 



