Marketing and Storage 315 



the cash buyer is to sell a certain grade of a variety at a 

 cash price, f. o. b. the car. The importance of contracts 

 should be emphasized even in cash sales. Verbal contracts 

 permit much misconstruction and misunderstanding. It 

 is always important that definite specifications should be 

 drawn up as to the grade and variety of the fruit, time 

 of delivery and method of inspection. Much can be gained 

 by a thorough understanding between the buyer and the 

 seller. Contracts are particularly indispensable when 

 business operations are conducted at long range. 



The lump-sum cash buyer. 



Under this head is described the system of selling the 

 entire crop on the trees to a buyer who packs and grades 

 out the fruit, assuming entire risk in handling the crop. 

 In general such a system of marketing is very unsatisfac- 

 tory. It is obvious that the buyer's risk is necessarily 

 great and that he therefore must necessarily have a large 

 margin of profit. There is probably no other region in 

 which this system of marketing fruit is so widely prac- 

 ticed as in the Watson ville district or the Pajaro Valley of 

 California. Lump-sum buying strikes a blow at the com- 

 munity spirit by checking the development of a high 

 standard for the output of a region. 



Tree-ran cash buyer. 



Throughout certain regions and particularly in western 

 Xew York, the tree-run buyer plays an important part in 

 the marketing of the apple crop. Under this system the 

 cash buyer offers a certain price a barrel for the grower's 

 entire crop, culls and cider stock sometimes excluded. 

 The buyer then grades and packs out the fruit. Growers 



