2 BULLETIN" 266, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTUBE. 



tions and practices, or simply through a lack of the proper commer- 

 cial perspective. If the grower is to market his products successfully, 

 he must realize the necessity of living up to an agreement and doing 

 business on a businesslike basis. He must learn to ship what he 

 oilers, to ship when he promises, and to carry out his part of the 

 agreement even though it means loss. 



In a community having the advantages of a cooperative associa- 

 tion the burdens and details of marketing are lifted from the pro- 

 ducers' shoulders and attended to by experienced sales managers 

 and representatives. In many districts where general farming pre- 

 vails the formation of cooperative associations may be delayed by 

 the lack of sufficient quantities of any one product. Again there are 

 many sections producing specialized crops where the growers have 

 not taken advantage of their opportunities to cooperate. The infor- 

 mation in this bulletin is intended primarily for the independent 

 producer who can not shift the burden of his marketing troubles to 

 a cooperative association. 



Cooperation is desirable between grower and grower, and grower 

 and consumer, but it is needed especially between the producer and 

 the distributor. Both must come to understand their interdepend- 

 ence and that best results will be accomplished by working together. 



This bulletin attempts to show the available outlets for the indi- 

 vidual producer in marketing his fruits and vegetables and how he 

 can get in touch with these outlets. Certain business methods are 

 common in the marketing of all fruit and vegetable crops and an 

 effort has been made here to explain these common points. A 

 glossary of the trade terms used will be found on pages 26 to 28, and 

 as these terms are not used in exactly the same sense in all parts of 

 the country, the glossary should be consulted freely. 



FINDING A MARKET. 



The necessity for keeping in constant touch with the various 

 markets within his reach is not fully appreciated by the average 

 producer. He realizes the importance of obtaining information con- 

 cerning production estimates, but does not realize that this is but 

 half the problem. Farm papers are paying more and more attention 

 to market news, and if the readers insist upon more comprehensive 

 service in this respect, the farm journals will emphasize this feature. 

 It may pay in many instances for growers to subscribe for trade 

 papers as well as agricultural journals, for in this way they will learn 

 market conditions from the distributor's viewpoint and the outlook 

 for future market developments. Incidentally they will understand 

 prevailing prices and the opinion of the trade as to the causes of price 

 fluctuations. 



