4 BULLETIN 267, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



ters. A grower who will have one or more cars of produce to market 

 should get in touch with the concern to which he expects to ship his 

 goods some time before they are ready to move. Thus he may secure 

 some valuable suggestions as to packing, loading, or routing the ship- 

 ment, and these preliminary negotiations will pave the way to a 

 better understanding of terms and the means whereby the produce 

 may be handled rapidly and efficiently. In cases where it is advisable 

 to divert cars in transit or where special preparations must be made 

 to receive and distribute goods immediately, notification of consignee 

 by prepaid telegram should be coincident with shipment. Also, when 

 there is any doubt about a letter reaching the consignee before the 

 car arrives it is important that the wire be used. Telegraphic noti- 

 fications must make plain just what the shipper has in mind. For 

 instance, a shipper in Florida may consign a car to a commission 

 merchant in Kansas City, and telegraph to him as follows: 



Am to-day consigning to you car FGE 16438 containing 330 boxes Bright and 

 Fancy Bright grapefruit; 30 boxes 36's, 100 boxes 46's, balance 54's. Routed 

 via Atlantic Coast Line, Louisville & Nashville, Missouri Pacific. Handle for 

 my account. Letter and bill of lading follow. 



The letter which follows should embody the following details: 

 Name of commodity, date of shipment, whether shipped by freight 

 or express, route, car number and initial, number of packages, size 

 and type of packages, variety, and grade. 



In case the car is billed to a broker or sales agency the instruc- 

 tions, whether by telegram or letter, should read, " Sale subject to 

 confirmation by shipper," as in this way the shipper has the final 

 word as to the disposition of his property. 



Inexperienced shippers may overlook the fact that all railway cars 

 are designated by number and initials painted on the outside of the 

 car. Thus a refrigerator car owned by the Great Northern Railroad 

 Co., No. 51023, would be known as GN 51023. Car 16438, operated 

 by the Fruit Growers' Express, is designated as FGE 16438. 



Shortly before the goods reach their destination or immediately 

 •after arrival the consignee is notified by the railroad. When highly 

 perishable goods, such as strawberries, are moving, some railroads 

 receive passing reports of cars en route and notify the consignee 

 by telephone several hours before the car arrives, thus giving him 

 opportunity to issue any special instructions or to make arrangements 

 for prompt handling and distribution of the contents on the arrival 

 of the car. In handling fruits and vegetables not so perishable, the 

 railroad, as a rule, notifies the consignee after the car has arrived 

 and confirms this telephone notification by a mailed card, giving car 

 number, initials, and contents. 



When no special instructions are given by the consignee many rail- 

 roads place the cars on their team track soon after arrival in order 



