2 BULLETIN 315., 17. S. DEPAKTMENT OF AGEICULTUKE. 



The distribution of a number of cars of cantaloupes was traced 

 so far as was possible from the car-lot receiver in the market to the 

 consumer, records being made of all changes in possession or owner- 

 ship and of added charges. In a number of instances it was possible 

 to secure these data from the time the carload of cantaloupes left 

 the point of production. While practical difficulties made it impos- 

 sible to make the record complete, an endeavor was made to secure 

 the following items of information, so far as they applied, on each car 

 traced: Car number and initials; point of origin; consignor; consignee; 

 selling fees of the marketing association, distributor, local buyer, or 

 solicitor; date of shipment; date of arrival on market; date car was 

 opened; date released ; freight; refrigeration; switching charges ; de- 

 murrage; condition of stock on arrival; cartage charges; gross profits 

 of brokers, wholesalers or commission merchants, jobbers and retailers. 



It can be seen readily that as the distribution of a car of canta- 

 loupes in a city progressed, the difficulty of tracing the individual 

 crates greatly increased. The cooperation of the wholesaler or the 

 commission merchant who received the car was all that was required 

 to secure a record of the initial sales, but as the carload was dis- 

 tributed among scores of jobbers, retail grocers, fruit stands, huck- 

 sters, and push-cart men, it became impossible for one worker to 

 follow all the crates. Consequently the part of the carload traced 

 through the retailer was small when compared with the number of 

 crates sold by the car-lot receivers and jobbers on which it was possible 

 to secure a record. 1 



In addition to the above outlined work on specific cars of canta- 

 loupes, observations were made of all apparent factors which affected 

 the cantaloupe market, either favorably or adversely, in the cities 

 visited, such as the comparative receipts from the various competing 

 areas, the order of the appearance of these shipments on the market, 

 the quality and quantity of receipts, the preference of particular 

 markets for the different varieties and grades of cantaloupes, the 

 margin of profit, and general weather conditions. 



SYSTEMS OF DISTRIBUTION WITHIN CITIES. 



Where investigations were made, it was found that in the car-lot 

 marketing of cantaloupes there were several channels of distribution 

 after the car reached its destination. The three routes or channels 

 here given seemed best denned : 





' I. 





II. 





III. 



1. 



Broker. 



1. 



Broker. 



1. 



Wholesaler or commis- 



2. 



Wholesaler or commis- 



2. 



Jobber. 





sion merchant. 





sion merchant. 



3. 



Retailer. 



2. 



Jobber. 



3. 



Jobber. 



4. 



Consumer. 



3. 



Retailer. 



4. 



Retailer. 







4. 



Consumer. 



5. 



Consumer. 











1 Acknowledgment is made of the helpful spirit shown by the large number of produce merchants who 

 aided in the above work by allowing the office free access to their books, sales records, etc., and otherwise 

 cooperated in securing necessary data. 



