14 



BULLETIN 315, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



CAR-LOT, JOBBING, AND RETAIL PRICES. 



In figure 5 the relation is shown between the average car-lot, jobbing, 

 and retail prices of cantaloupes as secured over a period of 33 days 

 in a large western market. In plotting this curve the cost to the con- 

 sumer is figured per crate. It is understood, of course, that prac- 

 tically all sales were actually made per melon, and if the retailers had 

 been able to sell by the crate the prices named to the consumer would 

 have been substantially lower. These prices are not taken from 

 published quotations but were obtained by the daily personal 

 investigations of a member of the field force. 



THE RETAILING OF CANTALOUPES. 



In his position at the end of the line of agencies which distributes 

 foodstuffs from the farm to the consumer, the retailer performs the 

 same important functions in the marketing of cantaloupes that he 



Price 



61.50 

 140 

 1.30 

 1.20 



i.i 6 

 too 

 .so 



.60 

 .70 

 .60 

 JO 

 .40 

 .30 



































































. 







■ 





































































/ 



































































/ 





J2 







































/ 

























1 , 



— 



Cost to Retailers 





























































/ 















































V 













J 





















/ 

























1 













































\ 











/ 











































1 















































































/ 











































































/ 



— 



' 

























V 





























/ 









s 











y 













































\ 



























/ 



























































































































































AFTER SEPTEMBER 21 SHIPMENTS 



WERE LARGELY CONSIGNED 

















5EF 



TE> 



8E.R 



10 1 



1 



! L 



1 





1 



' 1 





1 



: 



z 



1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 LWobe'r 1 



1 Z2 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 . 



i 



i 





! 



1 



4 



5 



Fig. 5.— Chart showing the relation of the car-lot, jobbing, and retail prices on flat crates of Rocky Ford 

 cantaloupes holding 15 melons in a large western market from September 7 to October 9, 1914. 



does in the case of other perishable products. There is no doubt 

 that he could increase the consumption of these highly perishable 

 products by a change in his system of handling them and by the use 

 of more up-to-date and efficient methods in distributing them. 



Observations in the markets lead to the conclusion that the retailer 

 could stimulate the consumption of cantaloupes by featuring them 

 through display and attractive prices. Intelligent buying on his 

 part and careful handling in the store, combined with the more 

 rapid movement which would be occasioned by the lower prices, 

 would greatly reduce his loss through deterioration. If this plan 

 were not being followed successfully by numbers of progressive 

 retailers, it could not be advocated with such confidence, but it 

 repeatedly has been proved to be profitable, in spite of the handi- 

 caps under which the green grocer and fruit dealer work. The 



