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BULLETIN 861, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 



.shipments is added. The costs and profits of the buyer, car-lot dis- 

 tributor, and the jobber are eliminated, and this saving should be 

 shared between the farmer and the retailer to make this method 

 satisfactory and profitable to all concerned. 



SHIPMENTS ON CONSIGNMENT. 



By far the most common method practiced by farmers who ship 

 their own grapes is to consign to commission* houses or brokers, who 

 in turn sell to jobbers or sometimes direct to retailers. These factors 

 act as the agent of the shipper, disposing of the grapes at the high- 

 est price obtainable, paying . transportation, icing, and drayage 

 charges, deducting a certain rate as commission, and remitting the 



Fig. 2. — Icing cars in a large distributing center. 



balance to the shipper. In some cities, such as Washington, D. C, 

 and Columbus, Ohio, the functions of these various factors are not 

 always distinct, as some houses perform the duties of car-lot receiver, 

 commission merchant, broker, and wholesaler. The commission 

 charge ranges from 5 to 15 per cent on the gross sales, but is usually 

 between 7 and 10 on large quantities. An understanding should be 

 reached beforehand as to exact percentage of commission to be 

 charged. 



Growers who have sufficient acreage to enable them to ship in car- 

 load lots have a great advantage in this method of sale over growers 

 who are forced to ship in less than carload lots, as the transportation 

 costs are much less, temporary refrigeration while in transit (icing) 

 is practicable, and the shipper has a much wider field of action, for 

 he is able to forward his product to almost any market desired, either 

 by direct billing or by diversion. By this method the farmer saves 



