MARKETING EASTERN. GRAPES. 17 



the costs and profits of the local carlot assembler, whose functions 

 he has himself assumecL It should be remembered, however, that the 

 business of growing grapes and the business of marketing grapes are 

 as different and distinct as the business of manufacturing agricul- 

 tural implements and the business of running a rural hardware store. 

 The fact that a farmer is able to produce grapes of high quality 

 in abundance is no sure indication of his ability to dispose of them at 

 a profit, and he should not attempt to enter this highly specialized 

 field without a very clear understanding of the methods to be fol- 

 lowed and an intimate knowledge of the demands and requirements 

 of the various markets. 



Unfortunately very unbusinesslike methods of consigmnent are em- 

 ployed by many growers who ship their products indiscriminately 

 to the nearest large market whenever they happen to be ready to 

 pick, without any study of the existing conditions on that market, or 

 even a notification to their agent of their intention to ship. 



OVERLOADING MARKETS. 



Every market has a definite limit to its daily consuming capacity. 

 When the carlot receivers or jobbers on any market find that the 

 supplies of grapes on hand do not meet the demand, they naturally 

 take steps to purchase them at the nearest producing section where 

 the desired varieties and quality may be profitably obtained. On 

 the other hand, if city dealers have several cars a day rolling toward 

 their market, and in addition to these several shippers forward cars 

 unsold to the same market, and they all arrive together, with per- 

 haps heavy arrivals of freight and express less-than-carload ship- 

 ments, it is probable that these arrivals will exceed the demand, and 

 there will be a decline in price. Moreover, any continued surplusage 

 of supplies will clog the channels of trade and result in severe loss 

 to all concerned. Shippers should study the receipts on all markets 

 to which they intend to ship and avoid those that are congested. In 

 addition, when they ship on consignment, they should write or tele- 

 graph to their dealers giving date of shipment, number and size of 

 packages, varieties included, and a fair statement as to the quality 

 and condition of the shipment. When shipping in carlot quantities, 

 they should also specify car number and initials and should forward 

 the bill of lading. 



CONSIGNMENT DECLINING. 



Principally on account of the difficulties mentioned above, the 

 straight commission-house business in the grape industry seems to 

 be on the decline. Many city dealers prefer the more businesslike 

 method of purchasing outright in the producing sections the stock 

 they need. In sections of large acreage, where marketing methods 

 178922°— 20- 3 



