32 BULLETIN 861, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Marketing Methods. 



Practical^ all known methods of sale are practiced in this region, 

 but the principal outlet for the grower is through local buyers or 

 car-lot assemblers. The contract system of sales is much in vogue. 

 Growers often sell their crop to a local buyer before it matures, 

 agreeing to pick and deliver at the buyer's packing house for a cer- 

 tain stipulated price. As the growers are often ignorant of the 

 marketing conditions while the buyer is well informed concerning 

 them, this system frequently works to the grower's disadvantage. 

 For instance, during 1918 growers in the Chautauqua-Erie belt were 

 selling their Concords at $100 to $110 per ton, while some growers 

 in the Iveuka Lake section were hauling similar stock at the pre- 

 viously contracted price of $60 and in some cases as low as $40 per 

 ton. Other growers in this section, who were selling to the same 

 buyer at the market price, were receiving $90 to $95. This last 

 price is not out of line, for Central Lakes stock, except in the case 

 of certain well-known brands, generally sells slightly below Chau- 

 tauqua and Hudson River stock. 



A large amount of stock, in the aggregate, is bought on contract 

 by outside buyers who visit this district and purchase crops at a 

 certain definite price, which depends upon the quality of each vine- 

 yard and upon the growers's knowledge of price conditions. It 

 might be said in passing that as a large percentage of growers is 

 extremely ignorant of marketing conditions and practices, good stock 

 may often be purchased in Seneca, Ontario, Schuyler, and Yates 

 Counties at low prices ; therefore many of the growers in these sec- 

 tions fail to realize the full market price for their product. 



In the Keuka section and in the Naples Valley large amounts of 

 this stock were formerly used for the manufacture of wine, and the 

 closing of this outlet will undoubtedly work a severe hardship in 

 these sections; however, some of these factories expect to engage in 

 the manufacture of grape juice. 



A much larger percentage of table stock is shipped from this 

 district than from the Chautauqua-Erie belt, 2-quart baskets being 

 used almost exclusively. Eight-basket crates are sometimes em- 

 ployed for shipping fancy table stock, such as Delawares. 



Consignment by growers, in less than carload lots and also in 

 carlots, is frequently practiced, particularly from the district around 

 Seneca Lake. As this consignment is generally done on a hap- 

 hazard basis, growers shipping to certain markets merely because 

 they did so the year before, it is not surprising that there is fre- 

 quent dissatisfaction regarding the returns. 



