MARKETING 7g 



shipper should become personally acquainted with 

 the persons who are to dispose of his products. This 

 personal acquaintance, whenever possible, should be 

 kept up by frequent visits. These will have a two- 

 fold advantage. It will have the tendency to stim- 

 ulate commission men to be more prompt and care- 

 ful in the handling of shipments and will give the 

 shipper an opportunity to learn many things in re- 

 gard to the preparation and packing of his products 

 in order that they may arrive in the markets and be 

 offered in the best possible condition. More mar- 

 keting knowledge can be secured by frequently fol- 

 lowing one's own shipments to market and watch- 

 ing the disposition of them than in any other way. 

 Once a commission man has been selected, take his 

 advice in regard to the best packages for the mar- 

 ket, the best methods of packing, time of shipping 

 and any other points he may mention. His long 

 years of experience have placed him in a position 

 to be a much better judge of the markets and their 

 requirements than the average shipper can ever hope 

 to be. The tendency to sell outright to the commis- 

 sion man is on the increase every year, yet is often 

 done at a great reduction in price over what the 

 markets justify. 



In buying perishable products outright the com- 

 mission man must be prepared to meet some heavy 

 losses once in a while, in the way of wildly fluctu- 

 ating prices or spoiled materials. Daily reports, 

 either by telegram or telephone, should be demanded 

 of the commission house, and it is oftentimes quite 

 as important that the grower inform the commis- 

 sion house at least twenty-four hours beforehand 

 of any probable shipments likely to arrive. Some 

 disappointments in returns must be expected from 



