158 HARVESTING AND MARKETING 



grower. Label your packages so that every buyer knows 

 what he is purchasing. The quaUty of the package should 

 be plainly stated. The package should be labelled fancy 

 No. 1 or No. 2, so that the buyer is not deceived. Always 

 make the package uniform in contents, no matter what the 

 grade might be. 



People in general have recognized that quality and not 

 quantity in produce is what they want. Often a small lot of 

 well selected and fancy produce will sell for more than a wagon 

 load of rubbish. 



The home-grown product will oftentimes bring more than 

 that shipped from regions where the crop is grown in great 

 acreages. Occasionally the prices of the home-grown product 

 is often several times that of the shipped product. This 

 great difference in price is due largely to the quality, but the 

 public is \\illing to pay for it. I have one case in mind with 

 the tomato. A grower has consistently received considerably 

 more for his home grown fruit than was paid for the shipped 

 product. This increase in price was due to the superior 

 quality. There are numerous other cases, which could be 

 mentioned to prove the value of quality. 



Transportation. — Produce is shipped in two ways, either by 

 express or by fast freight in refrigeration cars. If the distance 

 is short express is perhaps the better, but when long dis- 

 tances are covered it becomes necessary to ship by fast 

 freight and to have the produce packed in ice-cooled cars. 

 Long distance shipments require car load lots. 



These cars are practically large ice-boxes. The produce is 

 cooled, if possible, before it is placed in the cars, but this 

 cooling is not always necessary. After the produce is loaded 

 and packed the cars are iced and tightly closed up. By 

 handling the produce in this manner it arrives in excellent 

 condition, and oftentimes fruits and ^■egetables are shipped 

 thousands of miles, arriving on the market in a fresh state. 



Perhaps no greater impetus has been given to horticulture 

 than the in^'ention of the iced or the refrigerator car. Before 

 this means of transportation came into use, long distance 

 shipments of perishable produce were impossible. Only 

 short hauls could be made, and many times the express rate 



