MARKETING 169 
the first day. The remaining heads are more or less 
wilted by the second day, and they do not appeal to the 
buyers, so that fewer sales are made on that day. The 
lettuce is in much worse condition the third day, and the 
day closes with a remnant so inferior that it cannot be 
sold at all. The dealer, of course, is reluctant to buy 
another barrel of lettuce until disposition has been made 
of the previous lot. His sales and profits are diminished, 
the consumer is disappointed, and the producer wonders 
why his lettuce does not sell better. Had the small grocer 
bought a bushel box or perhaps two half bushel baskets 
of lettuce, there would have been no dissatisfaction at 
any point from producer to consumer, because a fresh 
lot of lettuce would be offered for sale every day. There 
are good reasons, sometimes, for using barrels for the 
shipment of lettuce, but the illustration applies to thou- 
sands of stores where various kinds of greenhouse prod- 
ucts are handled in packages that are too bulky for the 
best results. 
The style or form of the package should have con- 
sideration. Small baskets with handles always appeal to 
buyers. Variously designed carriers are in use, which 
seem to meet the demands of dealers. This subject will 
be more fully discussed in connection with notes on the 
marketing of each crop. 
The bushel box and other smaller wooden and paper 
boxes and rectangular crates of various descriptions are 
popular because they can be loaded solidly on wagons, 
trucks and cars without any loss of space. It is a great 
advantage to use uniform and standard types and sizes 
in each community, and uniformity in this matter 
throughout the country would be of inestimable benefit 
to the vegetable-forcing industry. 
Preparation for market—Inasmuch as greenhouse prod- 
ucts are usually of special quality and in many instances 
easily bruised or damaged, it is necessary to handle them 
with extreme care. They are taken promptly to the pack- 
