206 MODERN FRUIT MARKETING 
from the Pacific Coast. When it reached this city it 
was found that the markets were glutted for this kind 
of pear. It was then diverted to Philadelphia, but on 
reaching there the Eastern agent thought by continuing 
them to New York the growers could realize a higher 
price than the Philadelphia market afforded. It was 
again diverted and, on reaching New York, was sold at 
an advance of 50 cents a package over anything offered 
in Chicago or Philadelphia. In this way large over- 
supplies or deficiencies are avoided. 
Where consignments are made to regular commission 
houses they are usually investigated by the management 
of the exchange and are often required to give bonds for 
the proper fulfillment of their business contracts. Such 
commission houses usually work on a lesser margin than 
where small shipments are handled. Where the agent 
of the exchange is also located in the city in which the 
commission men do business, he is much more apt to 
do his best for the interest of the fruit growers than he 
would otherwise. 
Another method is to ship fruit with the bill of lad- 
ing attached. This is followed out by a number of well 
established exchanges which have no agents. They 
do their selling through the general office by means of 
correspondence. This is the common method of the 
cured fruit exchanges or the various almond or walnut 
exchanges, where the fruit is capable of being kept for 
a little longer period of time. 
One California exchange found that it was not neces- 
sary to have any selling force at all after the first year 
of the organization. Its method of selling could be 
illustrated by the following. The commodity is such 
