SELLING METHODS 207 
that it will keep for some little time. The directors set 
a price for which the product should be offered to the 
trade. When this price was agreed upon and the esti- 
mates of the oncoming crop tabulated, they sent this 
information to all of the large buying houses and job- 
bers in the East, asking them to reserve such quantities 
as they saw fit. 
They did this fully one month ahead of the time at 
which the fruit was harvested. The buyers in the East- 
ern markets, knowing that the price had been fixed and 
they could not get the product at any other place for a 
less price, immediately wired or wrote the exchange to 
reserve such quantities as they thought they would need 
for the year’s supply. This particular exchange esti- 
mated its entire crop at 2,000 tons. By the end of the 
first week, after the buyers had been advised of the 
prices set, all of the crop had been bargained for and 30 
carloads in excess of what it could supply. These, of 
course, were bonafide orders and were booked in ac- 
cordance with the way in which they were received. 
Those coming in first were filled first, and if there were 
not enough to go around the ones ordering last were 
compelled to take short measures. 
When the product was shipped to the Eastern market 
it was consigned direct to the buyers. Along with the 
bill of lading went a sight draft attached, covering the 
price of the contents of the car. A copy of this bill was 
also sent to the bank through which the buyers were 
doing business. The railroad then acted as agent to pro- 
tect the sellers. Before the buyer could gain possession 
of the carload he was compelled to go to the bank and 
take up the attached bill, which then became a sight 
