236 MODERN FRUIT MARKETING 
Take a specific product like canned tomatoes. The job- 
ber’s agent goes out to the canning factory and contracts 
for 10,000 cases of tomatoes to be delivered at intervals 
of two weeks in car lots. The canning factory agent goes 
to the farmer and contracts a sufficient. number of acres 
to supply the capacity of the factory. Agreeing to pay 
a certain per cent of the monthly deliveries and the bal- 
ance at the close of the season. 
In due time the tomatoes are grown and delivered at 
the factory. The factory sends out its first car with a 
bill for cash in 60 days. The jobbers receive the goods 
and immediately re-sell to the groceryman or retailers 
and bill them for 30 days cash. The grocery sells to 
the consumer with weekly cash payments. At the end 
of the week the consumer goes to the grocery store and 
pays his bill for the goods. At the end of the month 
the retailer pays his bill to the jobbing houses. Then 
the jobber remits to the canning company which, in 
turn, makes a payment to the grower. In this manner 
the consumer’s dollar is passed along to the producer, 
shrinking a little each time it changes hands. 
When the country is prosperous and everybody is 
working at a good wage everything runs smoothly. But 
a panic may appear and a number of men be thrown out 
of employment. This makes it difficult for the retailer 
to collect his bills. The jobbing house has the same 
trouble and the canning company has to wait on the con- 
venience of the jobber. Consequently the grower does 
not get his money on time. Thus hard times prevail all 
along the line. If such panics are not serious banks can 
usually be depended upon to advance sufficient money to 
tide over the depression. But if conditions are bad the 
