1254 The Vegetable Industry in New York State 



with the growers were often " jug-handled " affairs. They were in 

 position at all times to dictate in the matter of contracting for to- 

 matoes. If the grower's crop happened to be late and the canner 

 had received from other growers about all the tomatoes he cared 

 to pack, he would at times refuse to receive any more tomatoes 

 under any consideration, although the quality of the fruit might 

 have been of the best. The same holds true with corn, peas and 

 some other crops. 



Contracts for produce are generally made with the grower two 

 or three months previous to the planting of the crop. If the can- 

 ner desired a large acreage of peas and the contracts were not 

 forthcoming from the growers, he would refuse to take a contract 

 for tomatoes, unless the grower agreed to contract for a certain 

 acreage of peas, or vice versa. 



There are many other instances of unfair treatment, such as 

 having to wait long hours in line when making delivery, and, 

 after having done so, have the inspector inform you that he would 

 be obliged to cut you two or three dollars a ton on the load as the 

 tomatoes were not as perfect as they should have been and did not 

 conform to the contract. I have had my own load of tomatoes 

 turned down for no other reason than to help eliminate the large 

 loss which was occurring daily on account of deterioration of the 

 fruit, the canner being unable to properly care for the tomatoes. 

 The accumulation of a large over supply at such times invariably 

 caused a loss which the grower was asked to help sustain. Such 

 discrimination and unbusinesslike management on the part of the 

 canner has had a tendency to create great dissatisfaction, and 

 where growers are obliged to stand for treatment of this kind there 

 is not a likelihood of making much money in growing tomatoes 

 for the canneries. 



The grower, as an individual, is not in position to make demands 

 on the canner ; he will be given to understand that he is not run- 

 ning the canning factory — in fact, he is not taken into serious 

 consideration. Tf he does not like the treatment accorded him he 

 can, of course, refuse to contract next year, but that does not help 

 the present situation. 



What I have said of unfair treatment of the growers by the can- 

 ners is, undoubtedly, the exception rather than the rule, but in 



