PROCEEDINGS OF TWENTY-SIXTH FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 33 



the trade if quality is not maintained, or the markets are over- 

 loaded to the detriment of the trade, resulting in dissatisfaction to 

 buyers, and thus injuring future prospects of the seller. 



In dried fruits —particularly raisins and prunes — the same rule will 

 apply. The difficulty in these lines seems to be almost entireh^ in the 

 methods of the disposal of the crops. The crops are ample, but they 

 are not distributed and sold as fast as they should be. The cause of 

 the difficulty is in the distribution and sale. The opening up of new 

 markets, and the securing of new customers, do not keep pace with the 

 increasing production. The difficulty is not over-production, but 

 rather under-consumption. Many of the producers,' instead of standing 

 together, are allowing themselves to continually come under influences 

 that are diametrically opposed to their best interests. If they could 

 only look at this matter from the standpoint of what is best for all 

 concerned, their efforts would result in success. 



Present conditions in the disposal of these products have been 

 brought about by the fear of active competition of commission mer- 

 chants (so called), who are not only commission merchants, but also 

 brokers, dealers, speculators, and, in many instances, packers. 



One of the causes of lack of success is handling goods through agents 

 who are interested in other lines of products, for they are bound to 

 devote their attention to those goods which are easiest disposed of, and 

 on which, therefore, they can easiest earn their brokerage and commis- 

 sion, to the consequent neglect of other lines which require determina- 

 tion and push to dispose of them. Systematic methods of advertising 

 and permanent exhibits will also have to be adopted, for the products 

 must be brought in a more direct way to the attention of the con- 

 sumers. The opening up of new markets in foreign lands is, of neces- 

 sity, slow growth, and must be undertaken in a very careful way. The 

 foreign trade is not worth cultivating unless it is to be a permanent 

 one; therefore, the man or the concern desiring to go into this market 

 should see to it that when once in the field he has a sure prospect of 

 remaining there. The main consideration is to supply a standard 

 quality of goods. Strict honesty is absolutely essential. Everything 

 sold must be as represented. To send high-grade goods at the begin- 

 ning and then to let the quality drop is worse than folly. It is a good 

 form of business suicide. The foreign buyer is generally a shrewd judge 

 of values, and it is impossible to deceive him more than once. It is 

 highly essential that the manufacturer and producer should not 

 remain content with merely filling the orders that come in, but he 

 should cultivate and enlarge the opportunities that are now his. When 

 he is fairly established he may be reasonably sure of holding his trade, 

 for the foreign customer is conservative, and strong inducements must 



3— F-GC 



