142 LOCAL SELLING OF MARKET GARDEN PRODUCTS 



In the past more attention has been given to the growing than 

 the marketing of the crops, but the time has arrived that we as pro- 

 ducers must study this problem and receive our share of the proceeds 

 from our products. Until a very few years ago, very httle attention 

 was paid to the attractive manner of marketing our goods, and in 

 many instances not enough is given now. I am to speak to you 

 about "Local Selling of Market Garden Products." We will suppose 

 this to be at retail, for seldom do we find local wholesale markets 

 any better than city commission houses. 



SELLING ON COMMISSION 



Possibly there may be several commission merchants in the 

 audience, and we do not feel that we should score them too hard. 

 Two years ago our association in ^>rmont called from Boston a 

 commission man to speak to us, feeling that we were not close enough 

 together in our work, and that he might suggest some ways we could 

 send our products there in a manner so that they would command 

 the highest prices. Certainly we had a very nice speaker, and he 

 emphasized different lines. The gist of his remarks was this. He 

 thought that we had not received as much for many of our products 

 as we should, but it was largely a fact that they were not shipped 

 there in good condition. He held that the commission men of Boston 

 were not dishonest, but that the goods were not in proper shape; 

 and he urged that we as producers take more pains in our packages 

 and in the packing, and send all first-class products, or at least send 

 what they were branded to be. 



Notwithstanding what he said in this matter, I am not quite 

 convinced that this is always the case. A friend of mine was in 

 Boston two years ago in a market, and they v\'ere selling shell beans 

 at a very high price. He asked a commission man in regard to 

 the matter, and the latter said there never was a time he knew of 

 but good shell beans sold at a very high price in that market, and 

 he advised my friend to plant a large acreage to shell beans. 

 He thought he would venture. When the beans were nearly 

 ready to pick, he received this from the commission man. 

 'T wish your beans were here today. They were selling at 

 three dollars per bushel. Pick and ship immediately if good." 

 He picked that day twenty-five bushels and shipped. The 

 next day he shipped twenty-five bushels more, not having heard 

 from the other shipment. In a few days he received returns from 



