80 HARVESTING, STORING, AND MARKETING 



north of the Ohio Rivers. This is the area of greatest density 

 of population. 



A fruit auction is a place with facilities for displaying the 

 merchandise, where buyers and sellers come together, with an 

 auctioneer to sell the products. It is conveniently located for 

 receipt of goods by ship or rail. It has ample unloading and 

 warehouse facilities, and a selling room for the assembling of 

 those interested in the auction, and where the selling actually 

 takes place. The auctioneer conducts the sale from a high 

 rostrum so that he may see everyone and all may see him. 

 The seller may withdraw his offering under prescribed condi- 

 tions, but may not bid himself. 



The auction house publishes a catalogue giving essential 

 information about the quality and grade of goods, terms of 

 sale, etc. Selling proceeds item by item or line by line. Buyers 

 are usually wholesale grocers, restaurants, chain stores, hotels, 

 or brokers. Small lots may be bid in by hucksters and push- 

 cart men. The usual selling charge is from 2^4 to 3^4 percent 

 on standard products in quantity. Consignment is not made 

 direct to the auction company, but to a commission agent in 

 the usual way, or to some representative of the shipper. The 

 commission man in such case makes a lower charge, since the 

 auction company does the selling. 



Auctions for the most part serve large organizations. They 

 handle an enormous volume in a short period. A carload may 

 be sold in 3 minutes or even less. Few individual growers use 

 auctions, partly at least because they do not have the neces- 

 sary volume of produce. Only well-known and carefully stand- 

 ardized brands are handled. 



The auction method of selling is on the increase. Thus far 

 only foreign fruits, as bananas, the citrus fruits of Florida and 

 California, and the deciduous fruits of the Far West have been 

 sold to any great extent by this method. Other fruit growers 

 nearer the consuming centers have sold in the usual way. 

 However, farm cooperatives are introducing the auction 

 method in some producing sections. Their development should 



