METHODS OF MARKETING.— III. 



GOOD PACKING PROPER GRADING OF PRODUCE TRANSPORTATION EARLY MARKETING IN NEW YORK. 



REAT as is the difficulty in 

 having standard packages, the 

 size, shape and capacity of 

 each to be governed by a 

 United States law, as was 

 suggested in our last paper, 

 we note a disposition among 

 the handlers of produce in the 

 New York markets to take this law into their own 

 hands. In brief, we were given to understand that 

 a movement was seriously considered which would 

 force the grower to send his products to market in 

 proper packages. While this movement, to be a 

 success, would require close combination among the 

 dealers, which would be hard to secure, it shows 

 plainly that men who are in a position to judge, feel 

 how serious is the situation. It is, however, worthy 

 of note that the best and most progressive growers 

 have long understood the situation and act accord- 

 ingly ; this fact makes still more exasperating the 

 strong disposition toward getting produce to market 

 in any shape so long as it gets there, which is too 

 current among the majority of growers. 



The question of the division of qualities is so im- 

 portant that at the risk of seeming repetition I de- 

 sire to particularly emphasize the point. In the 

 question of an aggregate profit resulting from the 

 production of fruits and vegetables, that of quality 

 is most important. Our nurserymen, seedsmen 

 and florists have recently claimed that their several 

 businesses have reached a point where it will be ' ' the 

 survival of the fittest." They come to this conclu- 

 sion by reason of the strong disposition among some 

 of them to make sales at any cost, and usually this 

 cost is borne by the purchaser. Goods sold for 

 less than their value must be inferior in some re- 

 spect. These tradesmen have the advantage of 

 the fruit and vegetable grower in that the customer 

 does not see the goods until after he pays his 

 money so the result is simply the loss of a customer. 



In the case of the fruit grower then, quality 

 counts more largely than almost any other point in 

 his business. There has been so much talk about 

 the miserable livelihood to be obtained from the pro- 

 duction of fruits, that it is almost impossible to 

 make people believe that there is even a living to 



be obtained in the prosecution of this work. And 

 yet it is evident that by hard, earnest, careful and 

 intelligent work a competence may be obtained in 

 the culture of fruits and vegetables. As a matter 

 of fact the quality of the fruit bears no unimportant 

 part in the successes of fruit growers ; we do not 

 mean to be understood that when referring to 

 quaUty, the edible quality of the fruit is meant en- 

 tirely ; for, unfortunately, the grower has not to 

 cater to the palate of the consumer, but to his eye. 

 Berries, or any other fruit of handsome appearance 

 (good color, form and size) no matter what the 

 quality may be, will command a price in market far 

 in excess of that brought by fruit of good quality 

 and unattractive appearance. This is a strong 

 statement, but circumstances warrant it. Of course 

 there are exceptions to this rule, as when the con- 

 sumer becomes acquainted with a variety and it 

 suits his eye and taste, the latter especially, it will 

 be bought in preference to all other varieties. Take 

 for example the Shaffer raspberry ; it is unattrac- 

 tive in appearance, being of a dirty purplish hue, 

 yet we never knew one person who had tasted it 

 but what wanted more. The quality is superb, 

 but it is almost impossible to sell it in any market 

 where not well known. 



GRADING. 



The more successful gardener and fruit-grower, 

 as a rule, is the one who carefully grades his pro- 

 duce. It is sometimes claimed that produce mar- 

 keted as harvested, good, bad and indifferent, will 

 bring more money in the aggregate than if sorted 

 into numerous grades. This is pure fallacy, as a 

 visit to the metropolitan markets would convince 

 the most skeptical. It frequently happens that a 

 lot of stuff is brought in from the plantation, which 

 if shipped to a market 50 miles from where grown 

 is there only second class and sells accordingly ; 

 while if this same stuff were taken to a home mar- 

 ket it would bring a good price. Here again does our 

 point against mixing varieties come in. Soft straw- 

 berries in the same box with firm varieties, even if 

 of a better color, will have the effect of reducing 

 the net amount received for the shipment. Of 

 course it would hardly be good economy to lose 

 the second grade of fruit rather than take it to 



