152 



METHODS OF MARKETING. 



Ah ! here is where our friend placed a solid rock in 

 the foundation he was building ; when he went back to 

 his little farm, he had a good general idea of what the 

 New York market required in the way of produce, but 

 not that only, for he realized that the consuming public 

 like their goods done up in attractive shape and are will- 

 ing to pay well for the attention. 



Again he showed his knowledge of business, farmer 

 though he was, for he told me that he ascertained the 

 financial and moral standing of one of the commission 

 men with whom he talked, and being satisfied with it 

 wrote him substantially as follows: 



" Dt'ar Sir : — I am engaged in fruit and vegetable rais- 

 ing near this town, and would like to ship my produce 

 to you to be sold. My products are in every way first- 

 class and will be nicely packed. I shall expect the 

 highest market price for such quality of stuff as I send, 

 and am willing to be largely guided by you in the matter 

 of quantity and time of shipment. Let me hear from 

 you and oblige, Yours respectfully, 



John Doe. " 



The response to this letter from the cautious commis- 

 sion man was a request for a small consignment of the 

 then seasonable small fruit, red raspberries. They were 

 sent, packed in the same attractive manner in which 

 Doe ever packed his produce, and — well, suffice it to say, 

 for over ten years this dealer handled the products of 

 Doe's farm, always securing the highest market price. 



As we have said. Doe's plan of work was on the same 

 general principles recommended in this series of papers- 

 In handling small fruits the pickers were put into the 

 field in charge of a competent person, and each one 

 given a tray holding four quart or pint baskets as the 

 case might be. The pickers were instructed to take 

 from the vines and bushes only the perfect ripe fruit for 

 the baskets, but were expected to pick and throw away 

 any decayed, bird-pecked or nubby fruit they discovered. 

 As the baskets were filled the trays containing them 

 were set in the row and an empty one taken up, these 

 having been placed at convenient distances all along the 

 rows. The filled tray is taken in charge by a man who 

 gives the picker a ticket bearing his or her name, pro- 

 vided the baskets are filled as required ; if not they 

 must be made good before the ticket is given the picker. 



The tray is carried to the sorting-house, where the 

 berries are looked over closely before being put into the 

 crates. So far as possible, and always for the first 

 grade of fruit going to New York, only one variety of 

 fruit is placed in a crate. The crates are carefully 

 placed on the platform of a spring-wagon and taken to 

 the shipping point, the horses icu//:/;/^. The day before 

 this consignment is shipped Doe writes or wires his 

 commission man thus: "Will ship 5 o'clock train to- 

 morrow morning, 25 to 35 crates first grade straw- 

 berries." 



[In this connection we would refer the reader to an 

 article by a New York commission man in February 

 American Garden, page 74. — Ed.] 



Frequently our friend Doe adds a touch to his pack- 

 ages by wrapping or tacking colored netting over the 

 peach baskets, or placing a few fresh cut leaves among 

 the fruit, etc., etc. He also makes an occasional trip 

 to the city to see for himself what is going on, for he 

 has no idea of falling behind the times. 



His fruits and vegetables are alwavs uniform in size ; 

 no need to look over the baskets and find a layer of large 

 fruit at top and bottom and the centre composed of in- 

 ferior stuff. In bunching radishes or beets he does not 

 hide two or three little ones in the middle of the bunch, 

 nor are his asparagus bunches filled out with the ends 

 of the plant stalks. In brief, his products may be de- 

 pended upon in all respects. In return for his goods 

 he demands and receives the highest market price ; and 

 further, as we have said, when he puts up extra fine 

 fruit in attractive shape, he is well paid for the care. 



RECAPITULATION. 



It seems unnecessary to the writer to pursue this sub- 

 ject farther ; we have tried to cover the ground thor- 

 oughly, showing the comparisons of methods and the 

 results of each. When the whole subject is narrowed 

 down and brought into concise shape, it seems to be 

 completely covered by the one general rule, viz. : To 

 grow proper varieties, harvest them properly, pack 

 them honestly and attractively in clean firm packages, 

 and put them on the market in good shape and in a 

 business-like matter to 61; sold on their merits. 



Despite the growls of the producers, the slights at 

 commission men and the sneers at articles written on 

 the subject, it seems to us at least possible that the 

 blame for poor prices for produce must, a share of it, 

 and the larger share, be laid at the door of the producer 

 himself. We 4o not ask you to take our word for this, 

 but do ask that you take the trouble of refuting or veri- 

 fying what has been written by spending a day or two 

 among the markets of any large city and seeing for 

 yourself. 



We dislike to charge any American gardener or fruit- 

 grower with ignorance of his business, but it is a pal- 

 pable fact that too many shippers of produce to the 

 New York markets are wofully ignorant of how fruit 

 should be packed to bring a fair price. 



Obviously then, the future of fruit and vegetable 

 growing is largely in the hands of the grower ; a proper 

 conception of what is required by the rapidly-being- 

 educated consuming public, and an intelligent catering 

 to that desire, will improve the present status of the 

 business. The present prevailing carelessness, and in 

 too many cases inexcusable ignorance, will sink the 

 grower deeper into the financial mire. Which plan 

 shall govern ? K. 



