8 BULLETIN 477, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Figure 4 is typical of the forms used by associations which assume 
responsibility for assembling and disposing of the berries. This par- 
ticular form provides for the contingency of transfers of cases froin 
one car to another in order to fill orders for certain varieties. This 
receipt also has the desirable feature of attaching responsibility for 
inspection to a particular inspector. Such features are found help- 
ful in securing better grading and packing. 
The expenses of the association which the grower necessarily must 
bear consist of a few weH-defined items, namely: First, salaries for the 
manager, sales manager or other officers, the inspectors, and any 
other necessary help; second, rental of or taxes on loading sheds, 
and depreciation of property, such as loading sheds, offices, etc.; 
third, stationery, postage, telegrams, and other miscellaneous items. 
The necessary money is secured either by charging the grower a fixed 
sum per crate of berries or a certain percentage of the gross returns. 
SALES METHODS COMMONLY EMPLOYED. 
Under all present systems of doing business it appears necessary 
that the large operators station their representatives in the producing 
areas in order to deal with the association manager or the individual 
grower, as the case may be. Apparently both buyers and growers 
find it most satisfactory, under present conditions, to do business by 
this method. However, with established grades and standards for 
berries and an impartial inspection service conducted by some dis- 
interested party, it is possible that buyers' and solicitors' salaries 
and traveling expenses might be saved. In some instances the rep- 
resentatives of the wholesale houses act entirely as cash buyers, 
while in other instances they solicit consignments and endeavor to 
secure the quality and variety of berries desired by their firms. 
TRANSPORTATION. 
So vital is the service of the railroad and refrigerator-car com- 
panies to the soft-fruit business that any discussion of marketing 
strawberries would be incomplete without mention of railroad method 
and equipment. At various points during the 1915 season it was 
observed that each 'road dealt with the shippers according to the 
demands of the local situation rather than according to any fixed 
program. 
All service which a railroad may offer must of necessity be based 
on published tariffs, and whether the railroad assumes all or little 
responsibility, there must be a tariff provision which covers the items. 
The railroad agent deals with the shippers, either as individuals or 
associations, and they must negotiate through him for service in 
distributing the berry crop. In the localities where the volume of 
shipments is large, the railroads usually have provided adequate 
facilities for the handling of berries. 
