32 BULLETIN 1415, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Many small markets are supplied from the most accessible large 
market direct by jobbers and small wholesalers, although in recent 
years the great distributing agencies in producing regions often 
negotiate through brokers or through traveling salesmen for direct 
car-lot shipments to places of 10,000 population, or even less. Some- 
times a group of small dealers in such towns is able to combine in 
handling a direct car-lot shipment. 
Efforts of producers to simplify the system have resulted in experi- 
ments with special plans, such as direct shipment of small lots to 
retailers or by parcel post to consumers, or the opening of city fruit 
distributing stores that sell boxes or baskets to consumers. Groups 
of small buyers or cooperative consumers’ associations may buy 
car lots and distribute to members successfully, provided there are 
members with time and inclination to assume the considerable amount 
of detail and responsibility in such transactions. 
Various special kinds of sales occur in the consuming territory 
close to the producing area where freight or express on small lots is 
not prohibitive and where the me ae may keep in close touch with 
buyers. Under such conditions he may sell direct to retailers or 
even to associations of consumers with whom he has established 
trade relations by mail or telegraph. The various details, difficulties, 
costs, and risks of trading in small lots and the relatively small 
number of consuming centers in the far West have prevented any 
ereat development of direct methods. The tendency has been rather 
toward the growth of very highly developed marketing firms or 
toward collective selling. 
THE RETAIL TRADE 
Boxed apples are not handled by just the same class of retailers 
that sell most of the barreled fruit. The boxed apple is the favorite 
stock of the city fruit store, the fancy grocery, the cerner fruit stand, 
the push cart, and other sales places which depend on display to 
attract buyers and which in the large cities supply the active demand 
for lunch and dessert fruit. Individual grocers, chain stores, and 
provision dealers also handle much boxed fruit, disposing of vast 
quantities when prices are on a competitive basis with barreled stock 
and local supply. 
BOXED APPLES AT AUCTION 
At the regular auction markets of fruits and vegetables, boxed 
apples are sold in 14 cities. This auction centers are New York, 
Philadelphia, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Boston, Cincinnati, Cleveland, 
Detroit, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Chicago, St. Louis, Newark, and 
New Orleans. 
Local estimates of the proportion of boxed-apple arrivals sold by 
auction in the large cities vary from 25 to 30 per cent for Pittsburgh, 
Baltimore, and Chicago to over 90 per cent for St. Louis, Cleveland, 
and New Orleans. Philadelphia, Boston, Newark, and Detroit range 
from 60 to 75 per cent. 
It is estimated that about 7,600 cars are sold annually at auction 
in nine great cities—New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Pittsburgh, 
Cincinnati, Cleveland, Chicago, St. Louis, and Detroit—or over 15 
per cent of the average total of boxed-apple shipments. No figures 
