34 I'.l'U.i TIN' L206, U. s. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Small railroads, however, may send a car oxer a circuitous route unless 
given specific instructions by the shippers. An excessive number of 
transfers between connecting lines should be avoided. 
DIVERTING CARS. 
It is frequently necessary to divert a car in transit, or to reconsign 
it after arrival at a market. Diversion orders may be filed with 
the local agent, or may be wired to the general freight agent of the 
originating line, or, if the car is to be reconsigned, to the agent of the 
delivering line at the first destination. Some shippers prefer to wire 
the general freight agent of the road rather than depend upon the 
local office to transmit the order. A telegram ordering a diversion 
should contain the car initials and number, date of shipment, shipping 
point, destination, contents, and the names of the shipper and the 
consignee. There should follow the name of the city to which the 
car is to be diverted and the name of the new consignee. The follow- 
ing example indicates how the telegram may he worded. 
General Freight Agent, Montezuma, Ga., March ,'. ?, 1923. 
A. B. & A. Railroad, Atlanta, Ga. 
From Montezuma twenty-first consigned ourselves Atlanta Car A. C. L. 30751 
Bweet potatoes, diverl protecting through rate Jones & Smith Cincinnati route L. & N. 
\\ ire accomplishment . 
Brown & Co. 
Diversion instructions given by telegraph, by telephone, or in per- 
son should be confirmed by a written order, a copy of which should 
be retained by the shipper. This confirming order should give 
clearly the essential facts of the request, and in addition should state 
the day and hour at which the original order was filed. The words 
"protect through rate" should be included to avoid the possibility 
of a freight charge made up of a combination of local rates. 
OUTLETS AND METHODS OF SALE. 
Success in selling sweet potatoes in car lots depends to a consider- 
able extent on the shipper's knowledge of markets and market con- 
ditions. Shippers should visit the principal markets in which they 
expect to sell in order to establish contacts with dealers, and to learn 
the methods, practices, and preferences of the trade. They should 
see how sweet potatoes from competing sections are graded, packed, 
and sold. Following a visit to the markets they should keep in 
constant touch with market conditions through reports, price currents, 
newspapers, trade journals, and correspondence with their representa- 
t i ves or with reliable dealers with whom they have made connections. 
Dining the active shipping season the telegraph and telephone 
should be the main medium o? communication with dealers. All the 
information available relative to supply, current demand, car-lot 
movement, prevailing prices, competitive conditions, market prefer- 
ences, and market limitations and possibilities should he used as a 
basis for determining when and where to sell. 
Before market connections are established, a shipper should ascer- 
tain the reliability and financial rating of numerous dealers. If a 
personal investigation is not possible, information often can be 
obtained from vState agricultural officials, or from such agencies as 
chambers of commerce and boards of trade. Local bankers can 
assist in determining the financial responsibility of particular firms 
or individuals in distant cities. Snippers may also obtain the names 
