MARKETING LETTUCE 35 
shipper, sells the lettuce in less than ear lots, makes collections, and 
accounts to the shipper for all transactions. In making remittances 
after the goods have been disposed oi he deducts freight and other 
expenses and retains for his services a stipulated percentage of the 
gross selling price of the shipment. 
SALES FOR CASH 
The small independent grower generally sells for cash if possible. 
He prefers immediate returns if the offer is reasonable, letting the 
buyer take the chances of profit or loss due to future price fluctua- 
tions. If he sells at cutting time or earlier, the probable yield may 
be estimated, the buyer offering a lump sum for the crop, or pay- 
ment may be deferred until the packing is completed, at an agreed 
price per packed crate or hamper. Man}' of the cash transactions at 
shipping points, however, are " on track " sales. This means that the 
shipment is sold for cash at an agreed price free on board the car 
at shipping point, the buyer assuming all risks of damage in transit 
not caused by the seller. Such sales are usually made to the buyer 
or to his representative who actually examines and accepts the ship- 
ment at time of packing or loading. 
DELIVERED SALES 
Stock sold on a delivered basis is delivered by the seller on board 
the car, free of any and all charges for transportation or protective 
service, at the market in which the buyer is located or at such other 
market as agreed upon, the seller assuming all risks of damage in 
transit not traceable to the buyer. Payment may be made either 
before or after delivery, according to the terms of sale. 
F. O. B. USUAL TERMS SALES 
The amount of f. o. b. selling is said to be increasing gradually 
in those sections where the uniformity of the produce is dependable. 
Stock sold " f . o. b. usual terms " is sold at an agreed price loaded on 
the car at shipping point, but the buyer retains the privilege of 
inspection upon arrival before paying for the shipment. There 
usually is a price differential between " f. o. b. cash " sales and 
" f. o. b. usual terms " sales, ranging from a few cents up to 25 cents 
or more per package, this difference being due to the element of 
risk involved in selling f. o. b. usual terms. The rejection at 
destination of cars sold on this basis means added effort and expense 
to the shipper in disposing of them, and it is often necessary to 
reduce the price on rejected cars in order to resell them. 
Cars frequently are rolled unsold when the f. o. b. market will 
not absorb them or when the shipper believes that by so doing he 
may obtain a higher net return. Even those shippers whose policy 
is to sell f. o. b. whenever possible, at times find it necessary to 
start cars to market unsold, hoping to dispose of these " rollers " 
en route. Such cars when sold in transit may be sold on either 
delivered or f. o. b. basis. 
Financial advances are often made to growers by dealers or 
distributing firms to cover part of the cost of producing and pre- 
paring the crop for 'market. In consideration of this financial 
