WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTION OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. 5 
that inspection and unloading may be accomplished immediately. 
When firms have private sidings running into their places of busi- 
ness, it is usual for all cars shipped direct to them to be placed on 
these sidings without special instructions. Prompt notification by 
railroads enables the consignees to divert cars to auction sidings 
without loss of time when it is expected that the contents will be 
handled through an auction. 
INSPECTION. 
Soon after arrival it is necessary that an inspection be made. The 
inspector may be the consignee or his representative. In case the 
car has been shipped to a broker or a commission man, preliminary 
inspection is often made by a prospective buyer. If the shipment 
was made under a " straight " bill of lading, it is necessary that the 
inspector have a written order issued by the consignee in a form 
similar to the following: 
Agent, Missouri Pacific Railroad Company, 
Kansas City, Missouri. 
Dear Sir : Please permit bearer, John Jones, to inspect the contents of car 
GN 51023 now on track, consigned to me. 
(Signed) J. J. Doe. 
Whenever a shipment is billed " Order notify " or " Shipper's 
order," the bill of lading should be indorsed thus : " Permit inspec- 
tion without surrender of bill of lading." This will remove the 
necessity for issuing inspection orders. As a matter of fact, all bills 
of lading whether " straight " or " order " should read, " Permit 
inspection," in order to avoid possible complications at destination. 
Usually the right of inspection by the purchaser is assured in the 
case of perishable goods, as it would be very unbusinesslike to pur- 
chase or accept a carload of perishables without a careful inspection. 
In all cases where the shipper has no market representative he 
should arrange to have inspection made by disinterested inspectors 
in case the shipment is rejected. 
REJECTIONS. 
There are a surprising number of rejections on large markets 
where great quantities of perishable goods are handled. Few ship- 
pers have any idea how large this number is. The facts for one prod- 
uct in one market may illustrate this point. 
From the beginning of the shipping season to July 28, 1914, 3 
of the 15 railroads touching Kansas City, Mo., brought to that 
market 227 cars of watermelons. Of this number 47 were rejected 
