^nbnstrial j|opics. 
CONSIGNOR vs. CONSIGNEE. 
[Ouu Special Contributor, “Nownml Then," 
an experienced and reliable coiilinlsefou inor- 
ebunt of Ibis city, recently read the following 
paper before the Mow York Fruit Growers’ 
Club. It contains so much that, ought to bo 
known and understood that we are glad to give 
It place In these columns.—Hus. Rural.] 
By tlio consignor I mean the grower or 
owner of the article; by the consignee, the 
city commission dealer. As you are aware, 
there is a vast dual of complaint made by 
farmers against these dealers, and 1 tun free 
to say that the consignors arc more frequent ly 
the cause of this dissatisfaction than the 
dealers. It is to the growers’ interest to 
thoroughly understand their business, ami 
any neglect on their part should not be 
charged to the dealer. Many of those per¬ 
sons arc so ignorant and conceited as to 
think that they know all about it, when in 
fact they know nothing; and after having 
the entire control of their crops up to the 
day of consignment, picking and packing 
according to their own theory, they think 
the article perfect, and consider every man 
an ignoramus who does not coincide with 
them in their views; and when they receive 
returns from their dealer they are still un¬ 
convinced, and blame him for not under¬ 
standing his business, and for not making 
better returns for bis lruit. The more igno¬ 
rant the consignor, the more abusive lie is 
apt to be, and, as a general thing, the more 
worthless the consignment. 
1 know but little about fruit growing, but 
1 do know that as much depends upon I la- 
quality and style of marketing the fruit as 
upon the skill of the dealer in getting n good 
price for it; fora prime article will always 
recommend itself. I am also aware that 
many farmers practice a great deal of fraud 
in s nding the productions of their farms to 
mark’t, thinking it will not lie detected un¬ 
til after the article is disposed of to the con¬ 
sumer and the money safe in their pockets. 
Now. any one well acquainted with the way 
of doing business, can see at a glance that 
this intention to defraud is but the child of 
Ignorance; for their want of knowledge in¬ 
duces them to think that the buyers me more 
ignorant than themselves, (hence tlic attempt 
to defraud;) but this is not the case, lor the 
buyers are constantly on the watch for these 
potty swindles, for they know they exi t and 
they would be ruined by them if not detected. 
When thus detected and the article is sold 
on its merit, we hear such howls raised 
against the dealers. 
I will novv mention a few of tlic frauds 
practised by the fanners. It is the practice 
of some to place a quantity of liny or straw 
in the bottom of the barrels containing t!u ir 
apples, pears, potatoes, &e., before sending 
them to market. When accused of it, their 
excuse is that it prevents Ihe article from 
bruising; but the excuse is of such a trifling 
nature tiiat it is not worth considering. 
Again, they will place hand-picked fruit 
at the top and bottom of the barrels, while 
the center contains wind-falls and imperfect 
fruit. A dealer once received a consignment 
of ten barrels of sweet, potatoes packed with 
hay; on turning them out lie discovered 
there were only nine barrels of potatoes. 
Berry growers have frequently been known 
to put leaves in the bottom of their baskets 
to help till them up, sometimes placing one 
or two tiers of stale, berries in the bottom of 
their crates and topping off w T ith fresh fruit. 
In packing grapes, they top off with hand¬ 
some clusters, while below tlic surface they 
arc very inferior. 
While l adn>H that many complaints are 
just, many are not; of this sort I will name 
a few. 
A gentleman sent thirteen cases of grapes 
to the Boston market, which sold for thir¬ 
teen cents per pound, and on the same day 
sent fifly one cases of the same fruit (so he 
says) to 1 lie New York market. On opening 
Ibis fruit it was found to be unripe Isabellas, 
packed in a very inferior round box, and 
being a large lot, for fruit in that condition 
sold slowly with a failing market at an aver¬ 
age price of nine cents per pound. The 
owner of the fruit was much dissatisfied on 
the receipt of iiis New York bill to find that 
iiis fifty-one cases had not sold as high as 
his thirteen did, and immediately w rote to 
iiis New York dealer a very insulting letter, 
and accused him of cheating him. 
1 will mention another instance of dis¬ 
satisfaction on tlic part of a grower who 
sent several cases of grapes to New York to 
be sold on commission. When he received 
Iiis bill I or them he found 1 lint, the sales were 
made at ten, nine and eight cents per pound; 
to him liiis was a mystery, and, because lie 
did not understand it, he thought there must 
he some fraud about it; for if part uf them 
eould be sold at ten cents per pound, ay by 
could not tlic whole of them have been sold 
at that price? 1 informed him that the very 
fact that iiis agents returned different prices 
induced me to think he had honest agents; 
& 
fi Vnl % Q 
toil o. 
for had they wished to cheat him, they would 
have made their returns all at iho lowest 
price. The explanation did not seem to give 
satisfaction, for lie ivas minus a certain 
amount that he thought he ought to have 
received. 
Another curious case:—A gentleman was 
sending his berries to market in small split 
baskets, and, as was the custom, lie placed 
oak or hickory leaves on the top of the 
baskets to keep the berries fresh and clean. 
The consignee soon noticed that these leaves 
Avere badly Avilted, and made the berries 
look stale, lie immediately wrote to the 
owner, informing him of that fact, and also 
that it injured the sale of the fruit. This 
occurred several times before it av;is reme¬ 
died. At the closing of the season the 
owner slated that lie was well satisfied Avith 
his Bales, but, strange to say, the next season 
hi; refused to send to this dealer again, be¬ 
en use in; had found fault Avith his fruit. The 
cause of this di01 cully was, that on breaking 
off his leaves, they Avere thrown down in 
the sun instead of being placed in the shade 
before using. 
Another very prolific source of complaint 
on the part of the consignor is the freight 
on the article sent. A person avcII informed 
in regard to the shipping of fruits cannot 
conceive the amount of ignorance that, pre 
vails through the country on this subject. 
I have known those avIjo think themselves 
smart btjBimvw nten to make a contract with 
an express com puny’s agent for a stated rate 
of freight <»n their fruit, and not mention 
that fact, to the consignee, and on receiving 
the bill of sale, found the usual rate of 
freight, charged. Without writing to the 
general office to see if the mistake occurred 
there, or if the amount charged had been 
paid, they w rote back to the consignee and 
charged him Avitli cheating them out of the 
difference in expenses. This seems to be an 
incredible statement,yet it frequently occurs, 
and with men avIio ought to know better. 
If consignor.; wish to avoid all chances of 
being cheated, either by the consignee or 
mini rs, the better Avay for them to do is, 
after contracting for the rate of freight, to 
pay the bill and take a receipt for it, sending 
(lie same to the dealer. 
The next better Avay is, aa lien they do not 
wish to pay the freight, to get a written con¬ 
tract from the general ofliec, and send it with 
Ihe receipt, for the article immediately to the 
consignee; then Avhen the bill of freight, is 
presented, any over-charge can be corrected. 
“ Oh,” says one, “that is too much trouble,” 
Yes, that is Avhere the difficulty lies; it is 
too much trouble for you to transact your 
[ own business correctly ; hut. it is no trouble 
1 o call a man a thief, and consequently you 
resort to the easiest method, regardless of 
the feelings of the man you write to. 
It is the custom of all express companies 
that I have dealt Avith, to leave the goods in 
the hands of regular dealers, taking their re¬ 
ceipt for them ; then, at the convenience of the 
company, their collector calls for Ihe amount 
of the freight. Unless the consignees have 
notice of a contract price, they pay the bill, 
unless some error is detected. It is the eus- 
toin of many railroad companies to collect 
the charges before delivering the articles,, 
leaving the consignee no redress but to fall 
back on the Company for over-charges or 
losses on the article in transit. And any 
consignee of much experience knows how 
difficult it is to recover any damage from 
sUch companies. 
Consignors should, in every instance, lake 
a receipt for the article sent, either by rail¬ 
road or express company; then, if lost, there 
is comparatively little trouble in getting pay 
for the article. 
In many instances there is a just cause of 
complaint, and il is right that the consignor 
should know if any error or fraud exists, 
but it is also right, before accusing the con¬ 
signee of fraud, the consignor should ask for 
an explanation of the mystery. It is seldom 
that complaints are made by experienced 
groAvcrs avIio thoroughly understand their 
business; for part of their business is to 
secure good dealers, and they always do it. 
But feAv persons have any idea of tlic 
difficulties that the consignees have to con¬ 
tend against in disposing of many of the 
articles sent, to them. In some cases the 
smallness of the consignment is the chief 
objection; or perhaps it, is of inferior qual¬ 
ity, and for that cause il Avas sent to 1 ho 
city to l>e sold, as no one at home would 
buy it. Among this class of articles are 
small consignments of frozen cranberries, 
decayed apples, and damaged grapes. And 
if the consignee could receive the whole 
amount the articles sold for, instead of the 
commission, it would not pay him for the 
trouble in disposing of them, for it is much 
easier to dispose of a large consignment of 
good fruit than the above mentioned, as a 
good article commands ready sale in any 
quantity. 
I knoAV that some persons think a dealer 
should always get nil he can for the article 
sent him ; or, in other Avoi ds, let the buyer 
look out for himself, and stick him if you 
can; but I do not think so, as an experience 
of twenty years has taught me that it is poor 
policy, to say nothing of tire principle, to 
cheat the buyer for the benefit of the OAvncr. 
There is a point 1 would like to call atten¬ 
tion to, and that is the difference of opinion 
which exists between the owner of the ar¬ 
ticle and the buyer, in regard to the quality 
and value of the same. As a general prin¬ 
ciple, grow ers am not proper judges of their 
own fruit. Their feelings and interests 
have a tendency to bias their judgment, 
and they do not take the trouble to compare 
the quality of their articles with their neigh¬ 
bors’, consequently they are ignorant in this 
respect, and make up their minds that it is 
all right; but not so with the buyers. They 
can, and do, compare one mark w ith an¬ 
other, and might he well pleased with one 
diil they see no other. Some will select only 
the finest for their customers, regardless of 
the price; but, I am sorry to say, many will 
condemn an article in order to get it at a less 
price than it is worth. 
I admit that, there are many dishonest 
dealers; but it. is a strange fact that there is 
a class of growers who prefer them to men 
avcII known lor their integrity and correct 
dealing it this class of consignors ask the 
opinion of the latter, it is given freely anil 
truthfully, whether for or against the con¬ 
signors’ views, or if the rate of commissions, 
tlic regular rates are given. Not so with the 
first named, if they find you have any ar¬ 
ticle to send, a glowing description is given 
of the market, with the advice to send it on 
immediately, as they can get more for it 
than any other person. Or if their rate ot 
commission is asked, a low figure is given 
to suit the consignors’ views, for they avcII 
know that if the article once gets in their 
possession they can easily arrange ihe prices 
to suit their idea of profit. I have known 
many instances Avhere consignors have stop¬ 
ped sending to tli<! reliable parties because 
of the liberal inducements of these shysters, 
and Avlien they realized that they had been 
badly cheated by them, have asked the for¬ 
mer to collect for them. 
This class of consignees are easily detected 
by men possessing a reasonable degree of 
common sense, by the improbable, repre¬ 
sentations they make about their possessing 
a remarkably fine location for business, and 
ability to handle such large quantities; and 
if they are questioned about the standing of 
any other party in the same business, they 
always speak disparagingly of them, as of 
no account compared with themselves. 
T presume there is not one consignee in 
this city but, lias given dissatisfaction to some 
of bis consignors; it, is impossible to please 
all. If all consignors knew exactly the 
quality of the article sent, and were willing 
to receive the value of it, one great cause ot 
complaint would tie removed. 
Another great difficulty the dealer has to 
contend against, is Ihe fluctuating character 
of tour market; this ayc cannot, avoid or help, 
yet Ave are severely blamed for it. Fruit rises 
and falls, sometimes dollars per bushel in a 
day; avc can only rise and fall Avith it, or let 
the fruit perish. 
THE POTATO HUMBUG, 
Friend Mookf, :—Some few Aveeks since 
I wrote you a lew lines about the new po¬ 
tatoes which are silling at such wonderful 
prices. You Avill recollect that in a private 
note I apologized for writing with a pencil, 
not being at home. Of course I had no note¬ 
books Avith me, and w riting from recollec¬ 
tion, claimed three instead of tiro years’ 
experience with Mr. Bresee’s seedling pota¬ 
toes. I cheerfully make this correction, 
though I do not consider it A ery important. 
Having my books uoav before me, I Avill add 
a Icav facts. 
in the spring of 1807 Mr. Bresetc sent me 
Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7 of iiis seedlings. 
No. 1 was noticed the first season as flower¬ 
ing before any of the others, and as being 
remarkably early and of good quality. This 
favorable opinion was more than confirmed 
the second season. This is the variety mimed 
the Early Rose. 1 have conversed Avith per¬ 
sons in this neighborhood avIio have com¬ 
plained of its quality, but Avitlx me il lias 
been very good. 
No. 2 is productive, somewhat uneven— 
too much so to be popular, I think—and the 
haulm remains green quite laic in the season. 
Nos. 3 and 5 resemble cadi other very 
much. My foreman has insisted that they 
are identical. 
No 1 follows the Rose in earliness — some 
two weeks later—and in quality is quite in¬ 
ferior to this variety. Promises to he very 
productive. 
No. 7 is not early—just right for a general 
crop, and is noted both seasons as being the 
most promising of tlio collection. It is very 
healthy and hardy, does well under unfavor¬ 
able circumstances, is very prolific, and of 
excellent quality. This and the Rose 1 have 
no doubt will live when most of Mr. Bre- 
see’s seedlings are forgotten. 
I have not the least interest in this ques¬ 
tion—that is, no other interest than every 
one who w ishes avcII to the agriculturists of 
the country should Jima'c. The agricultural 
and horticultural humbugs are uoav almost 
rivaling tlic “ gift ” enterprises of ihe me¬ 
tropolis, and it is high time they should re¬ 
ceive a check. It is certainly right, that the 
producer of a superior potato should receive 
a fitting reward, but 1 am opposed to the ef¬ 
forts now making to puff these potatoes, 
about, which but very little is known, into 
unmerited notoriety. The Rural American 
for January 2d says that sixteen potatoes 
(No. 4) were sold for $820, and a fine coav 
A vas given for one tuber. A circular now 
before me states that “ No. 4 is principally 
Controlled by a Icav men, and fortunes av i 11 
be realized by its sale next spring. No. 4 
lias sold this spring at from $50 to $ 100 
each.” The same parties offer green plants 
at $2.00 each, or $135 per hundred. How 
much truth there maybe in these statements 
of high prices, and how much is given for 
effect, I cannot say; but. ! do knoAV that 
some who had written to obtain No. 4 of me 
have frankly stated that, they cared nothing 
about the merits of the potato, as it av is sure 
to have a great run next year. I have no 
potatoes for sale for any such purpose. Even 
admitting that this potato is one of great 
merit, the manner in which it is disseminat¬ 
ed I consider a fraud upon the public. 
1 have been informed that Mr. Buebee has 
realized but little money from his seedlings, 
and that speculators have made great for¬ 
tunes. I am sorry for this. I think he com¬ 
plains of me without reason, for, Avhile others 
to Avliom he entrusted his seedlings have 
propagated them and received the lion’s 
share of the money made, I have left the 
field entirely to the originator, never having 
received the first dollar for any of his pota 
toes, though holding quantities valued at 
thousands of dollars, at the speculative 
prices. James Vick. 
Rochester, N. Y., 1809. 
-- 
RUTA BAGAS AND BEETS. 
In answer to the request of your Ken¬ 
tucky correspondent, permit me to say that 
ruta bagas, as food for cows, are not exten¬ 
sively grown in the United States. The 
ruta baga, or Swede turnip, lias for many 
years entered largely into the rotation of 
crops with the best farmers of England, and 
has been found of great a uIuc in many re¬ 
spects. Turnips lime been, and are still, 
used to a large extent in feeding sheep and 
cattle iu that country, and this general adop¬ 
tion aa 1 ill be the better understood when it 
is knoAvn that the great staple crop for such 
purposes Avith us, Corn, is not grovvn in 
England, anil some substitute, as far as pos¬ 
sible adapted to their climate and soil, has 
been of necessity adopted, and the Swede 
lias been found preferable to most others. 
The humid climate of England is favor¬ 
able to the growth of the crop which suffers 
to such an extent under the scorching rays 
of our mid-summer sun as to often render it 
of comparatively little value. 
The farmers of Canada meet with good 
success, raising line crops of all the varieties 
of 1 lie turnip family, while the same class of 
men have been obliged to almost discontinue 
the crop in the Stale of New York. This 
is owing in a great, measure, possibly, to the 
atmospheric influence of the Great Lakes to 
which they are in stub close proximity. 
'The rutabaga may he grown upon quite 
stifl’ eluy soil, if rich and AVell tilled, though 
tin* best soil, as far as 1 can judge, is a rich 
clay loam. Fair crops have been produced 
upon sandy and light soil by the liberal use 
of barn-yard manure. Tim usual time of 
sowing is the latter half of May and to the 
middle of June. English farmers throw the 
land into ridges, and sow the seed on the 
lop of the ridge, in our Avarrn, dry soils, 1 
should have a preference for flat culture, as 
less liable to injury from drouth. For field 
culture t he rows should lie about three feet 
apart, for convenience in the use of the cul¬ 
tivator. A pound and a half to two pounds 
should seed an acre, as il is necessary to sow 
thick in the rows, and thin out if too many 
plants escape the ravages of the turnip fly, 
the great enemy to their successful cultiva¬ 
tion. They should he kept free from weeds 
and till! soil well stirred, thinning them to 
not less than six or eight inches in the row. 
Fino ground bone and superphosphate are 
accredited as the most profitable special 
manures adapted to the turnip crop. 
It is not an easy matter to decide which 
are the belter varieties. In England, from 
whence nearly all our reliable seed is ob¬ 
tained, each locality lias its favorite, mutual 
after some enterprising nurseryman or seed 
grower avIio eaters to the Avoids of Iiis localit y. 
Most of the seed used in this country is 
SKtiiviNO’s Purple Top, Avhieh has generally 
proved satisfactory. Some growers have a 
preference for" Laino’s Improved” as having 
less neck and finer texture; many experi¬ 
enced growers use them mixed. As the 
turnip bottoms host after the recurrence of 
fall rains and cool nights, they may he left 
well down in the season with advantage, as 
MAT 
they ace not injured by moderate frost, while 
standing in the ground. 
The prominent objection to the liberal 
use of turnips, cither tlic top or roots, for the 
production of milk, is their imparting a 
turnip flavor to the milk and butter. This 
is a serious objection, often rendering the 
butter from Canada unsaleable for table use. 
As food for sheep or other cattle this objec¬ 
tion does not hold good. 
As your correspondent inquires “ whether 
any other root is better,” I will add a Icav 
suggestions on beets for the same purpose, 
that lie may be enabled to form bis opinion 
by comparison, and also be induced to make 
a trial of both. 
There are two varieties of beets groAvn for 
feeding stock, each of which is valuable. 
Those arc the mange 1-Avnrzd and the sugar 
licet. Of the first, there are the long red and 
yellow, and red and yellow glolie; also while 
and yellow sugar beet. For stiff soils the 
globe varieties are of easiest culture, but 
aa here the soil is deep and rich, the largest 
crop may be obtained by the use of the long 
varieties. For cows especially, much promi¬ 
nence is given the yellow sugar beet. These 
are all of as easy cultivation as the ordinary 
table beet, and loss liable to destruction by 
insects than the turnip. Fur the long varie¬ 
ties, the ground should be ploAA ed deep, or, 
what would be much better, avcII subsoiled 
ami manured. 
They may be sown in ioavs, the same dis¬ 
tance apart as that mentioned for ruta bagas, 
and subsequently thinned, so as to stand 
twelve to sixteen inches apart in the roAv, 
and only one phtnt in a place. In the pro¬ 
cessor thinning out, 11n-surplus plants should 
lie used to supply any deficiencies, that the 
ground may be all occupied. While young, 
they should lie thoroughly cultivated, Ihe 
ground well stirred, and kept free from 
aa' ceils. Alter attaining good size, the eulti 
vator Avill perform most of the labor. Borne 
farmers plant in squares, and cultivate both 
Avays, as for corn. Very large crops of cither 
kind may r he grown upon an acre. Good 
crops have yielded twenty and thirty tons to 
the acre, estimating fifty-six pounds to the 
bushel. 
The accompanying estimates from an Eng¬ 
lish Avork Avill give your correspondent some 
idea of their comparative value Avith the 
rutabaga as food for stock. 
Starch. Sugar. 
Swedish turnip. 9 SI 
White turnip .7 
Mangel-Avurzel. i,j uu 
Orange Globe Avtinscl.115 •, inr.’i 
Sugar beet.li** laiR 
This table at a glance gives tlic compara¬ 
tive value of each for the practical purposes 
of feeding, from which the intelligent farmer 
can form an opinion upon the propriety 
of their cultivation for that purpose. For 
myself I should cultivate some of each, not 
being willing to risk my whole venture upon 
one alone. All have their value. In Red¬ 
ing 1 would begin w ith the turnip and follow 
with beets. Their value would be much 
enhanced by steaming before feeding, Aviili 
the addition of a moderate quantity of corn 
meal while hot, and the whole chopped or 
stirred together. This will require more 
labor than to feed raw, but Avill be found 
more profitable in the end. A few experi¬ 
ments, Avhieh farmers and all others should 
not hesitate to make, will place them in 
possession of all needed information. — u. r. 
-- 
Pumpkins A moil- Coni. A correspondent, of 
the N. K. Farmer grows pumpkins as follows: 
Procure reeds of a good quality, and from a 
different. locality, for like all other vegetables, 
pumpkins need a change of locality,—then afi r 
having planted the Hold of corn go over it with 
1 lie pumpkin seeds and put one or l wo seeds in 
ono liill out of each four; and, near the border 
or edge of the Held, tn every other hill. Those 
on the outer rows, liy running out Avhere they 
will receive more sun and air, will do the best, 
ami may lie planted more thickly. Not only In 
the corn held, nut also in tlu:’“potato paleti,” 
<inn good pumpkins bo raised by planting them 
near the edge or in the outside row, or any¬ 
where in the Meld, by giving to each vine iho 
space allowed to a potato lull. They must be 
looked to occasionally and Iho bugs destroyed, 
remembering to nip the ends of the vines after 
well “set." 
-- 
Penns with Corn.— A correspondent, of the 
Now England Farmer thinks it profitable to 
raise beans with corn, which lie does in this way: 
“For corn I plow my land deep, spread on n 
good coat of manure, which 1 plow under with 
a furrow of some three or four inches. I drop 
throe or four kernels of corn to each liill, put ¬ 
ting three beans on Hie west side of each liill. t 
run the cultivator both ways throe or four 
times; tholast time, when the corn is fifteen or 
more inches high, niftku very Hat hills, keeping 
the ground nearly level. 1 never fail of a good 
crop of corn and beans.” 
-- 
Following Wheat with Potatoes.—I have a 
piece of ground in wheat, which wheat I expect 
to cut and remove about the lath June next. 
The ground is in good heart. Hint If seasonable, 
will it pay mu to follow the wheat crop with 
Borne early variety of potato, say the “Early 
Goodrich?” Would il be best to use for seed 
potatoes grown the present, season, that shall 
have matured by tintt. time, or must 1 procure 
seed grown in 18118? AA’ill you, or some of .your 
many correspondents, communicate their views 
upon l lie subject, through the RuitAb, and 
greatly oblige—J. EL Palmer, Salem, Fa . 
-- 
Castor Ben ns.—J. If. POTTER, Lake Co., O.—AA’e 
presume you can obtain Castor Deans at any 
seed estabbshment advertising in the Rural. 
