THE BOSTON MARKET. 
Opportunities for Direct Sales by Farmers. 
The farmers’ produce market at Boston is probably 
the place of largest direct sales by producers to con¬ 
sumers and retailers in the country. So far as con¬ 
sumers take advantage of their opportunity to meet 
here the growers of all kinds of country produce, for 
direct dealing, with the 
dealer as a middleman 
entirely eliminated, the 
producer receives 100 
per cent of jthe user’s 
dollar, and both are 
benefited by the facili¬ 
ties here given for get¬ 
ting together. Most of 
the produce from the 
farms, gardens and or¬ 
chards about this city is 
sent in on the farm 
team, and is sold from 
the wagon here; retail 
dealers and consumers 
competing for it, and 
the larger jobbers al¬ 
ways ready to buy loads 
at a bargain, or to pick 
up goods of a better 
grade than common, and 
pay good prices for them. 
About Quincy Mar¬ 
ket (Fig. 275) is the 
center of this traffic,, 
the wagons being packed 
closely together in South 
Market street, on a plan 
approved by the market 
superintendent, till all 
space next the market in 
this very wide street is 
filled except what is 
needed for teams to pass 
on the farther side; and 
in late Summer or early 
Fall there is an overflow 
into State street of the 
wagons (sometimes num¬ 
bering four or fi v e 
hundred) that come here 
in the flush time of gar¬ 
den produce. These 
come from a radius of 
35 miles from the city; 
the suburbs to the north 
and west contributing 
most in garden and 
farm products. Arling¬ 
ton, as a market garden 
town, is famous the 
country over; and Bel¬ 
mont, Watertown and 
Winchester, also centers 
of extensive and inten¬ 
sive farming, are all to the northwest of the city. The 
names of 84 farmers are listed at the superintendent’s 
office as coming at times from the single town of 
Concord to sell their produce here, this being the 
banner town for number of teams. My own town has 
44 credited to it, and by registry of varying numbers 
the farmers of more than two score towns are rep¬ 
resented here; 1200 names in all. A few of the large 
market gardeners near the city have stands -in the 
street reserved for them, and others plan to have one morning), it must cease at 5 p. m„ and none can be 
wagon come in to replace another as a load is sold; done upon national or State holidays. At Christmas 
but the general rule is “first come, first served” with time much of the street is reserved for wagons with 
the best locations, though there are centers for trade trees and greens for holiday decorations. The picture, 
in fruit and in live and dressed poultry where teams Fig. 275 is a good one of the market scene, and is 
with these to offer are usually grouped. taken looking westward up South Market street, with 
The whole traffic of the market is under direction Quincy Market Building occupying the northerly side, 
of the superintendent, and disputes of all kinds be- This is divided into stalls, where, as in other markets, 
everything in the line of 
products, ranging from 
fish to flowers, is offered 
by dealers leasing their 
stalls from the city. 
Some of these also do a 
wholesale business, and 
buy of the farmers out¬ 
side to sell again in 
quantities and often to 
re-ship to other markets, 
as well as to supply the 
retail trade at their 
stalls. So the trade of 
the farmers here is a 
complex one. Now they 
sell a whole load to a 
wholesale dealer, again 
a quantity of produce to 
a retail dealer, and again 
single boxes or barrels 
to individuals, and in 
stress o f weather o r 
when trade is slow, may 
leave their produce with 
these same dealers to 
sell upon commission; 
for many of these have 
this plan also as part of 
their business. Many of 
the large gardeners 
regularly leave their 
goods with a certain 
house to sell, while 
others employ a sales¬ 
man to meet their teams 
and dispose of their 
loads on the street; but 
between these are the 
great body of farmers 
coming here who prefer 
to sell their own goods, 
and handle their own 
money — and who dis¬ 
trust commission men 
I have myself had ex- 
oerience favoring both 
ways of selling. The 
dealers have customers 
who want the best pro¬ 
duce and will pay the 
best prices for it, and 
such goods, regularly 
supplied, they may 
handle to the satisfac¬ 
tion of the grower, pro¬ 
tween buyers and sellers, if not settled at once by the vided he keeps a careful oversight. This method 
police officers acting under him, are brought to him solves the difficulty frequently noted of the farmer or 
and promptly passed upon. Mr. McKay has filled this his driver not being a natural salesman; allows imme- 
office for many years, and has the respect and con- diate return of the team after unloading, and pro- 
fidence of all doing business here. Among rules of vides safe storage in bad weather; but for occasional 
the market are these: Horses coming in must be at loads and produce that grades below No. 1 in quality, 
once unhitched from wagons and stabled, and while direct sales on the street are more satisfactory. A bit of 
the business of selling may begin at any time (I have my own experience some years ago may illustrate some 
known whole loads to be sold at two o’clock in the drawbacks to the practice of leaving goods to the 
Faneuii Hall, BOSTON, Mass. 
FANEUIL FIALL, THE GREAT BOSTON MARKET. Fig. 274 . 
A SUMMER DAY AT QUINCY MARKET. Fig. 275. 
