4 STORRS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
2. Selling direct to the retailer. 
3. Shipping to commission merchants for sale upon the 
open market. 
SELLING TO THE CONSUMER. 
This is usually regarded as the most profitable method of 
disposing of high grade goods, because all of the charges and 
commissions of middlemen are eliminated. Frequently the 
producer is so situated that in the neighboring city or village 
he can work up a retail route and deliver his goods direct to 
the customer. Asa rule a substantial increase may be secured 
over the prices paid by stores and markets. This premium 
may make all the difference between small and large profits, as 
the cost of production remains the same regardless of the sell- 
ing price. The great disadvantage of the retail route lies in 
the fact that much time is consumed in soliciting orders and 
delivering the goods. ‘This extra cost may be distributed if 
one or more allied branches are handled at the same time; e. g., 
milk, butter, vegetables, and fruit. Usually a brief investiga- 
tion will enable one to decide whether or not the additional 
receipts obtained by this method of selling will pay for the 
extra time required to conduct it successfully. This special 
trade demands the regular delivery of goods of uniformly high 
quality, and it is not advisable to attempt to handle it unless 
one has sufficient facilities and ability to produce a regular 
supply. 
Often it is possible to secure retail customers in a city within 
reasonable shipping distance, expressing to them at certain 
intervals stated quantities of eggs and dressed poultry. Weekly 
shipments seem to be mast convenient. This is usually a 
decidedly satisfactory arrangement, as the producer has only 
to drive to the express office once each week to deliver all 
orders, and the customer is reasonably sure of a regular supply 
of fresh products. 
Hotels, restaurants, clubs, and hospitals are excellent custo- 
mers, and very frequently they contract for their supplies in 
this way. Asarule such institutions are willing to pay good 
prices, and their trade is desirable because heavy supplies are 
needed and it is easier to ship the entire output of a farm to 
one large customer than to divide it among several who use 
small quantities. 

