Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-05-08
Gbe 4airp.
AUCTION SALES OF CHEESE.

The great value OF country markets
where buyers aud sellers meet on certain days
of the week for transactions in dairy produce
is now pretty generally recognized. At Lit
tie Falls and other leading country cheese
markets, the factories sell large quantities OF
ckeese by samplea These samples are sim
ply plugs cut by the cheese-mongers'
iron" from the cheese and representing y
specimen Of each days cheese which it Is
desired to sell. The cuttings as soon as
drawn from the cheese, should be placed in
small bottles obtained for the purpose, and
tightly corked, the bottles being numbered so
as TO show the age of each sample Of cheese.
By inclosing the plugs" or cuttings, they
are kept from the air, and do not dry or nm
dergo changes while being conveyed to market.
Hence the buyer gets pretty correct idea
of the color, texture, favor aud quality Of
the product made during several days, and
which the factoryman wishes to put upon
the market.
The cheese in this way offered must bo in
all respects as represented, for salesman
once caught in deception, or in adding sour,
poor or inferior cheese to the lot he sells as
good has not only to bear all losses on such
cheese, but he is afterward marked in the
market and is regarded with suspicion by
buyers and will not obtain the highest price
for bis goods by selling from samples. A
large number of sellers with samples meet
weekly at Little Falls, representing often
2O0er more factories, and some Of them
come from long distance, believing they
can make the best sales at this noted market.
The buyers also congrcgate here in consider.
able number on market days, and alter look
ing over samples and discussing the state Of
trade with factorymeu, the home and for
eign demand, the cost Of freight aud the lat
est cable quotations from Liverpool and Lon
don. the transactions begu TO take place.
But so great is the competition at Little
Falls, aud so narrow is the margin between
country and city prices that the actual sales
of factories during summer do not begin
until late in the afterno0n-olten as late as
A or 5 O'Clock. p. NJ, and sales are not un'
frequently kept lingering along until 7 and
o'clock p. NJ, before all are closed.
The quantity Of cheese offered il usual J
figured by the various reporters of the press,
nearly all the leading papers Of the country
having special correspondents in this market
They 20 about and get the number Of bOxsI
offered by different salesmen early in thu
day, and thus the quantity on the market I
known generally before any transaction
take place
A fault 10 this system is in the delay o
completing sales in due season. A constan
chafforing is goiug on for hours betweeI
buyer aud seller. Prices are offered by on
, buyer, aud then are raised by another an'
another, and 80 on without getting down u
business until the fast closing Of the da!
eompels to action.
Factorynen from lsng distances complain
: that they are in this way kept an unreason
} able time in the market, AZ they often can
|, not reach home until late in the night or un
til next day. To avoid this evil it has bes
suggested that the different lots Of cheese b
sold at auction. Let the samples be show
! As usual and the discussion OF prices, cabl
. quotations, &c, be finished early in the day
Then, say at 2 p. NJ, let the sales coul
mence promptly at auction The cOmpeti
: tion among dealers is such that it is believe
the cheese will sell at price fully equalin
o that obtained under the present system. I
a avoid loss On account of the bids ut any tim
not rising to the full value OF the goods aC
: cording to the sellers estimate, each sales
: man is TO be allowed one bid, and he ca
I thus withdraw his cheese from market O
o put it at figure which he is willing
= accept. We can see no reason why chees
would not sell on its merits in this way an
a. good prices be realized as under the preser
= system. And We are glad to see that thi
Q plan has been tried, at least IN one inStanc'
8 In the western part Of the state.
The ELniira Gazette mentions an impol
taDt sale Of cheese ut Collins Center, N. Y