Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-10-30
FRUIT-MagKETING.
SALE OF CALIFORNIA FRUIT AT
THE EAST.
for Concert OF Action Between
Shippers and Growers.

Pacific Rural Press, from results of his
mature investigation of the fruit market
marketing question during his recent trip
throughout the Eastern market area, for
this purpose. He says:
In his last letter your correspondent adj
vocated the plan of selling California fruits
in the Eastern cities by an auction system,
and endeayored TO show that such q method
would solve existing difficulties and insure
California growers fair price and an ex-
tended market. Since that writing he has
been in Philadelphia, Milwaukee, St.
Paul, Minneapolis, st. Louis, Kansas City,
Omaha and Denver, stopping again on his
way westward at Washington and Chicago.
In all these cities he took occasion to SUBJ
NIT this plan to the judgment of as many
wholesale and retail fruit dealers as time
would permit him to interview. He found
many who at first did not consider the
plan good one, and who predicted failure
if it should be tried. a free discussion,
however, of the merits of the system
would as a rule, bring about decided
change of opinion, and many of those who
least favored the idea at its first mention
are now among its strongest advocates.
AN UYPRoFITABLE SHIPMENT.
The following case in point will serve as
an illustration Among those who at first
entertained with little favor the idea of
selling California fruits at auction was the
well-knowH firm of Quackenboss & Har-
low, who are the st. Paul, Mimi, agents for
Porter Bros. Co., and are among the largest
fruit dealers in the Northwest. A day be-
fore the arrival of your correspondent at
st. Paul this firm sold 400 single crates of
San Jose grapes at 80 cents per crate. These
grapes arrived in S600-rate passenger car,
and were due in st. Paul Friday morning,
but owing to some delays in transit the
car did not reach its destination until late
Saturday afternoon. The grapes therefore
could not be offered until the following
Monday morning. By that time they were
in poor condition. The best of them sold
at 81 a crate. Some were sold at 70 cents,
and by Thursday 400 single crates were yet
on hand, which were gladly sold at so cents
a crate. The account of this unfortunate
San Jose grower will therefore stand as fol-
lows:
Freight on 400 crates a 5000 p ar.sSOO 90
Cost of crates and baskets at 19c... rs 90
Picking and packing ESTIMATED
at &c per crateJ..-..-.............-. "A W
sales-lOO crates a soc each. s29O 90
Less 10 per cent. commission. 20 Cd
Loss. 90
So that in this one transaction the grower,
in addition to the total loss Of four tons of
grapes, which should be worth at least $40
per ton, is out of pocket for freight, crates
and labor, 1920, making a total of $3.50
Analysing the case, we find that this great
loss on comparatively so small a transac-
ton was brought about by the four follow
ing causes
First-The highly excessive freight
charges of 5000 per car.
Second-The delay in transit of nearly
two days.
Third-The fact that the fruit was Of an
inferior quality, and
Fourth-Because the present method of
selling perishable California fruits is en-
tirely too slow.
These causes can and should be rene
died. If proper quality of fruit had been
sent, with freight rate of $500 per car,
with better railroad time and under q sys-
TEN whereby California fruits would be dis
posed of within a few hours after arrival,
the San Jose fruit-growers statement would
have stood as follows:
Freight on 400 crates at $500 per
car w
Cost of crates and basket az &c.. 76 90
Picking and packing, estimated
at &c per cTate....-... II w 49,. On
Sales 400 crates at 81 50 "a low esti-
matel W
Less 10 per cent. com mlssion........ COCO