The record-union., 1891-11-23
DISPOSAL OF FRUITS BY RETAIL.

Before the Fruit-Growers' Association.
in annual session at Marysville last week,
David Lubin of this city presented sim
pie plan, which the association seems to
have indorsed, for obtaining profitable
returns for California fruit sold in foreign
markets, and to enlarge the business of
disposing of such fruits, either green or
dried, and presumably the system sug-
gested could be applied to disposition of
other products sold at retail.
The plan eliminates the middleman. 1t
substitutes an agent, employed directly
by the grower or groups of growers, to
be located in foreign market-any mar
| ket, indeed, to which shipments can be
profitably made. This agent in turn en-
ploys number of peddlers, either with
baskets. with hand-carts, or with horses
and wagons, as their capacity may JUS
tify. These men are to wear some badge
or uniform designating them as sellers of
California fruits.
On the announcement of the expected
| arrival of a consignment they are called
in by the agent, and when the fruit ar
rives it is priced and given to the ped
dlers to alone sell direct to the consumer,
to be cried on the street or at the door of
the consumer. Every peddler makes re-
turn at once to the agent, receives his
percentage of the sales and the remain
der, less the costs of handling, is trans
mitted to the producer
By this means the author Of the scheme
believes that California fruits, green.
dried or canned, will be more rapidly
introduced than by any other, more and
better advertised, and will net larger re-
turns than by the system that employs
the commission merchant, who disposes
of shipments to retailers and who, in turn,
await the coming of the consumer. 1t is,
in short, sort of object-lesson scheme
this carrying Of the product direct to the
consumer, and calling his attention to the
product, through the evidence of the
senses of sight, smell and taste.
1t is held that this system will give the
producer the maximum price, and will
secure him a far wider and better dis
tribution than is possible by any other
scheme. The marke is, in essence, the
consumer, all others retaiIed to it being
the producer and middle-men. The latter,
for causes largely personal, may depress
or initiate the market. They may prefer
one class of goods to those of rival pro-
duction. By lack of skill, or unfortunate
investment, they may be unable to handle
and rapidly distribute consignments;
they may occasion glut by massing
the shipments, though the retail price
may not fall; or, they may create scar
city by withholding or by inefficient dis
tribution.
The designer of the scheme does not
claim for it merit if operated upon a large
scale-at least, not upon the outset. He
believes that it should be operated by
small groups of growers, organized suffi-
GENTLY to protect the reputation of the
producing section, by preventing the
forwarding of inferior productions.
The plan has so tar met approval, that
an organization has been effected to try
the experiment of thus advertising and
selling California fruit. 1t certainly is
worthy of serious consideration, and
would seem to warrant trial. Certainly
no great risk can be taken in expert
menting.