The Washington times., 1915-01-03
PSYCHOLOGY ASSET
FOR TRUCK GROWER
Farmer Gains Big Profits by
Catering to City Buyers
Mental Impressions.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa, Jan. s.-Penn-
sylvania's farmers havc learned that
the apparently abstract science Of psy-
chology has a lot to do with the sale Of
vegetables. and 50 deeply has Dean r.
Watts. Of the school Of agriculture.
impressed them with this fact that it
10 almost safe to predict that William
James will crowd Mark Twain from the
shelves Of the farm library. In the leg
ture he delivered as part OF the farmers
week course. Dean Watts declared that
red hoops on apple barrels have been
by 10 per cent. Red labels bearing the
word guaranteed" and pasted On mel
ons he declared to be equally eHlca-
cious as rnesnleric devices.
and Of getting high prices for vege,-
tables Is largely psychological. he said.
The vegetables must attract attention.
The eye Of the prospective buyer must
DO caught and pleased. The factor OF
well as to its contents. Bright, clean
packages. whether they are boxes.
crates or barrels. will argue better for
their contents than containers that are
dull ana weather-beaten.
Red Hoops Sell Apples
Special devices may be employed to
catch the eye OF the prospective buyer.
For example, a Norfolk producer places
red hoop on every barrel OF apples
and gets 10 per cent more than he did
before he thought of tho scarlet hoops.
Long Island raspberry grower Has
discovered that , cents moro per quart
can be obtained when a bit of coldrcd,
oiled paper Is placed in the box before
1t is filled. 4 grower OF Creenh ouse
tomatoes has found that It pays to
cover each tomato with an attractive
wrapper bearing his name and address.
New Jersey melon grower places a
rcd label bearing the word "suaran-
teed" on each of the melons. Numer-
ous examples could he given Of men
who have increased their sales by OBJ
serving the psychological effect OF the
packages in which they shipped their
vegetables"
In referring to the effect OF the auto
mobile upon the vcgetable-growing bust
ness. he pointed out that tho use OF
automobile trucks as city deliver Ne-
htclcg was doing away with manure
source that truckers near the city used
to tap. He declared that the popu-
lartty Of the motor truck was driving
truckers from ten TO twenty-five miles
from the city limits. This condition,
however, he said. was PARTIAL, Offset
By the finding OF vegetable growers
that the automobile was a cheaper
HIOO> OI tTdHsuOTlltlO!l lllaH inc llOl
drawn delivery wagon.
Cheap Wood For Posts.
Tho high price OF fence posts was
solved by J. A. Ferguson. professor OF
forestry. He told the farmers that they
should not find relief In the use OF con-
crete posts, but IN crcosote treatment
for woods OF Il c!eap, pcrishab!c and
quirl.-growins variety.
Cedar and locust wood can no lanser
be profitably used as fence posts" he
said. "It Is too valuable. But farmers
will find that birch. maple, beech. elm
and black oak make excellent substi.
tutes II they are given a bath In crco.
sote- In their natural state they would
rot very quickly. but when treated they
will stand twenty years They should
be boiled in creosote. When they arc
Permitted to cool. the pressure of the
atmosphere will force the chemical into
the pores rf the wood. The creosotc
prevents fungus growths :,nd rot. A
gallon of creosote may be purchased for
Is or 20 cents. 1t will treat from three
to five posts. Tho far-sighted farmer
will plant understanding. cheap and per-
ishable woods in his woodlot, and then
give 1t long life by creosote."