The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1916-09-07
BOX APPLES
SELL WELL
Rhode Island Invest.
gate Auction
PLEASES GROWERS

Boston, Mass.-The auction market
of Boston, operated by H. Harris and
Co. siace before the Civil War, il ex-
pandins at the expense Of the private
sales system. About half Of the box
apples sold in Boston were handled at
auction during last season. Although
many of the carloads sold were mixed,
the prices received averaged around
$1,000.
New England apples will be sold
by H. Harris and Company during the
coming Winter. Associations of pro-
ducers have been sending delegations
to Boston to inspect the auction
market.
H. W. Tinkhsm, the leader of a
delegation sent by the Rhode Island
Market Gardeners Association, made
the following report which has just
been printed in the Homestead:
"We climbed aboard train in
Providence soon after O'Clock A. NJ,
and reached l31 State street, Boston,
soon after Z O'Clock. This is the
office Of Harris 4 Company, auction
eers. The firm kindly took us over
to their enormous auction rooms in
Charlsstowa, and gave us every op-
portunity to thoroughly investigate
their business-and this in the face
of the fact that they knew we were
investigating to become possible com
petitors. Courtesy can 90 no further.
"We saw 16 carloads of oranges,
lemons and grapefruit sold in AZ min.
utes in lots to suit purchasers. That
means in lots of from one to 100
boxes. We also saw at least $50 buy.
ers. These buyers were of every ma
tiOnality and financial ondition-from
poor ragged dago who could not
speak English to such a widely known
firm as s. s. Pierce 4 Company. The
opportunity was equal to each.
Every Buyer Boosts Price.
"The thing that interested me most
was the fact that every buyer was
really engaged in boosting the price,
where in all my former experiences
in private selling the buyers only
aim in life was to reduce the price.
The psychology of the auction is the
exact opposite Of private bargaining.
1 don I mean for one minute to say
that the buyer wanted to pay more
than he had to, but he wanted some
thing, and someone else wanted that
same thing at the same time, and as
prices were open, up they went.
"Let us suppose, for clearer un-
derstanding, that an apple grower in
Worcester County, Mass, sent a car
load of apples in for sale. We will
suppose 20 barrels Of Baldwins, 20
of Greetings, and the balance small
lots of different kinds. They would
be taken from the car and arranged
in piles according to marks. The
Baldwins would be in a pile by them
selves, marked with the growers idea
of grade. Three barrels would be
opened. One at the head, one at the
bottom and one either dumped or
stave taken out. Any prospective
buyer has list of all to be sold that
day.
Seller Can withdraw.
"Woe to the grower who has made
a mistake and put bushel of seconds
in the middle of . barrel of firsts.
That lot will 20 as if every barrel
was so packed-or will until his brand
or name is established. When this
lot is reached on the list by the auc.
tioneer, the first bid can be by the
seller, or his agent, or the seller may
withdraw at any time the whole lot.
Let it be understood that cooperation
would do great work here because the
will not sell anything un.
less the seller or his agent is there, |
and one man comparatively could
act as agent for thousands. Suppose
this lot is knocked down at $3. The
buyer is asked how many barrels he
wants. If he says 10, the other 10 |
are Immediately offered at the same
price, and usually sold. If not the
other 10 are offered at or 10 cents
less until sold
Every transaction is public. The |
price of every barrel is kept for five
years, with the name of the buyer,
seller, and sellers agent. The selling
price, less the auction expenses of |
) per cent, is mailed the seller that
afternoon. No waiting for your money,
but a complete record Of the whole
and total cost Of S per
cent. That looked pretty good to us
Rhode islanders"
QUAKERs USE BANK METHODS