The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1922-09-21

ed that samples of the various lots
are accessible. and five of these are
on t5a tail end of the team. On an
! active market almost invariably there
will he huvers who will take the load.
These five barrels are opened, and de-
nending on the time of the year, the
market. the condition and quality OF
the fruit. the bargain is made. Under
certain conditions more samples aust
he ouened, but when marks are well
| known to buyers or If the market is
bigh It's sometimes unnecessary to
! show bottoms or further samples. On
a slow market it is not unusual for
| loads to be split and sold to several
different buyers, and oftentimes the
moor packs, and the undesirable varie-
! ties. are taken off the team to the
sidewalk and will be sold in single
or two barrels lots to the cheaper
trade. 1t is impossible to state the
time it takes to effect the sale as all
depends on quality of fruit and con-
dition of the market. Lots of ap-
pies have been known to hang all day
long under certain conditions, the
salesman not deeming that he had had
such cases the apples finally are either
piled up at the store or II space is not
available they are hauled to nearby
loft and occasionally placed in cold
storage. Such a situation is not at
all unusual. In fact it occurs nearly
every season when shipments reach
their height. On short active mar
ket. on the other hand, lots of apples
are disposed of just as quickly as the
various samples can be shown, es-
pecialy if the marks are well and
favorably known to the buyers. One
commission house in Boston last fall
sold forty-two loads or about 1900 bar
rels of apples in one day.
The commission houses charge per
cent of the price obtained, for in
stance, if barrel of apples sells for
Sc their commission is as cents. The
shipper is sent an account sales which
shows the price obtained from which
is deducted the freight charge, COM
mission, and carriage charge Some
times there are two carriage charges,
when, having been unable to make a
sale, they haul the apples to (cold)
storage, or have agreed with the buy
!
free" carriage limit. This commits
sion charge is satisfactory to the
commission house and permits them
to make. a fair profit when prices
rue as they did the past season. The
minimum commission is 20 cents per
barrel and 10 cents per box.
1t might be further interest to trace
the accounting of a shipment of ap-
pies. AS sales are made the slips
are sent to the accounting depart
ment and If an invoice has been sent
at time of making shipment the sale
is readily checked up against 1t. In
this case all is plain sailing. When
an invoice has not been received it
is necessary to wait for the freight
bill in order to be sure that the entire
lot has been received as billed. At
the time the invoice Is received 1t is
given a lot number and the shippers
name and address with the lot to the
shipper. This has sheet of carbon
beneath it in order to make a dupli-
cate for the commission houses files.
When sales come in they are posted
to this account sales and when the
lot is cleaned up extensions are made.
When the freight bill is received the
amount is posted on the account
sale, carriage and commission fgured,
and the net arrived at. This account
sale is then copied into loose leaf
record book which carries the same
lot number with the shippers name
and invoice. The various items are
extended in their proper columns I'M
der freight, carriage, commission and
net. Check to the amount of the
net proceeds is drawn to the order
of the shipper
There are several good commission
houses in Boston. You will find
them listed in this page. They will
be glad to hear from any apple ship
per.