SELLING FARM PRODUCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1763, 16 August 1884, Page 2

SELLING FARM PRODUCE.

Take two packages of almost any kind of farm produce, of the same kind and quality, and have one put up and offered for sale m a neat package, dotttp, up in the most presentable conditio) and the other .put up without, care in an ill looking package, and the nice looking one will : not only the quickest, but will bring from 10 to 25 per cent more. Every man, whether: he be a city commission merchant, a co'untiy storekeeper, or a farmer, who has tried to sell farm produce knows. this to be a fact; yet three-fourths..of our farm produce is sent to market in a very poor condition to realise good prices. Fruitmen are generally more careful than any other class, taken as a whole, yet some of them aire very careless. It is not putting the best on top that makes an article sell, but a uniform quality all through a package is what brings the best prices, provideiit is 1 put up neatly, and is in good dHition. i _ Eggs are more usually sent to the : eity in cases, made especially for thAk use, but the tarmer when he takes 1 eggs to town packs them in bran, sawdust, or oats. If they are dirty no effort is made to clean them off—they ' are all eggs, clean or dirty. The 1 majority of farmers', wives take their butter to market in iarge rolls without any particular size or shape. Whatever is made at one churning is rolled up into one lump, and the next into another lump. The country merchant dumps all that comes into the same box and ships it to the city, where it is sold as country butter, at a very low price. When sold at retail the purchaser looks over tbe butter, and almost invariably picks out the neatest looking rolls, leaving the balance. Many of our house-keepers grumble because country butter is so low,, when the principal part of the fault is their own, Take some pains to send your butter to town in a neat, clean shape. Bb you have not got a stamp purchase Jte, Make it a mle to have all' send neat and attractive. You will soon hear—Mrs A. makes nice butter; I would rather pay five cents more a pound for her butter than any one's else, because it always looks clean and nice, The merchant is sure to know this, and will be willing to pay you accordingly. You may think this a little matter, but it is a fact, as a very little inquiry will convince you. " Every farmer's wife knows that it often happens that country stores get more butter than they want, yet if good butter is put up in the right condition they will often purchase yours when under other circumstances they would refuse to buy it at all, ~ Many a farmer in selling potatoes suffered loss by mixing largo and small together, he get a low price by not taking a little care in sorting. These small jstatoes when sold by measure amounts but little as they only fill up the spaces between the large ones, and theyjjan far better be fed to stock than allowtl to damage the whole by being sold without i roper sorting, Tlie same may be said of the larger proportion of fruit and vegetables; the small specimens cause the largev ones to sell at ft low price. Give this matter a trial; show the one you are selling to that what you have is all of the best quality, and is uniform throughout—whether it be potatoes, apples, cabbage, or other farm produce, Don't bo foolish enough to imagine you can make anything by putting the best on the top of the barrel. This may do on.se, but it is sure to react upon you, and cause more loss than gain, Take reasonable pains to have everything that, you send to market in the best condition possible. Whenever you can, mark your name upon the package, and you will be surprised how quick the purchasers will recognise your goods, It will certainly prove profitable if reasonable care is taken.