At a recent fruit growers’ meeting considerable attention was attracted to the exhibit of boxed apples by the uniform packing, but more especially by the way which the exhibitor, Fall Brook Farms, was taking to advertise the fruit. A neat four page circular showing two full-page scenes on the farm, the other two pages telling of the farm’s products, was being handed to visitors. This circular not only described the orchards, but mentioned the other farm products, such as pigs, seed corn and oats, hay, pears, peaches, etc. In dis-cussing the picking and packing, the circular reads as follows :
“All our fruit is handled with care. This costs us more, but it insures you a better product. Fruit is picked by hand into a basket and picked out of the basket when needed for packing. It is not poured out. Apples need to he handled like eggs. All apples are wiped, wrapped singly in tissue paper bearing our trade mark, and packed in paper-lined boxes. But one grade of fruit is packed in boxes, and that is the best. The number of apples in a box varies with the size; it may be 45, 96, 128, or up to 200. Specify the size you desire when ordering. We guarantee this fruit to be well grown, well packed; and to be in sound condition when it leaves us. If it arrives otherwise you will do a favor by notifying us of the fact at once.”
Following this quoted paragraph are brief notes concerning principal varieties the farm has to sell, as follows:
“Baldwin, a good size red apple, a good keeper, and suitable for eating or cooking. Northern Spy, an apple of the highest quality, spicy, red and yellow streaked, excellent for dessert or cooking. Rhode Island Greening, a green apple, sub-acid, and excellent for culinary purposes. Roxbury Russet, an admirable late apple with a russet and green skin, usually used for dessert.”
From these quotations the reader will gather valuable hints as to satisfactory ways of disposing of produce. Nothing is so useful in building up a business as a clear-cut policy like that indicated above. The customer very soon learns to know that the farmer can be depended upon, and, with this knowledge, will not be tempted to go elsewhere in making purchases ; indeed, he will often place orders ahead. This is well attested by many who have tried the plan.
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