ion he receives a good price, regular customers and a sure
market for his product.

The amount handled through the stores is about equal to that handled
direct to the consumer, but in some seasons it is not as great. The
grower demands cash, for he can get it at the other places, while most
of the stores prefer cash rather than a trade basis, on account of the
bother of handling the trade checks. Some stores, by offering a higher
trade price, try to draw trade, but this does not attract the commercial
grower. It may, however, attract the half-way grower. Most stores do not
try to handle more than they can dispose of themselves. It is the small
grower who sells to the stores. The large grower cannot get the prices
that will pay him to bother with the store trade, while the fruit houses
do not want to handle the small fruit grower's product, for it is
usually of inferior quality. Hence, the store trade is a necessity under
present conditions, even though it is not a very satisfactory method.

The apples are brought to the stores in the same packages as to the
consumer direct. The berries are handled in the same packages, but the
condition and quality are more apt to be inferior than with those sold
to the consumer. The stores usually re-sort the fruit before they sell
it. They very seldom ship fruit. In case they get more on their hands
than they can sell, they either store it for a few days, or sell to the
wholesale fruit houses.

There is more fruit handled by either one of the two wholesale fruit
houses than by any other single way in Mankato. They handle the bulk of
the apple crop grown commercially but will not take inferior fruit. The
small fruit growers market a considerable portion of their crops through
them, especially in years when they have more than they can dispose of
to consumers. The wholesale houses offer no fixed price, except it be in
a contract with some individual grower whom they know will bring in good
fruit. When a load comes in they look it over and bid on it. If the
grower is satisfied with the price, he sells, and if not he tries the
other house or the stores.

The commercial growers usually bring in their apples loose in the
wagon-box, and the apples are packed into barrels here. This insures a
clean barrel, properly packed. It enables the buyer to look over the
load as it is being unloaded. One or two growers have a reputation good
enough that the houses will buy their fruit barreled. All s