40 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



l»io|(>s( (if llio .-issociMl ion's solliiio- iiu'lliods .-uid llio ()i'<>nniznti()n np- 

 ]H';irs lo 1h' on llu> vcrv Norjic of dissolution in conseiincnco. 



In (he ]i:is| iliis iissociiU ion lias iMn]do.vod ;il uood snlarics a mana.ucr 

 and assistants, wlio nndoi-look disdibution of llic association's sllip 

 nuMils anionti' coniniission nHMcIianls (lii-onuliont (lie connh-.v. This i»lan 

 ajiiH'ais (o Iiavo jn-oven vtM-v nnsatisfaclor.v lo I lie jirowcrs who arc now 

 (U'niandin.u onlrijiiil sale lalluM- than Iho consijinnicnt of their products. 



It will not 1)0 dillicult to understand fi'oni those examples cited — and 

 wo conid uivo luan.v ni(»ro were thei'o the time -how <liversitied are the 

 market in,u- methods ])ivvalent anion«i- present day co-operative oruani/a- 

 lions of liTowors. Ono may bo easily imjirossed, tlioroforo, with the <»reat 

 need of some uniformity in sellin«>- methods amonji' these jirowors' asso- 

 ciations themselves and that necessarily this must come throujih more 

 far-r(>achinii- co (>i)oi*ation anu)n«i the producers of foodstulVs. 



The ni'owers' associaii(ui that servos best its nuMuborship is that one 

 which tan : 



1. Procure for its mend)ors the best of sup]dies and implements at 

 minimnm of cost. 



2. Provide suitable facilities for the careful jiradinii' and packino- of 

 £i»)ods for market. 



;>. Koiiulate harvest in<i, as near as possible to nuirket retpiiroments. 



4. Establish sm-h a rojiutation for (pmlity of ji'oods and packinj>- and 

 for reliable dealina; as to create cash demand for the association's 

 ])roducts. 



5. Ktpiijt itself with ex])erionced and deix'udablo sales forces in the 

 markets of the country throu<>h which can bo executed outri<»ht sale 

 of the assot'iation's prodiu-ts before, at. or after time of shipment. 



The accomj)lishment of most of these rocpiirements may bo arrived at 

 throu<ih comjK'tont manaiiomont. but it must be jdain that an establish- 

 ment by the individual association of an extensive sales force after the 

 pattern of the California jtlan. which is that of larjic connuorcial enter- 

 jtrises iionorally, is not feasible except with the control of suflrtcieut 

 tonnaiio distributed over an extended ])eriod warrantin«>' the expense. 



In fact, no sinjile organ izati(»n of fruit and ve<>otable growers OTit- 

 sido of California a]i])ears to have that volume of output requisite to 

 the maintenance of a complete marketing machine of its own. 



Recognizing these shortcomings and needs of the individual growers' 

 organization measures were undertaken in 11)10 to create a central sell- 

 ing agency with a corjjs of trained salesmen located in the important 

 market centers that might bo ntili/ed jointly by non-compotitivo asso- 

 ciations or exchanges shi]>ping in consecutive seasons throughout the 

 year. The centralization of selling otTort by imi»ortant shijtping factors 

 variously located from Florida to Oregon was to make ]»ossible the year 

 round operati(m of an organized soiling force, but under expense to the 

 individual association only as actually needed. 



T'n<lor this plan it was contemplated the sales force at the marketing 

 end would operate under diro<tion of the individual association's mana- 

 ger in season in the execution of sales orders and in acquiring authentic 

 information of markets to facilitate distribution and selling at points of 

 ])roduction. 



It was thus the North American Fruit Exchange, referred to as an 

 exchange of exchanges, came into existence. ])roniotod primarily by 

 horticulture interests of Florida, West Virginia, New York and Oregon. 



