152 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



This company was called the Berwick Fruit Company and 

 was incorporated under the Nova Scotia Joint Stock Com- 

 panies' Act, with an authorized capital of $10,000.00. Ware- 

 house accommodation was secured and during the first season 

 some 7000 barrels of apples were handled. This company did 

 not limit its sphere of usefulness to the mere handling of apples. 

 It aimed also at being an educational power. The leaders of 

 the movement soon found that one of the most important fac- 

 tors in successful cooperative fruit packing was the production 

 of good fruit. The company therefore used its best influence 

 to educate its members and also farmers generally in the matter 

 of careful cultivation, spraying, etc. 



At the beginning of the second season the membership of this 

 company was doubled and a new warehouse was purchased. 



In 1908 the output of this company was 15,000 barrels, which 

 increased the following year to 22,000. 



The early history of this company is a splendid demonstra- 

 tion of what can be done by a body of men associated together 

 for the common benefit. 



The superiority of the pack put out secured splendid prices. 

 While farmers outside the company had to be content with 

 $1.25 per barrel, tree run, for their apples, the members of the 

 cooperative company were receiving $2.65 for No. i grade of 

 fruit, $1.90 for No. 2 and $1.22 for No. 3. 



News of the phenomenal success soon spread and in 1909 

 five more companies were incorporated under a new act 

 specially passed to facilitate the incorporation of such companies. 

 The following year saw that number increased. 



The apples of all members of cooperative companies are 

 packed at the warehouses by experts. No farmer being a mem- 

 ber of a company is permitted to pack any standard variety at 

 home, neither is he allowed to sell except through his company. 

 Thus the companies are able to put up a uniform pack which 

 they can guarantee. 



A farmer joining a company agrees to pool his apples and is 

 paid the average price realized for each variety in the three 

 grades. Thus there is a direct incentive to raise good fruit, for 

 the member receives the average prices for the grades into 

 which his fruit packs. 



