"66 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



CO-OPERATIVE FRUIT STORING AND PACKING IN 



NOVA SCOTIA. 



By G. H. Vroom, Chief Dominion Fruit Inspector, Middleton, 



N. S. 



The development of cooperation has been very marked in the 

 last few years in nearly all the countries of Europe, and in 

 America cooperation has reached enormous proportions. 



Take as an example the Cooperative Selling Association for 

 citrous fruits in California. In different parts of the United 

 States cooperative selling associations have worked out prin- 

 ciples that can be adopted now with confidence. 



The apple industry originated in the orchards of the earliest 

 settlers planted primarily for their own use. Their orchards 

 supplied not only the needs of the family but also those of 

 nearby markets. A little later there was a surplus after the 

 local demands had been met and some enterprising merchants 

 and growers began to ship a few barrels to the markets of 

 Great Britain, and they found that the fruit was acceptable and 

 yielded good profits. 



The first shipment of apples from Nova Scotia to London 

 was in 1849, ^^^ they netted $2.00 per barrel. 



In 1859 Ambrose Bent shipped 700 barrels to Boston and they 

 made $2.75 per barrel. 



In 1861 A. W. Corbett shipped some to London, and in 1881, 

 the first steamer to carry apples direct sailed from Annapolis 

 Royal with 6,800 barrels. Ambrose Bent went as supercargo. 

 The steamer was 14 days on the passage, and it was a paying 

 venture. 



This created a boom in orchard planting and helped to develop 

 the long distance export trade. The handling of the crop natu- 

 rally fell into the hands of dealers who very quickly monopolized 

 the trade connecrions, to such an extent that they could prac- 

 tically dictate the remuneration returned to the growers, and in 

 this condition the trade has continued almost to the present time. 



