358 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



Now if in bringing my already too long discussion to a close 

 there is one thing more than another that 1 wish to say it is to 

 refer very briefly to the matter of co-operation among fruit grow- 

 ers. Almost every line of human effort is ahead of the farmer in 

 having its co-operative organizali(jn for mutual welfare. From 

 the Dagoes who attend to the street lights of our cities; from the 

 Irish hod-carriers up to the most skilled artisans in the country, 

 we find organizations that weld the members so that they can act 

 as a unit and wlien one speaks it is the voice of authority for all. 

 Among farmers, fruit growers are undoubtedly in the lead in this 

 respect, but still there is relatively a small number of such organi- 

 zations in comparison with their field of usefulness. 



Some of the advantages of co-operation among fruit growers 

 may be enumerated as follows: 



(1) All supplies, such as packages, tillage implements and other 

 tools, spraying material, spray pumps, fertilizers, and all other kinds 

 of materials or equipment can be bought by the association in large 

 quantities at wholesale rates and sold to the members practically 

 at cost. 



(2) The fruit being grown, picked, packed and handled in every 

 way under the direction of the board of managers it is practically 

 uniform in quality. 



This makes it possible to standardize grades and to adopt brands 

 that have a definite significance in the markets and an actual cash 

 value in selling the fruit. It makes possible the building up of a 

 reputation for a whole fruit section instead of for individual or- 

 chards as is generally the case otherwise. 



(3). It is possible through the association manager to keep in 

 the closest touch with market conditions and hence take full ad 

 vantage of those conditions. The manager is usually the selling 

 agent; hence the grower is relieved of the anxiety of dealing with 

 fruit l3uyers when his whole attention is needed in the preparation 

 of his fruit for market. 



(4). Under these conditions quantity is not a factor in any 

 individual orchard, as is often the case when a single grower must 

 be able himself to ship in car lots. Quality becomes the aim. This 

 makes possible small orchard or orchards of such size that the 

 most intensive methods can be followed in the management of them. 

 These are some of the more prominent functions of co-operative 

 associations named without regard to their relative importance. 



A very large proportion of the thirty thousand cars, more or 

 less, of citrus fruits that are grown annually in California are 

 handled by co-operative associations. Most of the fruit from Colo- 

 rado, Oregon, Washington and other states of the Northwest is 

 likewise so handled. You know something about the relative prices 

 of this fruit in eastern markets in comparison with the prices that 

 prevail for most of the eastern grown fruit. You have the ad- 

 vantage of the western growers in that they are so much further 

 removed than you are from the large markets of the country. I 

 doubt very much if the western fruit would reach the eastern mar- 

 ket, at least not in large quantities, if it was not for the co-operation 

 of the growers among themselves, working through their associa- 

 tions. 



