WINTER MEETING. 227 



liave long ago been delegated to the rear. Thus began the strawberry 

 industry at Sarcoxie until now Sarcoxie is the largest single shipping 

 point in the world. John Cae,naiia.n. 



DRAWBACKS OF CO-OPERATION. 



A good, careful grower of fruit, in disposing of it through the 

 common channels of trade, ought to be entitled to a fair remuneration. 

 He should not be compelled to content himself with the same price 

 for his fruit with the slovenly, shiftless grower, who has no ambition 

 to raise first-class fruit, but who is awfully interested to share in un- 

 deserved profits with his painstaking neighbor. Progressive fruit- 

 growers will find it to their interest to offer nothing to their customers 

 which would detract them from securing a goodly supply of this most 

 healthy and luscious of fruits, the strawberry, and I think the time is 

 at hand when a little more attention regarding the quality of the 

 strawberries wauld not be out of place in order to further increase the 

 consumption. 



To come back to my topic I started oat with : One is at times apt 

 to be misunderstood. I am not at all averse to co operation ; on the 

 contrary, I am in perfect harmony with it, only I wish its drawback 

 ijould be obviated. I have to illustrate this more forcibly, not in an 

 unkindly spirit, but for the common good. Some of our growers 

 failed to renew their old beds, and the consequence, as could be ex- 

 pected, was a lot of inferior fruit. Now, the commission man to whom 

 the berries are sent is a very busy man at that time, and frequently the 

 berries of half a dozen are a dozen growers are sold together at the 

 same price, and the good berries of one grower 'helps out to increase 

 the poor and inferior berries of the other fellow. Now for the remedy 

 of this ill practice. One plan of those that have given this matter a 

 good deal of thought, and it undoubtedly has much to commend it, is 

 to make two or more grades. The pickers, without any additional ex- 

 pense or trouble (as I have been assured by those who helped to pick 

 berries in this way), could make two grades. The berries from old 

 neglected beds would have to be stamped second or third grade by an 

 appointed inspector at the place of delivery, whose authority should 

 not be questioned by anybody. It would probably be best to have 

 the man who is to fill this responsible post to come from a distance, 

 for the same reason that a prophet is not much esteemed in his own 

 country, and two associations could exchange such men (as are above 

 reproach). I enter into details purposely, as from these sometimes 



