MTSOELLANEOUS PAPERS. 403 



press, and the fact also that every time they are reshipped they are in- 

 jured more or lest in appearance, and consequently, bring less money, 

 it will be well to give this matter due consideration in the selection of 

 our selling agents. While the selling agents in all the large distribut- 

 ing cities will have to reship by express to all their out-of-town trade, 

 in the smaller towns and cities where no car-load shipments will be 

 sent, it will no doubt be best for us to expect that our general distrib- 

 uting agents in the large cities do not interfere with each other by ex- 

 press shipments through claimed branch agencies or otherwise. 



In regard to our representatives that we will send to the mar- 

 kets this season, perhaps it would be well for each association to se- 

 lect their men soon, so they could be assigned to their different points, 

 make their arrangements to be ready to go, and it would no doubt be 

 well for all of them to meet with the Executive Committee some time 

 between now and the shipping season. 



Mr. Editor, for fear that my communication is already too long, I 

 will close by saying to all strawberry-growers, and especially to mem- 

 bers of the Co-operative Union, to give all outside parties who are not 

 growers, who are openly or otherwise fighting the co-operation of pro- 

 ducers, a wide berth, the relative position of the two being a sufficient 

 reason for so doing. — Geo. T. Tippin, Nichols, Mo., in Southwest. 



ORGANIZATION IN MARKETING PRODUCTS. 



Should producers organize to market their products ? Most of the 

 receivers of perishable products will answer this querry in the affirmi- 

 tive, because a great many valid reasons may be advanced to show the 

 benefits arising from organization. The pioneers in successful organi- 

 zation were the fruit-growers of California. In the early stages of 

 their efforts to grow fruits and vegetables for distant markets, they 

 were beset by obstacles difficult to surmount. The item of distance 

 to paying markets and the question of transportation and rates called 

 for the ablest men in the industry. Powerful corporations had to be 

 handled in the interest of the producer ; living rates, faster time and 

 improved methods were demanded, and the railroads saw the wisdom 

 of .yielding, as the concessions tended to double their business every 

 year — and the enormous traffic which followed is no longer news to 

 anybody. 



The further from market the greater the need of getting together, 

 as the risk increases with the distance. In this connection, the rout- 

 ing and distribution of the goods becomes very important, and cannot 



