, PROCEEDINGS OF 'rill". SUMMER MEETING 41 



all the minor toAvns and work up B])efial orders. Then the overplus, or 

 the berries lliaL are not (piite up lo standard, we ship to the coniinissiou 

 houses. We use the commission house more for the overllow than any 

 other purpose. The returns are made direct to the grower himself; but, 

 mind you, the board of directors decides to whom the berries shall be 

 shipped. Last season we limited the shipments to two or three of the 

 best commission men in each city. One result >vas that, before the week 

 was over, we had a dozen representatives of the other commission houses 

 visit us to buy berries, and we sold them at good prices in that way. We 

 decide to a certain extent to Avhat point they shall go, whether to Minne- 

 apolis or St. Paul; still, the grower can decide, if he wishes, where he 

 would prefer to have them shipped, but the business management is all 

 done by the board of directors. By shipping, the entire crop in that way 

 we get a little rebate. 



Mr. Baruett : Three per cent, is the usual rebate. 



Mr. Thayer: That is right, and that three per cent, is redistributed, 

 or is declared in a dividend at the close of the business, and this dividend 

 is based on the amount of shipments made by each grower. Now, we 

 have found that this is a very satisfactory way of handling fruit to the 

 extent of our product. Whether it could be managed where you grow in 

 such large quantities as you do in Michigan, I don't know. We have 

 in and about Sparta something over 400 or 500 acres of strawberries, 

 a hundred or two in blackberries, as many raspberries, and some in 

 black and red currants, gooseberries, etc.. and we have found that very 

 satisfactory indeed. Before the organization, parties were shipping to 

 ever3'bod3\ We fouhd our own berries coming into competition with 

 each other. My neighbor would send to one commission man and I 

 would send to another, they would go to St. Paul or Minneapolis; they 

 would be placed out in direct comj)etition with each other. Xow, that 

 was one thing we found it very beneficial to avoid. We have found it 

 also very beneficial to have our consignments made to a few commis- 

 sion houses. Get a good one, stay by it from beginning to end, and yon 

 will find the commission men are pretty "■square" as a rule. 



Mr. Monroe: How are the officers of the association paid, those that 

 do the work? 



Mr. Thayer: The ofificers receive no pay. They have a secretary who 

 is hired by the mouth and works under the direction of the board of 

 directors. 



Mr. Monroe: How is his compensation provided for? 



Mr. Thayer: It is j)aid out of the membership, ^2 per share. That 

 gives the directors loOO and they calculate this will pay the clerk for 

 the tw^o months they use him, and will also pay for the correspondence 

 and a little rent. 



Mr. Monroe: A j^erson who ships a thousand baskets pays no more 

 than the man who ships ten, is that the idea? 



Mr. Thayer: Yes, sir. 



Mr. Monroe: The reason 1 thought that must be so is that the remit- 

 tances are made direct to the growers, so it does not come to the asso- 

 ciation. 



Mr. Thayer: No. 



Mr. Monroe: So to that extent it is a mutual affair? 



Mr. Thayer: It is a mutual affair all through. 

 6 



