152 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



THE PRUNE AND APRICOT GROWERS INFORMATION 



BUREAU. 



By J. C. Shinn, Niles, Cal. 



Many years back in the course of the dried fruit business most of 

 the early fruit handlers in San Francisco failed at the business, which 

 was probably even more of a speculative business then than it is now, 

 and no one could tell about the market. I remember one year these 

 speculators believed they could handle peaches at, I think, 18 or 20 cents 

 a pound, and were very anxious to buy and control for future delivery 

 all there were in the state, but there was suddenly a slump and the 

 price dropped back to 7 or 8 cents, and some of the dealers were bank- 

 rupted. Sooner or later practically every one of the old-time firms, 

 who were handling dried fruits, failed. The business has settled down 

 to some extent, but just recently I was told that one of the large firms 

 was practically bankrupt. 



The great point that appeals to me in these organizations is the 

 control of the market, the possibility of guaranteeing to jobbers and 

 Eastern dealers that they won't be caught with a large stock of goods 

 on their hands when values depreciate. The question is, of course, how 

 to start the market. I suppose the proposition is to start it at a safe 

 figure and later the thing will average up all right. The goods will be 

 fed into the market and pushed and there will be no slump. The goods 

 will be cared for here in central depots and given out as the market 

 can take them. There may even be an advance in price if the market 

 warrants it, but the buyer will be protected against a slump anyway. 

 I was president of a cooperative fruit drying association for some 

 years. Although we got along all right for some time, we finally 

 decided to disband because of the uncertainty about the whole matter. 

 When the fruit was dried and ready for sale we were not in touch with 

 the Eastern markets and could not tell what the conditions were. If 

 dealers came along and offered a good figure we sold and later on the 

 price might advance. Such fluctuation made a great deal of difference 

 to the growers. The old organization had no means of keeping informed, 

 but it seems to me this present organization, as planned, will be in 

 a far better position to keep posted on markets and demand, and so 

 should be able to sell wisely. I was ready to go into it when it was 

 first started and it seems to me there can be no mistake about it now. 

 It is organizing along the lines of several very successful organizations. 

 Of course, success will depend largely on the management, and the 

 personal equation must not be overlooked. "Will the right man be 

 placed in charge of the handling and selling of the goods? Will he 

 be able to judge the market correctly and sell when he should sell? 

 The work of the organization will lie simplified by the establishment 

 of certain brands that should be placed on the market at certain definite 

 prices, perhaps cutting out much of the intermediate profit and a good 

 deal of waste labor in marketing. We must put the right men in the 

 righl places in these organizations. Years ago we had no trained men, 

 but now the men that have been trained with the orange growers' 

 organization and the raisin organization will be valuable men to have 

 in connection with these newer organizations. The establishing of 



