22 The Bulletin. 



CO-OPERATIVE ASSOCIATIONS. 



In communities where there is considerable interest in fruit growing 

 something can be saved if the growers will combine their needs^ into large 

 wholesale orders. It is perfectly evident, for example, that if a dozen 

 or fifty men in a community send off a combined order for a ton of blue- 

 stone, twenty barrels of sulphur, five hundred pounds of Paris green, etc., 

 that the rates both of purchase and for transportation will be cheaper 

 than if each man sends off a small independent order. And it is in just 

 such matters that the local fruit growers' associations have a chance to 

 do good work. There is already an association at Mount Airy (Surry 

 County) and one in the Brushy Mountain region of Alexander and 

 Wilkes counties. There are several other localities where similar local 

 associations could be formed to advantage— not to "fight the trusts" or 

 to "resolute," but to be mutually helpful among the members, to study 

 among themselves the best means of growing more fruit and better fruit, 

 methods of planting, cultivating, fertilizing, pruning, spraying, canning, 

 drying, picking, grading, packing, shipping, buying of supplies, etc., etc. 

 We find that as a rule four meetings a year— one each in spring, summer, 

 fall and winter— are about the right number. There need be nothing 

 complicated about such an organization, but there should be an active, 

 reliable business man for secretary or business agent who can and will 

 see to it that members have the chance to get their materials to advantage. 

 In addition to the two associations already mentioned, we have reason 

 to believe that, with proper spirit among the fruit growers in the com- 

 munity, very beneficial organizations could be formed and kept up in 

 the following neighborhoods : 



Guilford County and vicinity, 

 Catawba County and vicinity, 

 McDowell County and vicinity, 

 Buncombe County and vicinity, 

 Haywood County and vicinity, 



and perhaps a few others not here mentioned. But we know that the 

 "organization" sentiment has been worked considerably in recent years, 

 and we advise that the sentiment of the community be carefully sounded 

 and measured before an attempt is made. The keynote should be educa- 

 tion and progress in better methods among the growers themselves, rather 

 than to fight for redress of real or fancied wrongs. _ When our growers 

 are practicing proper methods among themselves it will then be time 

 to take up the other matters. This is said not in discouragement, but to 

 warn against a common mistake. 



APPLE-SPRAYING DEMONSTRATIONS. 



In the first pages of this Bulletin it is stated that every grower should 

 know how to make and should know when, how and why to use the poi- 

 soned Bordeaux Mixture. This is the best general spray mixture for 

 fruit trees, though for San Jose Scale, plant lice, etc., other remedies are- 

 required. 



