A SUCCESSFUL COOPERATION ENTERPRISE 



COOPEKATIOX is in the air. . The 

 fruit growers of Ontario are aUve to 

 the necessity of cooperating more in the 

 hanclhng and marketing of their fruit. This 

 is evidenced by the numerous cooperative 

 associations that are being formed and by 

 the various plans which are every now and 

 then brought forward in an effort to enable 

 fruit growers to obtain more for their crops. 



The importance of the subject being thor- 

 oughly realized. The Canadian Horticul- 

 turist purposes from time to time describ- 

 ing various cooperative movements which 

 are in successful operation among fruit 

 growers. The Niagara District Fruit 

 Growers' Stock Company, Limited, was 

 formed 25 years ago to assist the fruit 

 growers of the Niagara district to market 

 their fruit to better advantage. While this 

 company has had its up and downs, the fact 

 that it has existed all these years and that it 

 has increased in strength is the best evi- 

 dence that it has been of value to the fruit 

 growers of the Niagara District. 



An editorial representative of The Horti- 

 culturist recentl}' called at the head office 

 of the company at Grimsby and had a chat 

 with ]\lr. ^Murray Pettit. of Winona, the 

 president of the company, and ^Iv. ]. W. G. 

 Nelles, the secretary. " When we started 

 the company." said Mr. Pettit. " it was capi- 

 talized at $10,000. but in 1894 we increased 

 the stock to $20,000. the shares being placed 

 at $100 each. We have about 100 share- 

 holders, principally in Lincoln and ^^'ent- 

 worth counties, although some live in Essex. 



" At the time the company was formed 

 the commission men in the leading cities 

 had the situation practically in their own 

 hands. They were slow in reporting sales 

 and the growers were unable to ascertain 

 what their fruit had realized until two or 

 three months after it had been sold. Our 

 first intention was to send members of the 

 association to the different markets to sell 

 the fruit of the members of the company. 



An eft'ort was made along this Tine l)ut was 

 finally given up, partly on account of the 

 short fruit season, which prevented the 

 agents from building up a trade, and partly 

 on account of the competition with the com- 

 mission men. who had the great advantage 

 of being located in the cities. 



" Gradually we changed our methods un- 

 til finally an arrangement was made with 

 the commission men in the diff'erent cities 

 whom we knew to be reliable. We agreed 

 to ship our fruit to these men only, and in 

 return required them to furnish bondsmen 

 every year. These bondsmen we insisted 

 should be worth in their own right from 

 S2,ooo to $5,000 each. 



'■ This method has been followed ever 

 since. The commission men deduct the 

 freight rates and charge seven per cent, 

 commission on all sales. The regular com- 

 mission is 10 per cent., but the commission 

 men are willing to charge us less in view of 

 the fact that they do not require to have 

 agents in the district where our company 

 has shareholders. The company supplies 

 the commission men with agency books. 

 The commission men report directly to the 

 head office at Grimsby after each sale, the 

 price realized daily. They are supposed 

 to report every week and most of them do 

 so. sending the money and a list of the 

 sales." 



PROMPT RETURNS. 



" I generally receive reports," broke in 

 Mr. Nelles, " on Tuesday. Every share- 

 holder thus has his money by AA'ednesday. 

 The contracts between the company and 

 the commission men are signed at the be- 

 ginning of the season. The commission 

 men are given the privilege of handling all 

 the fruit of the company sent to their city, 

 and in return they agree to report to us 

 weekly. The commission man who is slow 

 in making returns runs the danger of losing 

 the agency. We have agents in 26 or 2y 

 cities in Ontario and Quebec. Some vears 



