CO-OPERATION AMONG FRUIT GROWERS. 



P'lG. 2717. Mr. Alex. McNeill. 



Vice-President of the Ontario Fruit Growers' Association ; Chief 

 Fruit Inspector for the Dominion, an excellent public speaker, 

 and always listened to with close interest, whether at the Agri- 

 cnltural Fair, the Farmers' Institute, the Horticultural Society or 

 the Ontario Fruit Growers' Association. At our Leamington 

 Meeting he gave an address on " Fruit Packages," which lead 

 up to the adoption of a uniform apple and pear box for the 

 Dominion- 



CO-OPERATIVE PACKING AND SELLING. 



AS an example of what is already being 

 done in Ontario in this direction, we 

 give the report by A. E. Sherringron, of 

 Walkerton, of the success of the co-opera- 

 tive work done during the past two years by 

 the Lake Huron Fruit Growers' Association. 

 He says : 



This association was organized in the month 

 of March, 1902, with a membership of twenty- 

 four under the auspices of the Fruit Growers' 

 Association and by direction of the secretary, 

 Mr. G. C. Creelman. The rules as laid down 

 by the association as a guide for local associa- 

 tions were adopted and have been carried out 

 as closely as it was possible to do so. The as- 

 sociation met monthly and at these meetings 

 the different subjects regarding fruit growing 

 and co-operative work in connection with it 

 were discussed. 



A new set of rules and by-laws are now beinp 

 prepared and incorporation applied for. I should 



like to mention the one governing packing. 

 Each member must pack and g'rade his own 

 fruit, placing his name on each package with 

 either stencil or rubber stamp, and stating the 

 variety and grade of fruit. In this way every 

 member becomes responsible for his pack. In 

 1902 the association made its first trial in 

 co-operative work by putting up two cars o* 

 Duchess apples, made up of 1,000 boxes and 100 

 barrels. These were sold f. o. b.. but forwarded 

 to Manchester, England, and arrived in good 

 condition. In addition to these, three cars of 

 winter apples were packed and sold. This year 

 the association has prospered beyond all expec- 

 tations. We have now between fifty and sixty 

 members and all go in for co-operation in the 

 shipping of apples. Up to the present time the 

 association has shipped fourteen carloads. 



Advantages of Co-Operation. 



(1) We believe that the grower is the proper 

 party to grade and pack his own fruit. By so. 

 doing he receives better prices, and better prices 

 mean more money, and more money means more 

 interest being taken in the care of the orchard 

 and fruit. 



(2) JfcJy co-operation apples aie ntit lelt l\ii,u 

 on the ground waiting on the packers to come 

 and scramble over the piles for a few of the 

 best specimens, and wasting the rest, but are 

 packed as gathered from the trees, thereby sav- 

 ing a larger percentage of the fruit. 



(3) Another advantage in co-operation is in 

 the handling of early apples, as all the members 

 can commence picking and packing the same 

 day. In this way only two or three days will 

 be required to make up a car, and the fruit will 

 be gotten away in a fresher and better condition 

 than by the other way of selling to buyers. 



(4) By co-operation, better shipping facilities 

 and lower rates may be abtained. 



As to the i)ossibilities of co-operation, it is im- 

 possible to tell what the outcome will be, but it 

 seems bound to grow and become a power with 

 the Lake Huron Fruit Growers' Association. The 

 next move will be to build a storehouse wheie 

 packages may be stored ready for use, and 

 where they may be returned when filled, and 

 kept until the cars are made up. I have no 

 doubt that in a short time other farm products 

 will be added to the list of co-operative ship- 

 ments, such as butter, eggs and poultry. These 

 products can all be handled by co-operation. 



THE address by W. H. Owen, of Ca- 

 tawba Island, Ohio, who is manager 

 of a large fruit packing house for a syndi- 

 cate of some thirty-four fruit growers in 

 that state, was so opportune and sviggestive 

 that we give it in full in this connection, as 

 follows : 



