CO OPERATION AMONG FRUIT GROWERS. 



least, such has been my observation through tha 

 management of such a company for the past 

 twelve years. 



Advantages. 



Let us for a moment review further a few of 

 the advantages to ibe attained through such an 

 organization. First, the grower can place hi? 

 undivided attention to the proper picking of his 

 .fruit, which is a very important factor; where- 

 as, it is known that if peaches are picked green 

 or immature, or over-ripe, and delivered to the 

 packing house in such condition, no amount of 

 work that may be put upon it can make good 

 prime fruit of it. The great advantage of th^ 

 Central packing-house is the superior advan- 

 tages and inducements it offers to purchasers 

 of fruit in securing a uniform grade and pack. 

 It affords a place where the buyer can select 

 just the grade and kind of fruit that best suits 

 his trade. When the fact is known to the trade 

 that they can purcure their supply direct and in 

 any quantity desired, and every package guar- 

 anteed to contain freshly-picked and uniformly- 

 packed fruit, even the commission men will then 

 come to your doors and buy. Buyers are look- 

 ing for carloads of uniform fruit and not for 

 carloads that are not uniform. 



This system entirely eliminates the practice? 

 of deceptive packing and gives buyers confi- 

 dence that they are getting honestly packed 

 fruit. Even were you obliged to consign large- 

 ly, it will bring better prices on the market, an3 

 the commission firms are bound to take better 

 care of your interests than of the individual 

 shippers, because there is more at stake, anl 

 the merchant realizes that if he makes a mis- 

 take or misleads you in his advices, he will pro- 

 bably not have the opportunity of handling your 

 account again. The labor saved at both ends, 

 by dealing with one man or corporation instead 

 of ten or fifty, becomes apparent, and the com- 

 mission man can afford to handle a corporation 

 account on a less percentage, and it really pays 

 him better because of work and time saved. 

 And again, ;buyers after becoming acquainted 

 with your grades, pack and manner of doing 

 business, can order their supply of fruit intelli- 

 gently and without the necessity of retaining a 

 representative at the shipping point. 



Another great and beneficial effect of such an 

 organization is that, through its influence in 

 broadening the field of distribution, it does to 

 that extent disprove the "over-production" 

 policy. 



"We have found that in our own dealings with 

 transportation companies, basket manufactur- 

 ers, and even the commission man, they lend a 

 more willing ear and correct errors and abuses 

 with greater promptitude when presented by the 

 authorized representative of a company, than 

 they will for any individual or small grower 

 presenting a case possessing equally as much 

 merit. 



Transportation companies consider a well- 

 organized fruit company, working upon sound 

 business principles, in the same light as any 

 other well established business which con- 

 tributes to their receipts. 



We as a company have found them disposed to 

 grant favors and investigate complaints fairly, 

 while the lone individual, under the old plan of 

 " every fellow for himself," would perhaps have 

 remained unnoticed. 



Lastly, a recommendation that is appreciated 

 by those who have had the experience in the 

 Central Packing-house system, is the fact that 

 is relieves the home and good housewife of that 

 burden which is attendant through the care of 

 the extra help that will now be dispensed with. 



Expenses. 



Now as to the expense of organization under 

 this system. Some may raise the objection that 

 it will cost too much to establish a plant, but 

 you will find after careful investigation it will 

 be far cheaper for each to contribute toward a 

 general plant than for each individual to supply 

 himself with a packing house, a grader, and 

 other necessary equipments. In the establish- 

 ment of a central packing-house, make sure of 

 one point, and that is, provide a building with 

 ample room for receiving, grading and expedi- 

 tious handling of the fruit. If the requisite 

 amount of floor space is not provided, it will 

 necessitate vexatious waiting of the members 

 in taking their turn at unloading their fruit. 



Do not think that a room with no more spacs 

 than would ordinarily be used by three or four 

 of the larger growers of the company and equip- 

 ped with insufficient number of graders, will 

 properly take care of the fruit of twenty or 

 thirty orchards, for it will not, and such condi- 

 tions will only result in loss, through failure in 

 being able to get the fruit through promptly. 



As for laying down defined rules for organiz- 

 ing, that is a matter which each locality will 

 best work out for itself, as local requirements 

 and conditions vary. 



Now what is wrong with the present system, 

 or, more properly, lack of system, outside of the 

 already established organizations ? Can you 

 name any industry wherein so many hundred 

 thousands of dollars are invested that is con- 

 ducted so carelessly as the fruit busirtess of this 

 great fruit producing country ? It is a great 

 wonder to me that the average peach grower 

 should even get the price of his packages in re- 

 turn for his labor. To make it plain, the ave- 

 rage orchai-dist can not afford himself the facili- 

 ties for keeping' in touch with the trade and 

 keep posted daily on the changing conditions of 

 the various markets. He is too busy harvest- 

 ing his crop to study out the best plans and in- 

 form himself of the best places to ship in w^hich 

 he will meet the least competition. And right 

 here I wish to emphasize the word " competi- 

 tion," for are we not each and every one of us 

 placing our fruit in direct competition with each 

 other ? Again, the orchardist individually, is 

 placed to a disadvantage through his inability 

 to properly distribute his fruit. I say. inability, 

 because he has no control over other shippers, 

 and has no means of knowing but that 90 per 

 cent, of the other shippers throughout his vi- 

 cinity are shipping to the very market in which 

 he expects to avoid a glut. 



There is surely a way out of all this dilemma. 



