CO-OPERATION AMONG FRUIT GROWERS. 



W. H. BUNTING, 5T. CATHARINES 



For two ye irs the Ontario Fruit Growers Association has been 

 favored by having a mjst energetic and capable chairman in the 

 person of Mr. W. H. Bunting, of St. Catharines. Under Mr. Bunt- 

 ing's management the association has advocated a number of 

 measures of great importance to the fruit growers of the province, 

 and has brought about a number of reforms notably decided im- 

 provements in the transportation of fruit by ihe railway companies. 

 So thoroughly had Mr. Bunting prepared his case for the fruit 

 growers, and so clearly did he give his evidence before the Railway 

 Commission last summer, he was highly complimented by Hon. A. 

 G. Blair, the chairman of the commission, who said he had never 

 heard a case better presented. As Mr. Bunting had refused re-elec- 

 tion to the presidency or as director, the Ontario Fruit Growers, at 

 their recent annual convention, created the office of honorary presi- 

 dent for the especial purpose of h noring Mr. Bunting and retain- 

 ing him on the board of the association. 



messages, looked after the packing, and 'n 

 fact did all the work." 



Question : " When you were through did 

 }OU not think you had had the worst of the 

 bargain ?" 



Mr. Sherrington : " No. I thought, if 

 anything, that I had been overpaid." 



Question : " Have you tried handling 

 tender fruits?" 



Mr. Sherrington : " No, but cooperation 

 in handling such fruits will work to splen- 

 did advantage." 



Question : " How would you handle 

 peaches ?" 



Mr. Sherrington : " Easily. Some of the 

 best cooperative associations in the world 

 are located in Ohio, such as the one Mr. 

 Owens described at the last convention of 

 the Fruit Growers' Association. There are 

 also some splendid cooperative associations 

 in California. 



" This year the Walkerton fruit growers 

 formed a joint stock company and bought a 

 luilding near the station. A rule was 

 passed which compelled all members to take 

 their fruit to the central packing house to be 

 graded. Early in the season we bought our 

 boxes and barrels wholesale, thereby mak- 

 ing a great saving. Where farmers did not 

 have spring wagons we had them put hay m 

 the bottom of their wagons which prevented 

 their fruit being bruised. As soon as the 

 apples were received girls and boys were set 

 to work to cull them, while one man looked 

 after the expert packing. The results of 

 tlie grading of each man's fruit were cred- 

 ited to him in a book kept for that purpose. 

 If a man had io>4 barrels of No. i fruit he 

 received credit for that amount." 



Mr. W. T. Macoun, Ottawa : " What do 

 you do with growers who bring in barrels 

 of fruit that is soft?" 



Mr. Sherrington : " If not up to the 

 standard we refuse to handle the apples. 

 Our building is 30 x 100 feet and has a cel- 

 lar, in which the hardy winter stock is kept 

 until wc are ready to handle it. Most of 

 our wir.ter apples are still in the cellar. In 

 this way it is not necessary for us to leave 

 our fruit in the orchards, in all kinds of 

 weather, where most of it would be ruined. 

 Most of the fruit which is now in the cellar 

 of our building would have been lost had 

 we not had this place in which to store "t. 

 As it is, the apples of our section are now 

 safely stored ready to be marketed when the 

 time comes. 



" This year we marketed large quantities 



