110 



sold the apples to a Chicago firm, and I (as grader) received 

 orders to go ahead and prepare the apples for shipment. 



Problems immediately commenced to assert themselves. 

 It is not an easy matter to grade another man 's apples with 

 the owner watching the process, as he naturally wishes to 

 realize as large a sum as possible from the fruit and is liable 

 to resent the throwing out of a large percentage of the ap- 

 ples into the ungraded class. The majority of the men had 

 very poor apples, the fruit being so seriously infected with 

 aphis that about 33 1-3 percent were discarded as unfit for 

 market. This was a severe blow to the growers, but thej^ 

 stood it manfully and did not take issue with my decision in 

 the matter. Nevertheless, it was easy to see that it was not 

 increasing the popularity of co-operative marketing. In or 

 der to keep his agreement with the exchange one of the mem- 

 bers wap obliged to sell his excellent fruit (second to none 

 in the State) in closed packages and for much less than 

 would have been the ease if he had been allowed to sell it in- 

 dependently in open packages as fancy fruit. 



It soon became apparent that the members of the Ex- 

 change were losing money by marketing co-operatively; the 

 careless grower through having large quantities of fruit dis- 

 carded which he would undoubtedly have included if mar 

 keting independently ; and the careful grower through the 

 necessity of selling his superior product in conjunction with 

 the inferior fruit from his neighbors' orchards. It was 

 apparent that this system could not hope to have the perma- 

 nent support of the growers. 



In December 1916. Mr. Barnes resigned as manager and 

 the position with its varied troubles and problems was con- 

 fer ed upon me. 



It seemed advisable that the 1917 marketing should 

 commence at once. Accordingly the Exchange members 

 were treated to a lecture which was instructive, illuminating 

 but not flattering. They were frankly informed that as a 

 whole, their 1916 crop was extremely poor in appearance 

 and quality and that much more attention must be given to 



