THIS KENTUCKY EXAMPLE OF COOPERATION 



163 



f.o.b. basis. It may be added also that money is freely spent in 

 April and the early part of May in advertising widely these Ken- 

 tucky strawberries. Dealers are informed by advertisements in 

 the trade papers, and the market demand is properly cultivated by 

 the time the heavy car-lot movement of strawberries begins. 



This Kentucky example of cooperation carried out where the 

 farmers are rated as particularly individualistic illustrates well 

 certain correct principles and practices in cooperation. First, 

 there is a specialized field where the need of cooperation is great. 

 A highly centralized organization is effected under wise leadership, 



FIG. 25. Grading and packing the berries for the northern market. (U. S. D. A.) 



with no money worse than wasted in promoter's fees. (As coopera- 

 tion becomes more popular, more and more counterfeit and bogus 

 "cooperators" will rush in and organize farmers for the twenty 

 per cent commission, more or less, which they can extract for their 

 " services.") The product was standardized. That is, a certain 

 distinct variety and quality was developed and properly labeled. 

 This served as did the trademarks developed by some of our old, 

 reliable, honorable business firms. Cooperation in this form brings 

 savings to the producers through doing business on a large 

 scale, and at the same time gives the consumer part of the 

 benefits in the form of an improved product at a lower price, as 

 happened in the case of the California oranges. In both cases 

 the wider distribution of a highly perishable product was the 

 underlying problem. 



