76 Cooperation in Agriculture 



thousand growers cultivate the fruit, 100,000 people 

 depend on it for a living, and from 15,000,000 to 20,000,000 

 boxes valued at 20 to 35 million dollars are shipped annu- 

 ally from the state. The industry is very highly spe- 

 cialized. None other hi agriculture is held together by 

 larger common interests or is brought hi closer contact 

 with organized business on every hand and has larger 

 public policy questions confronting it. 



The League makes it possible for all of the shippers and 

 growers to stand together in handling the general questions 

 that affect the industry and through which they may 

 cooperate in the general upbuilding of the industry. 

 It avoids all questions that lie within the province of the 

 established marketing agencies. It keeps away from 

 political questions. It vigorously defends the growers 

 and shippers whenever their interests are jeopardized by 

 legislation, by unjust railroad rates, or by other public 

 policy relations. It develops a constructive policy for 

 the improvement of the cultural practices of the growers 

 and of the fruit-handling methods of the shipper and then 

 secures the cooperation of the state and federal agencies 

 best adapted to the investigation and upbuilding of these 

 lines. The League is a unique organization among the 

 agricultural industries of America. It is applying the 

 methods that have contributed so much to modern in- 

 dustrial progress to the problems of the orange and lemon 

 grower. It is a voluntary organization formed by grow- 

 ers, shippers, and shipping organizations. It is sup- 

 ported by funds raised by general assessment based on 

 the number of cars of fruit shipped by each member dur- 

 ing: th preceding year. 



