CONSIGNEES. 99 



herein lies the difficulty. There is not one of them who 

 would not willingly and cheerfully give ten times the time 

 and money necessary to effectuate the object could he do 

 so individually ; but because it requires united efforts, 

 meetings, differences, and discussions, it is not done, and 

 thousands, yes, tens of thousands of dollars are lost every 

 year. One object of the Peninsula Fruit Growers' Asso- 

 ciation was to insure unity of interest and purpose. With 

 this view, it embraced the entire Peninsula, which fur- 

 nishes nearly all the peaches sent to Philadelphia and 

 New York. But so far, it has not enlisted nearly all the 

 planters. Most of the large ones, it is true, are members, 

 but still a large number have stood aloof, and, while it is 

 believed they approve of the Association and its aims, yet 

 Jhey have not taken interest enough in it to give it their 

 active support. Some of them expect to reap the ad- 

 vantages without the incidental expenses of time and 

 money. Others do not unite from the mere force of a 

 habit, which repels them from all associations whatever. 

 In this way the Association is not able to do all the good 

 it otherwise might. Did it include all the planters of 

 the Peninsula, as was intended by its founders, it is easily 

 seen ifc would control the peach market, and might dic- 

 tate its own terms. One of its first and most obvious 

 objects then would be to establish a depot, or mart, of its 

 own in Philadelphia and New York, where all its fruit 

 would be sold by its own agents. This would dispense 

 with consignees or middle men altogether, and would be 

 a benefit to both producer and consumer ; as the latter 

 would be better served, at no greater, if not a reduced, 

 price, while the former would obtain what the fruit was 

 worth in the market. Until this be done, the planters 

 need not expect to avoid imposition and fraud. 



