304 Fruit-growing in Arid Regions 



buyers. Under such conditions there could be no such 

 thing as uniformity in grades, in packing, or in prices. 

 Each grower was a law unto himself, and competition 

 among neighbors was the rule. Such conditions are bad 

 enough even in the vicinity of the large cities of the East, 

 but when separated from the markets by hundreds of 

 miles, they soon become intolerable. 



The growing of fruit is a complex and exacting business 

 in itself, particularly under irrigation, and it is all that the 

 average grower should attempt. If he makes a success of 

 orcharding, his time will usually be fully occupied. The 

 association manager has many advantages in marketing 

 over the grower, some of which may be mentioned. 



The manager must have daily telegraphic reports on 

 the condition of the markets. He often has a personal 

 acquaintance with the buyers, and he finds it to his ad- 

 vantage to make occasional trips for the purpose, even to 

 distant states He may also have a system of diverting 

 cars after they have been sent out of the state, and thus 

 avoid a glutted market, or may send his fruit where it will 

 sell to better advantage. The icing of cars can also be 

 looked after properly. Associations are often the means 

 of securing lower freight rates, because the hauling of sev- 

 eral hundred cars is an item worth competing for. Such 

 rates are, of course, open to all shippers. Buyers often 

 want a number of car-loads of a certain variety and are 

 willing to pay a premium if their wants can be supplied, 

 and not infrequently such sales are the means of disposing 

 of large quantities of the inferior varieties or grades. An 

 individual is seldom in position to take advantage of such 

 opportunities. Associations are successful in maintaining 



