CONDITIONS LEADING TO ORGANIZATION. 449 



the same industry, and gradually it became evident that great 

 districts which we had regarded as our permanent customers 

 would soon be in the market as competitors, and it was seen 

 that the problem of production, with which we had been 

 occupied, was as notliing as compared with the problem of 

 marketing the vast output at prices, not which would pay 

 interest on land at the high rates which had been paid for it, 

 for that was obviously impossible, but which would at least 

 pay the expenses, and interest on soinetliing. Througliout 

 the world the increase of fruit products had been so vast and 

 so rapid that tlie problem of their sale involved the problem of 

 displacing some other food product to a corresponding extent, 

 and that interest would fight. 



At the beginning the process of marketing w-as simple. 

 A trade grew up witli the business, which bought and paid for 

 the product, delivered at the nearest shipping-point, and that 

 was the end of the matter to the grower, and it was satisfac- 

 tory. In the wine business it is the only way possible for 

 most growers, as the necessary cooperage and suitable storage 

 required capital not available to the small vineyardist. In 

 the raisin business, also, it is not usually possible for small 

 growers to pack their product to the best advantage. The 

 orange-grower sold his fruit on the tree. When the fresh 

 deciduous fruit production outgrew the capacity of the local 

 market, a few of the largest growers assailed the task of 

 opening the eastern markets; and, having demonstrated the 

 possibility, there were buyers even for so perishable product 

 as that. 



But as the product increased there was a downward tend- 

 ency in prices. The eastern trade w^as perfectly informed of 

 the enormous annual increase to be expected, and more and 

 more each year inclined to wait the inevitable effect before 

 purchasing. The very high prices paid in some years to 

 growers proved disastrous to many local buyers who paid 

 them, and who found that there was a limit quite easy to 

 reach, above which even the products of golden California 

 would not sell. Year by year there was less disposition, on 

 the part of local buyers, to purchase, but instead they offered 

 29 



