476 CALIFORNIA FRUIT SOCIETIES. 



the whole Santa Clara Valley went wild over the profits of the 

 prune business, and the profits of cooperation. 



As a matter of fact, the phenomenal results of coopera- 

 tion in that year could never have been anticipated, and can 

 hardly occur again. The prune crop was very short, and 

 prices very higli, but the principal gain to the drying associa- 

 tions arose from the phenomenally small shrinkage in drying 

 which occurred in that year, and which made the returns per 

 ton of fresh fruit exceedingly high, although the crop was so 

 short that the incomes of the growers, while large, were not at 

 all beyond reason. Many of those who dried their own fruit 

 at home, and sold independently, did nearly or quite as well 

 as those who sold through the two drying associations, for all 

 the information and acts of the unions were public, and 

 imparted as freely to outsiders as to their own members, and 

 all growers who used reasonable diligence could through 

 them be perfectly informed of market conditions, and obtain 

 full prices, as the demand was brisk and there was no diffi- 

 culty in making sales. There were, of course, many who were 

 not informed and who got less than the associations, but it 

 was their own fault. What the associations did do, however, 

 was to demonstrate the fact that it was unwise to sell the fruit 

 before drying, because in the long run, and one j^ear with 

 another, there was a profit in drying which the grower could 

 not afford to lose, although it was also doubtless true that an 

 experienced grower could often sell his fruit, fresh, to an 

 inexperienced buyer for more than its value; in the long run 

 the odds were against the grower, and he did better to dry his 

 own fruit, either at home or through a cooperative association. 

 It also seemed clear that a grower, with drying-grounds and 

 appliances, who made no account of the wear and tear of these, 

 or of his own time, or that of his family and teams, could 

 show a less net cost of .drying than the cooperative associa- 

 tions would show; but if he included in his cost the actual 

 worth of these items, his net cost of 'drying would be greater; 

 but it became very evident that the average quality of tlie 

 fruit dried cooperatively was far better than the average of the 

 same fruit home-dried, although no better than, if so good as. 



