CHAPTER VI. 



THE CALIFORNIA FRUIT EXCHANGE. 



IN the autumn of 1893, while the Santa Clara County 

 Fruit Exchange was in the full tide of its activity, the Cali- 

 fornia State Horticultural Society held a special session at 

 San Jose for the purpose of studying its operations. In the 

 enthusiasm of the moment it was voted to establish a state 

 Exchange, whose function should be to unite all branches of 

 the fruit industry throughout the state for common action for 

 common purposes. Just what purposes would prove to be 

 common were probably not then well defined in the mind of 

 -any one, but that would work itself out. A committee was 

 appointed on the spot, instructed to choose directors from 

 their own number who should proceed to organize the growers 

 of the state into one body, witli the state Exchange at the 

 head. When, however, the directors were chosen, they con- 

 sented to act only temporarily, until a special state conven- 

 tion of growers should formally determine whether a state 

 Exchange was desirable, and, if so, mark out the general lines 

 upon which it should proceed, and select directors to serve 

 for the first year. In due time the convention was called and 

 met, with a large representative attendance from niost fruit- 

 growing counties of the state. The plans which had been 

 formulated by the temporary organization were, after a full 

 discussion, unanimously approved, permanent directors were 

 selected to incorporate the Exchange and serve for one year, 

 and the Exchange was formally recognized as the "author- 

 ized agent of the fruit-growers of California." The plans had 

 a short time before been approved by a regular annual state 

 fruit-growers' convention, which had met in the meantime, 

 and by such local bodies of growers as there had been oppor- 

 tunity^ to consult. The special convention was unanimous 

 and enthusiastic, voting very heartily to begin subscribing 



(489) 



