524 CALIFORNIA FRUIT SOCIETIES. 



associution been large enough, they would have won, if they 

 had chosea to risk it, for in spite of the fact that the press and 

 impartial public sentiment was strongly in favor of the cor- 

 poration, it is unlikely that the independent growers, who had 

 suffered somewhat at the hands of the wine-makers of the 

 corporation, when they had things their own way, would have 

 refused substantially better offers from the association for the 

 purpose of aiding the corporation. Tliey would have taken 

 their chances for the future. But the capital and credit of 

 the association, though large, had a limit easily reached, and 

 the fierce competition in sales which then existed between the 

 two bodies had so reduced the prices of wine that bankers were 

 very cautious in lending money upon it. The administration 

 of the estate of a member of the association made public the 

 fact that its stock had greatly depreciated, and, upon the whole, 

 it took the wise course of not making extravagant offers. The 

 result was that the corporation retained control of the output, 

 while the litigation went in favor of the association. This 

 afforded the basis for a compromise, which at once restored 

 both to prosperity. The price of wine was raised to a fair but 

 reasonable price, at which it freely went into consumption, and 

 every one was making money again. Just at this time the 

 contracts of the wine-makers with their corporation expired, 

 and as these pages go to press a canvass is in progress for their 

 renewal. 



While in the foregoing chapters of this book, I have not 

 always made prominent the advantages to producers, which 

 have immediately followed cooperation in California, I may 

 say, once for all, that they have been substantial, and this, 

 whether actual control of the product involved was secured or 

 not. I speak of the completed and successful societies. The 

 failures, of which there have been many, have been necessary 

 steps in the progress of education. I know of no one who 

 has successfully cooperated who does not think that it has paid. 



As to the future, it seems to me that, in California, the 

 prospect of continued and successful cooperation among farm- 



