282 HORTICULTURE FOR SCHOOLS 



benefit one will necessarily serve all. The successful co- 

 operative organizations have been those which have confined 

 themselves to one crop or to one particular line of activity. 

 For example, an organization -for the marketing of poultry 

 should not attempt to engage in handling apples; dried 

 fruits should be kept separate from fresh ones; and citrus 

 fruits from those of the deciduous varieties . The crop handled 

 by any one organization should be of about the same kind and 

 quality and produced under somewhat similar conditions. 



The second essential is that the membership be held 

 together by the strongest possible ties. The first of these is 

 the bond of a common necessity. Where the cooperative 

 organization has not filled an imperative need, it has proved 

 a failure. The necessity may arise from lack of marketing 

 facilities on account of geographical location or other cir- 

 cumstances over which the grower has no control. It may 

 result from collusion among buyers, whereby the grower is 

 prevented from receiving a fair rate for his product. It may 

 be due to unequal distribution of the product which results 

 in the growers competing one with the other for the market 

 to the detriment of all. There may be need for the reduction 

 of cost of handling, for this is sometimes the determining 

 factor in the success of an horticultural enterprise. In the 

 case of many agricultural products, an increase of consump- 

 tion is necessary which the individual grower, acting by him- 

 self, is unable to bring about. Again, the product may re- 

 quire grading and packing facilities which the individual 

 cannot supply. Whatever the need for cooperation may be, 

 it must be so obvious as to be its own best argument. 



Another tie which helps to hold the members of a co- 

 operative association together is that of mutual confidence 

 resulting from personal acquaintance. For this reason, each 

 community should preserve its individuality and not go too 

 far afield in the selection of members. Personal association 

 will cause each member to feel more keenly his responsibility 



