316 The Commercial Apple Industry 



of rather low-grade fruit are attracted to this system of 

 selling. However, the tree-run system of handling fruit 

 does not encourage the highest cultural methods and tends 

 to lower the grade of fruit produced. It should be dis- 

 couraged. 



COOPEBATIVE METHODS OF SELLING 



Cooperative handling and marketing has been most 

 widely attempted in the western states, both in the distri- 

 bution of citrus and deciduous fruits. Confronted with 

 the problems of rapidly increasing production, extreme 

 distance from market and high land values, the western 

 fruit-grower has realized the precariousness of highly 

 specialized farming and has felt the need of organization 

 and cooperation more keenly than the eastern growers. 

 Heavy investment has made it impossible for him to turn 

 to other types of farming, and it has been in periods of 

 desperation when prices failed to meet the cost of pro- 

 duction that most comprehensive cooperative movements 

 have been inaugurated. It should not be understood that 

 failure has constantly followed in the foot-steps of the 

 western fruit-grower, for years of good prices and large 

 yields have brought excellent returns. The western 

 grower in many instances has devoted his entire capital to 

 the production of fruit. Naturally he resorts to every 

 means within his power to stabilize and organize the indus- 

 try on a profitable basis. When a period of low prices 

 prevails in the East or Middle West, the growers of these 

 regions having more diversified farms give less attention 

 to the growing and marketing of their apple crop and 

 more attention to their other enterprizes. 



One of the largest cooperative fruit marketing organiza- 



