GEOWEKS NATIONAL MARKETING AGENCY. 



11 



The membership in the various companies is approximately as 

 follows: Massachusetts 350, New Jersey 115, and Wisconsin 43, 

 making a total of 508. In many cases a membership consists of a 

 company rather than an individual. Consequently the number of 

 members is not an indication of the size or importance of the associ- 

 ation when comparing it with other growers' organizations. A 

 single company holding only one membership may grow and ship 

 through the association more than 75 cars of berries in a single year. 



The growing of cranberries requires, relatively speaking, large 

 amounts of capital. It is not unusual for the cost of developing a 

 bog to exceed $750 per acre. Furthermore, picking, sorting, and 

 packing charges ordinarily run from $100 to $300 per acre for a 

 single year. 



Table 3. — Cost of handling cranberries from the hog to the car at local shipping point, 



1920} 



State. 



Number of 

 barrelsin- 

 cluded in 

 cost records 



Total cost. 



Cost per 

 barrel. 



Massachusetts 



41,612 

 16, 401 

 4,936 



$119,120.36 

 70,531.11 



18,187.54 



$2.86 



New Jersey 



4.30 





3.68 







Total 



62,949 



207, 839. 01 







23.35 











iThis cost includes picking, sorting, packing, storing, and carting. Expenses of growing and the 

 interest and depreciation on capital and equipment involved in handling the crop from bog to car are not 

 included. The figures are based on costs to a number of representative growers in the three districts. 



2 This average is obtained by weighting the cost per barrel in each State with the volume of cranberries 

 shipped by the association from that State. 



The Massachusetts association operated four houses during the 

 season of 1920 for the cleaning and sorting of the berries of members 

 at cost. The operating expenses of these houses averaged 54 cents a 

 barrel for cleaning, packing, sorting, and overhead expenses. This 

 figure does not include the cost of picking, containers, storage, or 

 cartage. 



The amount of capital required in the growing of cranberries ex- 

 plains the tendency toward group action in the production of this 

 fruit. 



The organization of the American Cranberry Exchange is very 

 similar to that of the State companies; the main difference is that 

 it has only 13 directors. The members are elected in the same manner 

 as in the State companies. The members in the three State compa- 

 nies elect delegates to the annual meeting of the American Cranberry 

 Exchange, who are elected directors of the exchange at the meeting, 

 most of the members voting by proxy. Massachusetts supplies 6 

 directors, New Jersey 5, and Wisconsin 2. No one State is allowed 

 a majority on the board of directors. 



