12 BULLETIN 1109, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGKICULTTTRE. 



IMPROVEMENTS RESULTING FROM COOPERATION. 



The improvements of marketing methods have been brought about 

 through developments along five rather distinct lines. The first and 

 basic improvement was that of raising the quality of the fruit reaching 

 the consumer by means of close grading and careful packing. Next 

 pooling systems were adopted which equalized prices to growers for 

 the same grade of product. These two procedures were fundamental 

 and upon them the associations were able to build constructive 

 policies looking toward the stabilization of the market and the exten- 

 sion of the demand for their product. 



In addition to improvements in the way of equitable pools, better 

 grading, standardizing, and packing, the cranberry growers have also 

 amply demonstrated the possibility of great market improvement by 

 means of better correlation of demand with existing supply. This 

 improvement has been brought about in three ways: (1) By securing 

 the good will of the consuming public through advertising; (2) by 

 cultivating the good will of the jobbing and retail trade through 

 stabilizing - the market; (3) by carefully estimating the potential 

 supply of cranberries to be sold, together with the probable demand, 

 and then attempting to place an opening price upon the product at a 

 rate that will induce the consumption of the existing supply. 



GRADING. 



In the matter of grading, the cranberry industry has developed 

 along lines different from those obtaining among most other perish- 

 ables. Early in the history of the industry individual growers estab- 

 lished brands, defined them in loosely approximate terms, and sold 

 by these brands to the trade. The problem of the exchange was to 

 standardize these brands in such a way that they would form a reli- 

 able medium for buying and selling between grower and wholesaler 

 and a sound basis for advertising. Something like 80 brands desig- 

 nating quality. State where grown, and variety are known to the 

 wholesale trade. However, cranberries reach the ultimate consumer 

 under one name only — the association's good-will emblem. Under 

 this one brand the association in effect notifies the consumer that it 

 assumes the responsibility for the quality of the berries sold under 

 this name. 



At the time of the organization of the selling agency in 1907, the 

 trade was confused by a multitude of loosely defined brands, many of 

 which were only slightly known. This limited loiowledge on the part 

 of the trade made it extremely difficult to sell berries in any markets 

 except those where a particular brand was known. It is practically 

 impossible to sell berries in any way except by brand, because the 

 markets in the United States vary mdely as to the type of berry 

 desired. New Jersey berries do not sell well in New York but are 



