COOPERATIVE PURCHASING AND MARKETING ORGANIZATIONS. 39 



grower has found it profitable to organize for the marketing of his 

 products, it is not strange that over 60 per cent of the organizations 

 which reported from this State belong to the fruit and produce class. 

 The others consist of creameries and cheese factories, stores, olive 

 and nut associations, and various miscellaneous farmers' marketing 

 enterprises. 



Cooperation in this State is noted especially for the central organi- 

 zations made up of local units which are found among the citrus, 

 walnut, almond, raisin, and apple growers. The elevators and cream- 

 eries of the North Central States for the most part have been con- 

 tent with the method of allowing each local concern to look after the 

 marketing of its own products independent of neighboring associa- 

 tions of the same character. The fruit growers of California have 

 found it advantageous to unite their local associations into central 

 selling bodies. It must not be inferred that this is the only State 

 where such central organizations are found, for there are a number 

 of examples of such centralization throughout the United States, 

 but the success of this form of endeavor has been particularly notable 

 in California. 



THE NORTH PACIFIC STATES. 



The four Pacific Northwestern States — Oregon, Washington, 

 Idaho, and Montana — may be grouped together in considering 

 farmers' marketing activities. Conditions are similar in the four 

 States with reference to organization and some of the lines of activity 

 extend to all of the States in the group. Of the 329 organizations 

 which reported from these four States, about 35 per cent are fruit 

 and produce associations, 30 per cent are grain elevators or ware- 

 houses, 15 per cent are creameries or cheese factories, 7 per cent are 

 stores, and 13 per cent are classed as miscellaneous associations. 



The central selling organizations found in these States among the 

 apple growers are the most notable. For the last five years various 

 movements have been set on foot to make the fruit growers' associa- 

 tions in these States more effective. These movements have resulted 

 in the rise and fall of numerous central selling or other associations, 

 and a continual changing of affiliations and policies on the part of 

 local associations. In this region are a number of very successful 

 canneries which have been established to take care of fruit and vege- 

 table products which can not be marketed to advantage in the fresh 

 state. Not all of the canneries established have been successful, for 

 a large number of failures were reported. 



TEXAS. 



The State of Texas may be considered by itself because of the con- 

 ditions here represented. Over 50 per cent of the organizations re- 

 porting from this State are cotton associations and about 20 per cent 



