CONSTITUTION' OF THE EXCHANGES 85 



have shown a definite preference for large sizes. Again 

 taking into account shipments from the whole producing 

 area, the condition of the market and the preferences of 

 members, the board may decide to ship 15 per cent, of the 

 estimated crop during February, picking principally the 

 large sires. And so on through the fruit year, the board 

 and manager follow the rapidity of movement of the crop, 

 the manner in which the fruit is standing up, the condition 

 of th6 market, and on these data determine upon a course 

 which in their judgment will bring the greatest money total 

 to the association at the end of the year. 



Though the by-laws provide that the association shall 

 become an integral part of the exchange system by joining 

 one of the district exchanges which is a member of the 

 central exchange, they also provide that these latter or- 

 ganizations have no legal power to contract debts binding 

 on the association without the consent of the directors. 

 This rule simply means that the members intend to main- 

 tain full control over all expenses and that if the costs of 

 the district and central exchanges should be believed to be 

 excessive the association could withdraw at the end of any 

 year without the danger of having debts piled up against 

 it by the other organizations. 



Much more important is the rule which governs the power 

 of directors over injured fruit. This provision has a thinly 

 veiled reference to frozen fruit and windfalls. Over such 

 fruit the power of the board is plenary, and with entire 

 justice, because an association cannot afford to risk its repu- 

 tation for a high grade article by being compelled to accept 

 inferior fruit for shipment under the association's brands, 

 even if its rejection is an undoubted hardship on the un- 

 fortunate member. At times there are high winds which 

 sweep through narrowly confined areas and beat more or 

 less of the fruit off the branches. Obviously it is unfair 



