CHAPTER XII 



RELATION OF EXCHANGE SYSTEM TO GENERAL 

 MARKETING PROBLEM 



The cooperative activities of the California citrus growers 

 are not vitally important, but the significance of their activ- 

 ities is of far reaching importance. It has been with the 

 purpose of estimating the relation of the California system 

 to the broad problems of food distribution that the earlier 

 chapters have been written. If the system of cooperation 

 w^orked out by the citrus growers has no wider application 

 than to the citrus industry, it is little more than an in- 

 dustrial curiosity. 



From the detailed attention that has been devoted to the 

 structure of the California Fruit Growers Exchange it 

 might be inferred that no other systems of cooperation 

 are in vogue among the citrus growers of California. Such 

 a conclusion would be erroneous. Coit classifies the mar- 

 keting arrangements as follows:^ 



Sales through the California Fruit Growers 



Exchange 62 per cent. 



Independent association sales 20 " 



Sales by independent growers who ship to 



market S " 



Miscellaneous sales 13 " 



The procedure for the 20 per cent, marketed by the in- 

 dependent cooperative associations is roughly analogous to 

 that described in connection with the exchange system, with 

 the exception that far less elaborate and comprehensive 

 machinery is employed. Also these associations often con- 



iCoit: "Citrus Fruits," p. 344- 



207 



