THE EXCHANGE AND THE MARKET 217 



Admitting that cooperative marketing is on a solid basis 

 in the citrus industry, are there any peculiar circumstances 

 that have contributed to this result? And is cooperation 

 applicable where such conditions do not obtain ? The citrus 

 industry of California is unique. It is restricted to an area 

 that, while not small, is yet much smaller in extent than that 

 devoted to most agricultural products; most problems of 

 producing and marketing apply to all the growers alike; 

 there is practically no local market, and almost all fruit 

 must be shipped thousands of miles, thereby necessitating 

 a more elaborate marketing organization than is required 

 for most agricultural commodities. Probably more im- 

 portant still, the citrus growers are an exceptionally intelli- 

 gent and progressive group. Even under these favoring 

 conditions cooperation was almost literally forced on them, 

 and while cooperative efifort has undoubtedly proved a suc- 

 cess, it has nevertheless failed to attract a considerable 

 number of growers. With all the conditions favorable, 

 organization has not become complete and universal. 



Therefore, when the producing area is widely scattered, 

 or when the product cannot be standardized, or when mar- 

 keting is mostly local in character, complete organization 

 of the marketing machinery would certainly be much more 

 difficult. But even when a highly integrated system is im- 

 possible, local cooperative associations for handling com- 

 mon problems of production or transportation or finance 

 are practicable. Local producers may cooperate for the 

 standardization of their own local product. They may 

 profitably combine, also, for the erection and maintenance 

 of common cold storage facilities. Then these local units 

 could have more or less intimate relations with similar units 

 in other districts, even if a general and comprehensive or- 

 ganization could not be effected. 



Whether the cooperation contemplated be local or gen- 



