Marketing 205 



members efficiently he will need their staunch support 

 at all times. The association sells to the wholesale trade 

 in car-lots, rarely to retail dealers. The cars are sold 

 f.o.b. shipping point, f.o.b. destination with privilege 

 of inspection, by consignment to a commission house, or by 

 consignment to an agent of the association in a distant 

 market, to be sold by him on arrival. The more closely 

 the sales approach an f.o.b. shipping point basis, the 

 better. This is especially true of the small association, 

 which cannot afford to take the heavy risk in marketing 

 by consignment, unless it has such a small quantity of 

 berries that f.o.b. buyers are not attracted. The charge 

 made by a shipping association for inspecting, loading and 

 selling may be a flat price of five to ten cents a twenty- 

 four quart crate or a percentage of the selling price, usually 

 two or three per cent. The value of a cooperative asso- 

 ciation to the growers is not confined to selling the fruit. 

 It buys fertilizer and packing material in car-lots at a 

 considerable saving. It keeps the members posted on 

 the best cultural practice, and acts as security for those 

 who need cash to pay for packages or picking. It stimu- 

 lates enterprise on matters of community interest, other 

 than the berry business. 



Federation of local shipping associations. 



Local associations in different parts of the same district 

 may find it advantageous to federate, in order to secure 

 a better distribution of the crop and to prevent competi- 

 tion among themselves. This is illustrated by the experi- 

 ence of the Ozark district, from which about 1000 cars 

 are marketed in a season of less than a month. At one 

 time each of the 100 associations shipped independently, 

 without knowing to what markets the other associations 



