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the principal deterrent to co-operation 
among tarmers Stockholders in any 
other line of production elect their duirec- 
tors from among their own members, and 
then go their way serenely confident that 
their chosen representatives will conduct 
their affairs with honesty of purpose, and 
to the best of their ability. Why should 
not farmers take the same _ sensible 
course? 
Slow growth of the co-operative idea 
among farmers is largely due to their 
isolated condition. Large farms and bad 
roads make neighbors few, and inter- 
change ot ideas among them difficult 
These unfavorable conditions have always 
been a feature of rural life The result- 
ing mental attitude has become an in- 
herited trait 
Confidence is the chief corner stone of 
co-operation Without it the edifice can 
not stand. Confidence is, however, the 
outgrowth of acquaintance. Acquaint- 
ance depends on opportunity for frequent 
intercourse. If this opportunity be not 
afforded, distrust instead of confidence 
marks the dealings of man with man. 
Distrust is fatal to successful co-opera- 
tive effort. The smaller the area whose 
growers attempt to co-operate, the easier 
it is to promote that confidence which 
acquaintance begets. 
Ii. A Modest Beginning 
The local association should not under- 
take to do too much at the outset Con- 
struct your buildings and provide your 
machinery with a view to future exten- 
sion, rather than with the idea of afford- 
ing present facilities for future needs. If 
you contemplate a cannery equip your- 
selves to handle at first only those fruits 
and grades for which there is most ur- 
gent need of outlet. When you have 
proven yourselves, you can more safely 
expand If successful with your initial 
veniure, you will have won self-reliance 
and credit These mean capital. 
I. <A Strictly Co-operative Basis 
Many types of local growers’ organiza- 
tions exist Some are very democratic, 
every member having an equal voice. 
Others allow participation on basis of 
acreage or of fruit output Others are 
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 
pure stock companies, with or without 
limitations upon number of shares any 
member may hold. Some are organ- 
ized for profit of stockholders. This will 
most likely be true when a considerable 
portion of stock is held by those who are 
not fruit growers. Other associations are 
composed entirely of growers, to whom is 
prorated back whatever profit is earned 
by the organization. If I were asked 
which is the wzdeal form of local organ- 
sation, I should answer, speaking of 
course from the growers’ standpoint—‘“an 
association strictly co-operative and non- 
profit sharing, each member contributing 
capital and having a vote in proportion 
to his acreage of bearing trees.” 
Only such associations as transact bus- 
iness of their members at cost can ex- 
pect long to retain the confidence and 
support of their members. Payment of 
large dividends to non-fruit growing 
members, or to those whose stock hold- 
ings exceed the proportion of their bear- 
ing acreage, is demoralizing. Such divi- 
dends are earned at the expense of the 
grower. Such arrangement defeats the 
primary object of the association, which 
is to reduce expenses of the grower to the 
minimum. 
It is, moreover, unnecessary to organ- 
ize on a dividend basis. You don’t need 
to ask your banker, merchant and money 
lender to become stockholders. Your 
land and trees are sufficient basis for all 
the capital you will require. Finance 
your own undertakings. Let each mem- 
ber advance, borrowing for the purpose 
if he must, such proportion of the need- 
ed capital as his bearing acreage is of the 
total bearing acreage. The association is 
then equipped and out of debt. It can 
borrow, at low rates, any sum it may re- 
quire for crop movement. 
Not only is the strictly co-operative as- 
sociation the ideal one, but it is desir- 
able that all local associations embraced 
in one central organization (of which I 
Shall speak later) be organized along 
identical lines This uniformity is found 
in the different locals of the Yakima Val- 
ley Fruit Growers’ Association, in the 
state of Washington Their’s is an ex- 
ceedingly well thought out plan, compre- 
