1268 
following clause in the growers’ contract 
provided tor in the plan of the Yakima 
Valley Fruit Growers’ Association: 
“Provided that the grower may cancel 
this contract on March first of any year, 
by giving notice in writing at least 20 
days prior to said date.” 
This provision releases a grower from 
necessity of turning in his fruit the next 
year, if he is dissatisfied with results of 
the previous year. The management, on 
the other hand, know 20 days prior to 
March first just how many acres they 
will control for the ensuing year, and 
can plan accordingly. This arrangement 
adds to the efficiency and economy of 
the local management. Without this pro- 
vision the directors would not know, un- 
til time for shipment, and in many cases 
not till after shipping season had open- 
ed, whose fruit they would have to 
handle. Such a state of uncertainty is 
not only embarrassing to the management, 
but it renders it impossible for them 
adequately to perform the most import- 
ant function of their office. Every man- 
ager of an association not having the 
continuing contract will tell you that the 
average grower will defer signing up his 
crop as long as he can. California Fruit 
Growers’ Exchange, after much bitter ex- 
perience along this line, adopted the con- 
tinuing contract. 
VIIE. Penalty for Outside Selling 
It is a lamentable fact that there is a 
considerable element among fruit grow- 
ers, aS among other classes, who will not, 
without compulsion, perform a contract, 
when it is temporarily for their interest 
to break it. Such men are not without 
encouragement from outside influences, 
whenever an opportunity is seen to em- 
barrass co-operation. 
To guard against occurrences of this 
kind, the contract made by the local as- 
sociation with its growers should contain 
a clause imposing a penalty for selling 
fruit outside the association. Without 
such provision, the association would 
have no solid foundation. It would he in 
continual uncertainty as to how much 
fruit it could control. It would be in 
almost as weak a condition as without 
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 
the continuing contract. This penalty 
should be sufficiently large to act as a 
deterrent to outside selling. In Call- 
fornia the sum specified varies from 25 
to 50 cents a package. Following may 
serve as a guide in formulating a provi- 
sion to cover this point: 
“In consideration of the benefits con- 
ferred on me by acceptance of this con- 
tract for packing and marketing my fruit 
in the Fairview Fruit Growers’ Associa- 
tion, I agree that, if at any time during 
the life of this contract I shall tail to 
deliver to said association all my fruit, 
as hereinbefore agreed upon; or if I shall 
dispose of all or any of it elsewhere, oth- 
erwise than as herein agreed upon, I shall 
forfeit and pay to said association, as 
liquidated damages, an amount equal to 
50 cents for every box or package of 
fruit shipped or sold otherwise than as 
stipulated in the contract; it being spe- 
cially agreed that it is impracticable and 
extremely difficult to fix the actual dam- 
ages which would be thereby suffered by 
said association.” 
It will be noted that I have included 
in the foregoing form allusion to a con- 
sideration, and have designated the pen- 
alty as liquidated damages, both features 
worth consideration. Too much care can 
not be bestowed on the growers’ con- 
tract. It constitutes the basis of market- 
ing operations. 
IX. Maintenance of High Standards 
In this connection I would say that a 
good reputation is as essential to success 
of an association as of an individual 
shipper. Constant vigilance must be 
maintained by the management, lest some 
growers assume that the good work of 
others will offset their own carelessness. 
X. Pooling 
Pooling is a necessity incident to co- 
operative marketing. It will, however, have 
a tendency to lower the average grade, 
unless watchfulness is exercised by those 
in authority. As far as practicable the 
fruit only of those growers who have 
similar conditions should be pooled. Pool- 
ing is a purely local issue. It should be 
confined to fruit raised within a limited 
area. It is not practicable to extend its 
