CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 



79 



The advantages in the united action of common interests are so 

 great that our young industry is fortunate in having in its infancy, 

 established a co-operative growers' organization, which is today demon- 

 strating its value and will do so still more effectively in the future, 

 according to the support it shall receive. 



It is able to prevent unnecessary mistakes and failures by its record- 

 ing, for general information and for preservation and use in the sys- 

 tematic study of the industry, the experiences of a number of growers, in 

 problems solved, experiments made and successes or failures met. It 

 gathers statistics in regard to trees, acreage-planting, production, orchard 

 and nursery methods, varieties, fruit qualities, soils, diseases or any- 

 thing else tending toward improvement and assistance in the culture and 

 propagation of the avocado. 



By its semi-annual meetings, its work and its literature, the atten- 

 tion of the public is attracted in an effective and dignified way to the 

 great food value of the fruit and to methods for its preparation and use. 



And, finally, when problems of crop distribution and marketing are 

 to be met, and they may come sooner than we expect, we have in our 

 organization a means whereby, when it is necessary we can put in 

 operation a non-profit co-operative marketing system, such as the Cali- 

 fornia Fruit Growers' Exchange which has preserved the citrus industry 

 from destruction. Remember, that the Exchange started at a period of 

 despair for the industry, when, under previous systems, a crop of 4,000 

 cars was more than could be sold at a profit and red-ink returns were 

 the rule, whereas 44,000 cars were satisfactorily sold this season. 



I want to call your attention to an action of the utmost importance 

 taken by the California Fruit Growers' Exchange to illustrate what 

 growers in co-operation can do, and what none but they would do and to 

 meet a need that is plain when we consider, that in the next four years, 

 the average number of acres of new citrus trees coming into bearing is 

 20,000 of lemons, 21,000 of Valencias and 43,500 of navels, a total of 

 84,500 acres. Resulting as to the first item that, in three years' time, the 

 lemon production will be three times as large as at present and, in one 

 year's time, twice as large. 



In the last six years, the increase in the production of citrus fruits 

 has been 45 per cent, while the increase in the population of the United 

 States has been 12 per cent. 



The planting is a condition out of our control. It was and is e\ident 

 that consumption must be greatly increased to avert disaster and that by 

 advertising. Seven years ago, the Exchange began by experimenting 

 with $2,500 outlay in the state of Iowa, resulting in an increase that 

 year of 50 per cent in sales in that state. The following year in more 

 general advertising the amount expended was $75,000, gradually advancing 

 to $375,000 last season, though at a nominal expense to the individual or- 

 ange grower of only 2^2 cents per box, and performing a service to the 

 w^hole industry of so great value that it would be hard to measure. 



Our avocado organization is of an importance that has not been 

 questioned and, if it be so, why not join it? While our membership is 

 increasing, it must do it faster and we want to see it do so today from 



