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TWENTY-NINTH FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 



During the past few years it has been shown that co-operation as 

 applied to the marketing of fruit and produce is a practical proposition 

 and not a dream of theorists. The success of the California Fruit 

 Agency in handling the citrus fruits of southern California, and of the 

 California Fruit Exchange in the northern part of the State, is well 

 known to all growers; but these exchanges deal almost exclusively with 

 the Eastern and shipping trade and do not solve the problem of hand- 

 ling the vast amount of fruit which must be marketed locally. This 

 field is filled, however, by The Growers' Co-operative Agency, and we 

 have only to point to its successful business and the results that have 

 been accomplished during the past season, to convince you that intelli- 

 gent co-operation will vastly improve the conditions for the producers 

 in the San Francisco market. By reason of selling your products 

 through your own house in San Francisco you have an absolute cer- 

 tainty of honest returns and create a force which, properly handled, 

 will in time obviate many of the disabilities under which shippers to 

 the San Francisco market labor at present. To bring about the most 

 satisfactory condition of affairs, however, we must have organized sup- 

 port from all sections which contribute to that market. We want the 

 rhubarb and other early products from the bay districts, the early ber- 

 ries and apricots, the apples both early and late from various sections, 

 the oranges and lemons from northern and southern citrus belts, per- 

 simmons, pomegranates, and all of the many varieties of fruit which 

 are to be found in California from the beginning to the end of the year. 

 This can be accomplished by means of a growers' association in each 

 locality which will participate in the management of the Agency and 

 will market the products of its members through that channel. These 

 associations should be so organized that it will be possible for the man- 

 agement of the Agency in San Francisco to communicate with them 

 quickly (preferably through their officers) in order to be able to hasten 

 or to divert shipments according to the condition of the market. It 

 often happens that there is a keen demand for some particular class of 

 fruit which forces the price up to an abnormal figure; in such a case a 

 compact organization which responds readily and quickly to such a 

 demand will place its fruit first on the market, thus reaping the benefit 

 of the higher price. A glut and the consequent loss may also be pre- 

 vented by the same means. In all cases the advantage lies with the 

 shipper most closely in touch with the market to which he is shipping, 

 and the advantages of. organization in this regard are obvious. Instead 

 of having shrewd speculators take advantage of every sudden rise in 

 the market to buy heavily through their agents in the various locali- 

 ties, thus trading on the neglect of the grower to keep himself informed, 

 we want the grower himself to receive that higher figure, by acting in 

 response to information sent out by his own house, and placing his 



