4 PROCEEDINGS OF NINETEENTH FRUIT GROWERS' CONVENTION. 



THE PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL ADDRESS. 



By Hon. Ellwood Cooper, of Santa Barbara. 



Ladies and Gentlemen: This is the nineteenth Fruit Growers' Conven- 

 tion, and the fifteenth held under the auspices of the State Board of 

 Horticulture. At the convention held in November last year, it was the 

 sense of those present that this one should be held in San Diego. The 

 Executive Committee having received so many letters urging a change, 

 it was thought best for the interests of the fruit-growers to meet again in 

 this city. The disorganized plan of shipping fruits in their natural 

 condition, which has caused such unsatisfactory results to the producers 

 for this year's crops, seemed to impress said committee that this question 

 was of paramount importance, and Sacramento being the center of the 

 great bulk of such shipments, induced the change. 



In my address to the State Board at its meeting held in San Francisco 

 in April, I was impressed with the importance of meeting in this city 

 to discuss more fully the questions underlying that which alone can 

 secure a satisfactory result of our efforts and labor in fruit-growing, and 

 to treat special subj ects upon which we are comparatively well informed 

 with less consideration. Said address will be found in Bulletin No. 69, 

 page 9. 



At this time I will dispense with general remarks upon the subjects I 

 present, and will refer you to the very able address delivered at the last 

 convention by the late L. W. Buck, who presided; the same is to be 

 found in the proceedings of said convention, pages 9 to 14 inclusive; also 

 to my address, page 114, Report of 1893-94. 



Marketing the Fruit. — This subject involves the best thoughts of the 

 producers, the most careful and conscientious inquiry, cautious experi- 

 ments — conditions that will unite every fruit-grower to the plan that 

 must eventually be adopted to secure success to all; that is, to be united 

 in one body — all shipments directed as one body. Such a project at 

 first thought may seem too vast, and may be at the beginning very imper- 

 fect, but however deficient as a perfect plan, it will be much less disas- 

 trous than the individual or haphazard shipments that are now made. 

 We are growing fruits in greater abundance than we are securing mar- 

 kets to consume them. It is apparent to all what the result of over- 

 crowding markets will be. 



How are we to open and secure new markets? The former plan, or 

 the existing plan, of selling through commission companies or consign- 

 ing to various houses will not meet the emergency. While it will not 

 be my purpose to cast any reflections upon those who have sold most of 

 our fruits — as I believe they have given their greatest efforts to do the 

 best possible thing for our interest — still this does not meet our condi- 

 tions. All rival auctions, rival commission houses, must be set aside in 

 the inauguration of a general plan that will combine all the fruit prod- 

 ucts of the State. The deciduous or ripe or green fruit shipments, the 

 oranges, the lemons, the dried fruits, the nuts, the raisins, the olive 

 (either in oil or pickles) are equally interested in the marketing. I 

 call your attention to the proceedings of a walnut-growers' convention 

 held in Los Angeles in August last. A committee was appointed to 



