52 PROCEEDINGS OF TWENTY-SIXTH FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 



By this time the shipping season was just at hand, and but little time 

 remained in which to organize the business to take care of the crop now 

 almost ready for shipment; but it was vigorously undertaken by 

 organizing the California Fresh Fruit Exchange and subordinate local 

 associations at a few important places of shipment — among others 

 Loomis, Penryn, and Newcastle, and later on at Rumsey and Placerville. 

 Time did not permit organizations at other places, but carload shipments 

 were also made from Sacramento. Owing to the general failure of early 

 fruit at Rumsey and Placerville, because of the frost, but three cars were 

 sent out from the former place and an equal number from Placerville, 

 although fruit from both places was sent to other shipping points to 

 make up cars. We contracted with the Southern California Fruit 

 Exchange for the use of all of its agencies, so that for the fresh fruit 

 business they were ours absolutely and exclusively, and they received 

 instructions regarding our business solely from our office so as in no 

 way to confuse or mix up the two lines of business. Many of them 

 had had no previous experience in fresh fruit sales, but they had an 

 extensive and favorable business acquaintance with the men in their 

 part of the country who were buyers of fresh fruit, because they had 

 for years been selling these same men citrus fruit, and they were quick- 

 witted, clear-headed salesmen who very soon acquired such special 

 knowledge of the new business as to enable them to hold their own with 



the other fellows." Not one single car went forward which did not 

 yield a profit beyond costs of freight and refrigeration, although owing 

 to faulty refrigeration and freight delays the fruit broke down so badly 

 in two cars as to leave little margin of profit. 



The business of the California Fresh Fruit Exchange up to the first 

 of Novem.ber amounts to $208,000 gross, which was done at a total cost, 

 including every expense, of $14,000 in round numbers, including funds 

 now on hand. About 208 full cars were shipped East, and sales were 

 made in thirty-eight different cities— the chief distributing centers of 

 the United States and Canada. 



We have refunded to one of our local associations $2,900, the proceeds 

 of savings in purchase of supplies and of charges for car loading, and 

 proportionate amounts also were refunded to the smaller associations. 



We have not lost a dollar from bad debts. Our members who have 

 shipped with us for the whole season quite unanimously agree that they 

 have received a net amount for their fruit considerably greater than 

 their neighbors who shipped through commission firms or who sold for 

 cash in the best cash markets. It would be too much to assert that no 

 shipper was disappointed at any time, but to those familiar with the 

 business it will not seem strange that we can not say this. One asso- 

 ciation sent out only three cars, all in one week and all upon a poor 

 market. One of these cars was met upon arrival by a vicious cut in 



