PROCEEDINGS OF TWENTY-SIXTH FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 53 



prices on the part of the agent of an old commission firm. The car 

 could not be diverted, as it was in a railroad pocket, and hence its net 

 returns were not very satisfactory. Another of these cars was badly 

 delayed in transit, and hence arrived in poor condition and sold onl}' fairly 

 well; while the third sold well upon a poor general market. The other 

 shipments in small lots from this association were burdened by excessive 

 local express charges. The same conditions existed with the other small 

 association which was able to ship for but a small part of the season, so 

 that at these points the demonstration has not been fully satisfactory; 

 but at every point which Avas able to ship throughout the entire season, 

 the unanimous feeling of the growers is that we have fully demonstrated 

 the entire success of the exchange method of cooperation in handling 

 fresh fruits, and so have cleared the way for placing the industry upon 

 a firm, self-helpful basis. Some people may think lightly of this move- 

 ment because we handled so small a portion of the total output this 

 season. But this is by no means warranted. It would not have been wise 

 to undertake a very much larger business with only a few days in which 

 to prepare for it, on the part of ourselves and of our agents. But with 

 the season's experience and with five months' time in which to get ready 

 for next year's business, we should be able to do with greater economy 

 and success several times the volume of business done this year, and a 

 larger volume with a greater variety of fruit to ship would remove 

 many difficulties experienced this year. The cost of doing the business 

 decreases rapidly as the volume increases. 



In this review of the season's work I have taken it for granted that 

 our methods are understood by all, but perhaps a word of explanation 

 may be desirable. 



Wherever there is fruit sufficient to enable growers to load a car daily, 

 or on every other day, they may form an association to take charge of 

 assembling the fruit and loading cars. Three or four growers with large 

 acreage may do this, but generally a larger number of smaller growers 

 unite for this purpose, adopting articles of incorporation and by-laws 

 to enable them to do business legally. This association is represented by 

 one of their number upon the board of directors of the California Fresh 

 Fruit Exchange. All supplies for all of the associations are purchased 

 by the central exchange, and full records of every individual shipment 

 are kept both by the local association and by the central office, thus 

 being able to check each other and prevent mistakes. When the car is 

 loaded two copies of its manifest are sent at once to the central office, 

 one tacked up in the car, and one kept on file. The car is then in 

 charge of the central office, which, together with the general Eastern 

 agent, determines its destination and sale. Reports of sales are received 

 daily by wire, and auction sheets are mailed from sales in auction 

 markets. These are at once bulletined to the local associations, so that 



