BETTER FRUIT 



Page /I 



STANDARDIZING FRUIT— GROWING AND SHIPPING 



ADDRESS BY W. C. WALKER, OF PIONEER FRUIT COMPANY, AT WESTERN FRUIT JOBBERS' CONVENTION, SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA 



IT CAN safely be said' that the fruit 

 industry has been a matter of 

 epochs — first, the growing epoch; 

 This, when it was learned that the Cali- 

 fornia soil and climate were particularly 

 adapted to the growing of fruits of 

 almost every known clime. The quan- 

 tity, however, became so great that the 

 question of selling became a serious 

 matter in order to work out of the fruit 

 the "sinews of war" necessary to make 

 the industry commercially possible. 

 This led to organization, which has 

 branched in many directions. These 

 organizations have gradually developed 

 what might be termed the marketing 

 epoch. The shipping companies and 

 other organizations found from experi- 

 ence that it was necessary to have well 

 controlled avenues to market so as to 

 avoid unnecessary and disastrous com- 

 petition. Through these avenues it 

 became very apparent there was still 

 another question that developed remark- 

 ably as the industry became greater, 

 and that question was one that could 

 safely be considered outside the field of 

 competition. Fortunately the growers 

 themselves — the original owners of the 

 fruit — were of a like frame of mind with 

 that of the commercial factors, and 

 between them opened up last year what 

 might be properly called the standard- 

 ization epoch. The results of the first 

 year's operation have been very grati- 

 fying. While the scheme was entered 



into with fear and trembling the year 

 has wound up with the banners flying. 

 Even the most skeptical have become 

 convinced that standardization is going 

 to mean as much in the development of 

 markets as anything that has happened 

 in the fruit business outside of organiza- 

 tion work. 



It can be said that organization and 

 standardization practically go hand in 

 hand. Were it not for organization 

 of local committees in each respective 

 county the scheme could not have been 

 launched successfully. Of course, there 

 were several mistakes made, and we all 

 realized that we would encounter some 

 snags. But fortunately all recognized 

 that it was a new venture and were 

 willing to be patient, fair and considerate, 

 and let the little aggravations of the first 

 year be jotted down in the experience 

 book, to be taken up at the deliberations 

 in the near future. 



I have been actively engaged in the 

 marketing of standardized fruit, and have 

 watched the same very closely because 

 I had faith in the quality of the Cali- 

 fornia product if the trashy fruit were 

 eliminated and kept at home. I have 

 known for a long time, from Eastern 

 experience as well as Coast, there is 

 only one basis on which California can 

 control the market, and that is quality. 

 Of course, we have many varieties that 

 will always find a market because no 

 other section of the United States pro- 



duces them, but these are not our big- 

 gest factors. The varieties that return 

 the largest amount of money to North- 

 ern California are apples, peaches, pears, 

 plums and grapes. We encounter these 

 in many states, especially peaches. Con- 

 sequently considerable attention has 

 been devoted to perfecting the peach 

 pack. Last summer it was a source 

 of great satisfaction to be able to look 

 over the manifest of a car and tell to a 

 nicety just what it contained in the 

 matter of sizes. When a customer 

 would call for a car running heavy to a 

 certain size peach we could offer it 

 with very little delay, whereas heretofore 

 it has been almost like a leap in the 

 dark. In turn, this season the buyer of 

 a car, promptly on having the car con- 

 firmed to him, could give his salesmen 

 instructions to sell so many boxes of a 

 certain size and was sure to deliver just 

 what he had sold. When the car arrived 

 at its destination it was a comparatively 

 easy matter to sort into sizes and dis- 

 tribute in a very short time, whereas 

 heretofore it has been a question of 

 opening up almost every box to find if 

 the peaches, were large or small. While 

 this may not seem much of a factor in 

 California, in the Eastern markets, where 

 time is so precious, it has meant the 

 difference between immediate handling 

 and delayed handling of the produce. It 

 also developed this season if peaches 

 were too small size to pack a satisfactory 



l^ead what Hood I^iver says 



Hood River, Oregon, Nov. 27, 1909. 

 This is to certify that I have used Cooper's 

 Tree Spray Fluids, VI, for killing San Jose 

 scale and found it very effectual. 



G. R. Castner, County Fruit Inspector. 



APTERITE 

 THE SOIL FUMIGANT 



DESTROYS INSECTS IN THE 



GROUND 

 REDUCES LOSSES SAVES PROFITS 

 IT WILL PAY YOU TO INVESTIGATE 

 Write for 1910 booklet (33 pages) 

 Testimony from fruit growers 

 everywhere 

 Agent : 



C, G. ROBERTS 



247 Ash Street Portland, Oregon 

 Sole Manufacturers : 



William Cooper & Nephews 



CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 



SPECIAL 

 OllANtSE 13 ex 



c ouNT tnooo 



COATED NAItS 



count' l.ygSo! 



o 



COOLERS 



lltADE M.MIK~ - 



c:()i).\T -j^Tjoo 



.COATED NAILS ym COATED NAILS ^ 



WE MAKE 200 DIFFERENT SIZES. 

 SUITABLE FOR EVERY PURPOSE 



THE BRAND 

 "J. C. PEARSON CO." 



On a keg of Cement Coated Nails stands for 

 the best nails for any purpose. 



They are almost universally used for fruit 

 boxes. 



They drive easier, hold tighter and cost 

 less than the uncoated or barbed nails. 



There are imitations on the market. 

 BEWARE! Always specify 



PEARSON'S 



Made only by 



J. C. Pearson Co. 



Boston, Massachusetts 



A. C. RULOFSON CO. 

 315 Monadnock Building, San Francisco 

 Pacific Coast Sales Agents 



P. S. — By sending 4 cents in stamps to 

 our San Francisco office, to cover the post- 

 age, we will send free a "PEARSON" Nail 

 Puzzle, a novelty that will afford consider- 

 able amusement. 



WHEN WRITING ADVERTISERS MENTION BETTER FRUIT 



WHEN WRITING ADVERTISERS MENTION BETTER FRUIT 



