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TWENTY-EIGHTH FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 



all goods that are marked first-class should invariably be such, while 

 inferior nuts, if placed on the market at all, should be distinctly marked 

 and sold as such. Southern California has justly gained the reputation 

 of producing the finest walnuts in the world, and for this reason they 

 command the highest price in the market. This preference can only be 

 maintained by the continued excellence of our goods. 



In the second place, the nuts should be made attractive. They should 

 be thoroughly cleaned, either scoured or bleached by some harmless 

 process; for the market demands and must have an article that is pleas- 

 ing to the eye. But in cleansing, the quality of the nut should in no 

 case be allowed to suffer any damage, for in the last analysis, the pur- 

 pose of the nut is to be eaten, and not for ornamentation, and it will be 

 valued at just what it is "cracked up to be." 



In the third place, the nuts should be placed on the market just as 

 early as possible. When they are ready for harvesting, the sooner it is 

 done the less will be the liability of damage from early rains. Also 

 nature has favored us by ripening our walnuts several weeks sooner 

 than those of Europe, and the earlier we can reach the consumers with 

 ours, the more completely we will shut off the foreign competition. 



Furthermore, the sharpest demand for nuts is just before the holidays, 

 when the generous impulses of the great American people express them- 

 selves in Christmas gifts. Let us see to it that the open-hearted kindness 

 of the glad holiday is not restrained from any lack of large, clean, fresh, 

 full-meated and delicious California walnuts. 



Now abideth promptness of shipment, neatness of appearance, and 

 the quality of the nuts; these three, but the greatest of these is the 

 quality of the nuts. The only remaining question is, how can these 

 three things be best secured ? If unaided or unrestrained, the high 

 standard of our goods will not be maintained by the individual growers. 



Owing to the high price of nuts, as compared with other farm products, 

 many walnut orchards have been planted regardless of the adaptability 

 of the land or locality. Consequently many inferior nuts are being 

 produced, and it is natural for the individual grower to try to reap the 

 benefit of the good reputation of California walnuts, and try to get his 

 inferior goods on the market as first-class nuts. The unavoidable results 

 will be the lowering of our standard, the loss of our reputation, and a 

 decline in prices. There is only one way to maintain the high standard 

 of our goods, and that is to handle the nuts co-operatively. The indi- 

 vidual plan regards only the present crop, while the co-operative plan 

 broadly looks out for the future welfare of the industry. The individual 

 plan is to make the good nuts sell the bad ones, which necessarily 

 degrades our standard. The co-operative plan is to sharply discriminate 

 between good and bad, and to put the former only in branded bags, and 

 make the brand a sure guarantee of excellence, which inevitably elevates 

 the standard. 



