PROCEEDINGS OF THIRTY-SIXTH FRUIT-GROWERS ' CONVENTION. 15 



that a few small aggregations of growers have made some provision to 

 centralize their demands and efforts, but the fact remains that nearly 

 every large interest depends upon chance or the most inadequate effort 

 to promote the general welfare of its business. The apple growers, the 

 grape shippers, the growers and shippers of deciduous fruits, the prune 

 and the raisin men and the dried fruit interests should each have a 

 league or a protective committee of some kind authorized and supported 

 for the purpose of handling every proposition that has a general bear- 

 ing upon the prosperity of the business, and to whom all could look in 

 times of danger, or in the promotion of any measure of benefit to the 

 whole industry. I earnestly recommend that this convention take up 

 this matter of trades representatives, and urge every industry to make 

 provision for the handling of its difficulties through some plan that will 

 bring its every element into harmonious and effective action in the 

 promotion of all its trade interests, and in protection from its perils. 



OVERPRODUCTION OF FRUITS. 



Auain we are confronted with the cry of overproduction of orchard 

 and vineyard commodities. We are told that thousands of carloads of 

 grapes and peaches were grown this season and sold without one cent 

 of profit to the producers. And it is true. The dire prediction is made, 

 also, that the next few years will witness, an avalanche of table grapes, 

 for example, that will literally swamp markets now burdened with all 

 they can bear. We are informed that one county is overflowing with 

 seedless raisins upon Avhich not even a bid has been received, much less 

 a sale made. And this is true, also, for I had it from one of the heaviest 

 growers in the county. How many tons of other raisins and of prunes 

 remain unsold we shall have to leave with those versed in pessimistic 

 figures. Even if I had the figures I would not dare to quote the tonnage 

 of dried fruits and other fruits that never is, but always to be sold at 

 profitable prices. Men have told me how many acres of Tokays they 

 did not gather last fall, but I do not wish to dwell on these evidences 

 of overproduction, for one can make himself an outcast in this way if 

 the so-called land boomers and boosters find him out. But if you will 

 not tell it abroad I will say to you that overproduction is a grim reality 

 in this State in every line of fruit that is produced largely of inferior 

 quality, or that is held for speculation when fair prices have been 

 offered, or has not been provided with adequate means of distribution. 

 These saving clauses make me an optimist in fact, even while setting 

 before you the facts that under our present system of farm leasing and 

 other poor methods of fruit growing, and the practice of holding large 

 quantities of products by the growers for speculative purposes, and the 

 practice of sending everything into the markets, and the general failure 

 of giving the fruits broad and effective distribution, we have a sur- 

 plusage. I say that in lines where these failures have occurred the 

 outlook for profitable returns never before looked so hopeless. Of 

 course, these growers are attempting to do an honest and straightfor- 

 ward business, and do not expect the profit that would accrue if they 

 were to pull up their orchards and plant the land to eucalyptus or 

 ginseng. But they see that their methods have not been the best, and 

 one can not be pessimistic, or be overcome with the nightmare of over- 

 production, when he sees these growers engaging themselves in revolu- 

 tionizing their methods in every possible way. 



