TWENTY-FOURTH ANNUAL FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 37 



the cured fruit societies now existing, and all individuals engaged in 

 the production of prunes on the Pacific Coast. The organization is 

 similar to the Raisin Association, and includes similar contracts with 

 the private packers, who are understood to be favorable to it, and with- 

 out whose cooperation it could not at present succeed. Whether it 

 can succeed with their aid is quite doubtful, as the prune-growers are 

 widely scattered over a large area, and it will be contrary to all experi- 

 ence if they can be induced to sign the necessary contracts without a 

 long and expensive canvass. So far as California is concerned, whose 

 people are coming to be fairly well educated in cooperation, this pro- 

 posal is not visionary, although it may not succeed. It will be strange 

 if the people of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho shall be found willing, 

 without previous instruction or experience in cooperation, to at once 

 proceed to the exercise of this highest development of the art." 



ADVANTAGES OF ORGANIZATION AND CO-OPERATION. 



By A. H. KAFTZGER, of Los Angeles. 



Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: If we get the sentiment of 

 this meeting as it developed in the discussion yesterday, and the inter- 

 est manifested this morning, we are ready, not so much to argue the 

 question, as to undertake to carry into effect the propositions that have 

 been stated and the conclusions that are before you. However, I 

 assume that you will not cgunt it out of order if I traverse some -of 

 the questions, even, that have already been touched upon since the 

 opening of this question. So much has been' said upon the subject of 

 the advantages of organization that nothing more than a general state- 

 ment can possibly be necessary along this line. There are, however, 

 some very salient points; there are some advantages that ought to 

 appeal to the man whose business interests are involved in fruit- 

 growing, and I propose as hurriedly as possible to touch upon a few of 

 these. Something has been said already about the preparation or 

 curing of fruit. It is my opinion that nothing will be more conducive 

 to uniformity of grade and high class of growing and preparation than 

 an organization that will disseminate the proper methods. We have 

 found in organizations to which I happen to belong that we can intro- 

 duce and bring into practice methods of careful handling, grading, and 

 packing through an organization as it cannot and will not be done 

 under any other method, and that goods are well packed and crated 

 and marketed with satisfaction. The next item is that of economy. 

 Business organization will introduce economy and will make a saving; 

 you will buy your supplies for less money. I shall say something 

 about supplies later on. In buying your supplies in large quantities, 



