1/4 The Hereford Fruit-Grading Society, [june, 



turists appear to regard combination and co-operative organiza- 

 tion, when represented by associations and societies, is avoided 

 by the purely commercial organization which grows up in 

 and around such a localized industry as that of the Sussex 

 chicken producers. They participate in the general benefits of 

 such an organized method of trading, without losing their 

 individual entity or binding themselves to any strictly 

 dependent line of action. 



In the ordinary course of systematized trading the chickens 

 are collected from the rearers and the price paid throughout 

 the district is practically uniform, subject to the slight differences 

 due to distances from the centres, and if one collector is 

 objected to there are many more from whom to choose. 

 Within a wide radius the carriers collect the dead poultry, 

 forward it to market, and return the empty crates ; and the 

 sender has the choice of two London (and some provincial) 

 markets, and is free to choose and change the destination and 

 the salesmen without losing the benefits of the reduced charges 

 accruing from the heavy consignments of a whole community. 



These are some of the facts which are unfortunately not always 

 appraised at their full value by those who are persuaded to 

 attempt rivalry under less favourable conditions. 



J. W. Hurst. 



The Hereford Co-operative Fruit-Grading Society, which was 

 registered in July, 1905, was formed on the initiative of the 

 Hereford Fruit-Growers' Association. In 

 The Hereford Co- the latter part of 1904 papers on " P>uit 

 GSn^"" SoSy. ^^'^^^"^ Packing" were read before this 

 Association by Mr. H. P. Bulmer and Mr. 

 John Reade, and a small committee was formed, under the 

 chairmanship of Mr. John Riley, of Putley Court, Ledbury, to 

 consider whether practical effect could be given to the ideas put 

 forward in the papers. 



This Committee at once communicated with the Agricultural 

 Organization Society, and asked their advice as to the best 

 means of forming a Co-operative Society for the grading, 

 packing, and marketing of fruit. An interview took place at 



