42 



the unloading- and attends to the freight, shortages, etc., receiving 

 for this service $5.00 per car. 



As a result of this co-operation, we have been able to secure the 

 general adoption of a more or less standard climax package, which 

 has resulted in a saving in their cost of more than one-half. The 

 freight rate has been lowered from the express rate of six and one- 

 half cents to two and one-half cents, and the boat lines having to 

 meet this competition, every shipper in our fruit belt has been equally 

 benefited by the operation of our association, whichever way he 

 shipped. AH shortages have been promptly paid, which is quite a 

 different experience from that we had with the express company. 

 The association has actually reduced the cost of packages and trans- 

 portation to about one-third of what it was under the old plan. It is 

 impossible to estimate the actual amount of money saved by the work 

 of this association, but some idea can be imagined when I tell you 

 that the very first year the association did business it saved one large 

 grower fully $1,000. In one year our fruit section shipped 6,000,000 

 small baskets of peaches, and the saving to the growers that year 

 was over $200,000. 



Not only have we obtained better service at much less cost, 

 but it has been done with a cash profit to the association. This profit, 

 amounting to many thousands of dollars, has been expended in the 

 grading and graveling of our public highways, until we now have 

 reconstructed several miles of first class gravel roads. Before our 

 association undertook this work, 200 or 250 baskets were considered 

 a good load, while now our teams handle more easily 500 to 700 bas- 

 kets. By our unity of action we have also gotten the railroad to do- 

 nate 300 cars of gravel for this road building. We find that where 

 a single individual has trouble in getting the ear of the railway offi- 

 cials, the representatives of an organization of 400 shippers receive 

 a most respectful and gracious hearing. 



So much for what we have been able to do in reducing the cost 

 of transportation. There is another feature I desire to refer to and 

 that is the way in which our growers have co-operated in the manner 

 of packing and selling our fruit. It is generally conceded that the 

 old method of consigning fruit, to be sold on commission, is entirely, 

 wrong and our local horticultural society has been working for some 

 time, trying to establish a local fruit market and get outside dealers 

 to come there and buy. Advertising booklets have been sent out, 

 with the result that we have buyers with us all through the season, 

 and their competition has kept prices fairly good. During the past 

 four years, from eighty acres of fruit, I have not consigned to the 

 amount of $25, but have sold at home at very satisfactory prices. 



But there is another form of co-operation which, with us, prom- 

 ises to be of permanent benefit — the central packing house system. 

 We have five of these packing houses in Fennville and although the 

 system is not fully perfected, it has already demonstrated its effi- 

 ciency in handling and marketing the products of large orchards. 

 Usually six or eight growers combine and erect a packing house be- 

 side the railroad. Their fruit is brought direct from the orchards to 

 this central packing house, where it is carefully graded and packed, 

 each grower receiving credit for the number of baskets of each 

 grade. The foreman and packers, having no interest in the fruit, 



