12 BULLETIN 1109, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
IMPROVEMENTS RESULTING FROM COOPERATION. 
The improvements of marketing methods have been brought about 
through developments along five rather distinct lines. The first and 
basic improvement was that of raising the quality of the fruit reaching 
the consumer by means of close grading and careful packing. Next 
pooling systems were adopted which equalized prices to growers for 
the same grade of product. These two procedures were fundamental 
and upon them the associations were able to build constructive 
policies looking toward the stabilization of the market and the exten- 
sion of the demand for their product. 
In addition to improvements in the way of equitable pools, better 
grading, standardizing, and packing, the cranberry growers have also 
amply demonstrated the possibility of great market improvement by 
means of better correlation of demand with existing supply. This 
improvement has been brought about in three ways: (1) By securing 
the good will of the consuming public through advertising; (2) by 
cultivating the good will of the jobbing and retail trade through 
stabilizing the market; (3) by carefully estimating the potential 
supply of cranberries to be sold, together with the probable demand, 
and then attempting to place an opening price upon the product at a 
rate that will induce the consumption of the existing supply. 
GRADING. 
In the matter of grading, the cranberry industry has developed 
along lines different from those obtaining among most other perish- 
ables. Early in the history of the industry individual growers estab- 
lished brands, defined them in loosely approximate terms, and sold 
by these brands to the trade. The problem of the exchange was to 
standardize these brands in such a way that they would form a reli- 
able medium for buying and selling between grower and wholesaler 
and a sound basis for advertising. Something like 80 brands desig- 
nating quality, State where grown, and variety are known to the 
wholesale trade. However, cranberries reach the ultimate consumer 
under one name only — the association's good-will emblem. Under 
this one brand the association in effect notifies the consumer that it 
assumes the responsibility for the quality of the berries sold under 
this name. 
At the time of the organization of the selling agency in 1907, the 
trade was confused by a multitude of loosely defined brands, many of 
which were only slightly known. This limited knowledge on the part 
of the trade made it extremely difficult to sell berries in any markets 
except those where a particular brand was known. It is practically 
impossible to sell berries in any way except by brand, because the 
markets in the United States vary widely as to the type of berry 
desired. New Jersey berries do not sell well in New York but are 
