4 BULLETIN 1109, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
5. The goal of cooperative marketing of perishable food products 
is to obtain the highest average price which will move the entire sup- 
ply year after year. To this end the adjustment of demand forces to 
the supply of any given year requires a close study of ever-changing 
conditions affecting the price of the product. By cooperation the 
cranberry growers are in a position to employ specialized business 
men capable of advising them regarding supply and demand forces 
and their probable effect upon price and market conditions. Thus 
ACOMPARSSON OF CRANBERRY PRICES WITH THE 
PRICES OF THREE COMMODITY LINES, SEASON 1920-21 
AOQ 
350 
350 
3O0 
«250 
oc 
kl 
<D 
2 
Z2O0 
X 
u 

- 150 
: ! 
\. ! 
,^*»- 
.4- 
s 
\/ 
^C 
. — — - 
:>i 
^. / 
/ "^*- — 
/ "si 
i ! 1 
L— —'' 
\.^ , 
CRANBERRIES 
FARM PRODUCTS 
CLOTHS AND CLOTHING 
ALL COMMODITIES 
"— 
1 OO 
50 
- 
I9I3-IOO 
O 
I ! i 
300 
2 
200 z 
X 
ui 
Q 
150" 
100 
SO 
> 6 
O UJ 
Z Q 
1920 
1921 
Fig. 3.— Prices of practically all commodity lines fell rapidly during the cranberry selling season of 1920-21. 
Cranberries were an exception to the rule. It should be noted that the price of cranberries at the opening 
of the season was at a level much lower in proportion to the 1913 price than were the prices of the other 
commodity lines shown. It is the policy of the growers' company to open the season with a low price 
for the purpose of encouraging consumption. 
the growers put themselves in a position to gauge the factors which 
influence the sale of their product and are better prepared to take 
advantage of market conditions as they find them. Individually 
the growers were unable to do this. 
6. The wide fluctuation in yields from year to year shows that the 
exchange has little or no control over the volume produced. Hence 
its energies are necessarily turned toward economies in marketing 
and stimulation of consumption. These are matters over which 
the growers acting as individuals can have but little control. 
