COOPERATIVE PURCHASING AND MARKETING ORGANIZATION! 
59 
banks or cold storage companies. One large packing firm offered 
to make advances of 12^ cents per box at 8 per cent interest. Upon 
the improvement of conditions later in the season it was possible for 
the large distributors to negotiate a heavy loan on the basis of 35 
cents a box. This was for only "fancy" and "extra fancy" grades, 
however, which were the best storage stock. In spite of this situa- 
tion the stronger growers' organizations in the Pacific Northwest 
were advancing to the growers as much as 40 cents per box on all 
varieties, grades, and sizes, which was an exceptionally liberal 
advance, and showed that the organizations were in an excellent 
condition even in a period when marketing conditions were unus dally 
bad. 
Table VI. — Annual business of several of the larger cooperative fruit and produce 
associations in the United States. 
Name of association. 
Product handled. 
Year. 
Ex- 
Ex- 
California Fruit Growers 
change. 
California Fruit Growers 
change Supply Co. 
Eastern Shore of Virginia Pro- 
duce Exchange. 
Monmouth County Farmers' 
Exchange. 
North Pacific Fruit Distributors 
Georgia Fruit Exchange 
Florida Citrus Exchange 
Puyallup and Sumner Fruit 
Growers' Association. 
American Cranberry Exchange. 
Citrus fruits 
Members' supplies 
Produce, potatoes principally. 
....do 
Deciduous fruits 
Peaches 
Citrus fruits 
Fresh fruits; operates 2 can 
neries. 
Cranberries 
Year ending Aug . 3 1 
1915. 
Aug. 31, 1915 
1914 
1914 
1913 
1913 
1913 
1914 
1913 
$19, 737, S50. 00 
3,319,062.04 
5,752,690.36 
1,323,443.02 
3,372,196.30 
2, 250, 000. 00 
3,500,000.00 
1,300,000.00 
1,500,000.00 
AGENCIES WHICH ASSIST COOPERATION. 
Several agencies take an active interest in cooperative organiza- 
tion and render assistance in forming new associations and in giving 
aid to organizations already formed. Among such agencies may be 
mentioned the United States Department of Agriculture, the State 
agricultural colleges and experiment stations, State departments of 
agriculture, State marketing bureaus, and various organizations, 
companies, and individuals. 
THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Office of Markets and Rural Organization. — The Office of Markets 
and Rural Organization has been devoting considerable attention to 
cooperative purchasing and marketing; assistance has been rendered 
to organizations already formed and to localities contemplating an 
organization. In a number of instances personal visits have been 
paid to organizations and localities and, after the local conditions 
have been studied, recommendations have been made as to desira- 
bility of organization, method of operation, and similar subjects. In 
other instances similar assistance has been given by means of corre- 
