MARKETING CABBAGE. 17 
the quantity sold cooperatively. In Florida there is one local 
association handling cabbage only, and another marketing cabbage 
and cucumbers, and two or three that handle cabbage in connection 
with other vegetables. Potatoes are often handled by associations 
selling cabbage, as are also onions, cucumbers, lettuce, cauliflower, 
and similar vegetables. 
Cooperative organizations that market cabbage range from the 
small, unincorporated local associations, with no established market 
connections, to the large federation, such as exists in Michigan, 
selling through brokers direct to jobbers. 
A typical vegetable marketing association is the local organization 
of producers under the direction of a manager, who in many instances 
also acts as sales manager. An association of this type is usually 
incorporated with capital stock. The greater part of trie stock is held 
by producers in amounts approximately proportioned to the shipments 
made by each through the organization. There are exceptional cases 
where a large part of the stock of the association is held by nonpro- 
ducers. A few important organizations fall in this class. Generally 
each member has only one vote. Dividends on stock are usually 
paid if the earnings justify payment. In some instances these are 
higher than the legal rate of interest and thus not in accord with the 
best cooperative practice. 
Loading, selling, and other services are usually performed for mem- 
bers at cost, except that a specified sum may be set aside each year 
as a reserve. It is customary to deduct a fixed charge per car or per 
crate, or a certain percentage of the returns, sufficient to exceed the 
expenses of the association. At the end of the season the surplus, 
after provision for reserves and dividends, if such are authorized, is 
returned to the members in proportion to the value of the shipments 
made by each, through the association. This practice is a funda- 
mental of cooperative selling. 
MARKETING METHODS. 
Pooling of shipments by cabbage marketing associations is not a 
general practice. Returns are usually made to each grower, espec- 
ially where cars are consigned, on the basis of the price received for 
his actual shipments. A two-weeks' pool reported by a Colorado 
association is exceptional. Pools are sometimes made of each day's 
shipments; or, more often, the lots of cabbage in each car are pooled. 
The small local organizations usually sell their cabbage to local 
buyers, or if the local price is unsatisfactory they consign their ship- 
ments to commission merchants. 
More experienced and strongly organized associations sell outright 
to car-lot buyers in terminal markets or make such sales through 
brokers. Their market connections and areas of distribution are fre- 
quently limited. They pursue the policy of selling for cash at ship- 
ping points whenever this method seems advantageous. Other asso- 
ciations engage the services of car-lot distributing firms with branch 
offices or wide brokerage connections in the markets. Such firms, 
as a rule, are better sales agents than are the associations. Re- 
cently, a national cooperative sales agency has been organized, which 
offers its services to cooperative fruit and vegetable associations 
at cost. 
81062°— 24f 3 
