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There is no contract between members and the cooperative enter- 
prise. Before harvest a price is set on the fruit and from one-half to 
three-fourths of this , rice is advanced as the fruit is delivered for 
drying. This price must be fairly high in order to hold the membership 
yet not toe high in ore'er to show- a profit later. The money for the 
advance is borrowed from the Central Cooperative Credit Association, of 
which this cooperative is a member. Rate of interest is 10 per cent. 
After drying; and grading the prunes are sold. The cost of drying, the 
cost of operating, insurance and a 20 per cent reserve, are deducted from 
the returns and the balance is distributed among the members according to 
the amount of prunes each delivered. The plan has worked fairly well 
notwithstanding short crops in recent years. According to prune buyers, 
the quality of the prunes has been much improved. 
Local fi ^ndl in^ and Marketing of Prune s 
Weekly or periodical market days are characteristic of most 
European countries and is a social and economic feature of life in Yugo- 
slavia. The roads in the neighborhood of the towns on market davs are 
almost impassable with endless processions of peasants carrying turkeys, 
small roastin; pigs, chickens; herding a few sheep or goats or driving 
an ox team load of cord wood, national peasant costumes representing 
the Serb, the i/iusselman or the Croat form a colorful picture. In the 
larger Yugoslav markets the produce is segregated but often the main 
street is turned into a hodge-podge of miscellaneous farm products. The 
market starts early in the morning and is generally well over by noon. 
The municipal scale is an ever-present and useful article. It is 
common, to charge a small tax for using the market. 
Marketing, the cr op 
Unless a peasant has sold his prune crop green, an increasing- 
practice wjth the expansion of the fresh prune outlets, he hauls his 
dried prunes to these markets where he and the "prune merchant !l try to 
arrive at a satisfactory pri.ee level. Before entering the market, the 
prunes are taken to the official scale and weighed and in exchange for 
the proper fee the peasant receives a weight certificate. In case of 
sale, payment is made in accordance with this certificate. After weigh- 
ing, the prunes are allowed lo go on the market, but before being offered 
for sale, they must be examined for quality by the Market Commission. If 
satisfactory they are passed but in Case of rejection the goods are taken 
to storerooms for sorting and redryia^ in the municipal driers established 
for that purpose. Besides having; to pay all expenses involved, together 
-ith the customary fee for redrying, the owner is fined in addition. 
The inherent weakness of this method of inspection lies in the fact 
that the general level of quality is too lo-' r f due to inadequate drying 
methods. A competent and honest decision on the part of the Market Com- 
mission can only be made on the basis of comparison of the general level 
of quality offered which may or may not be high and generally is not. 
