FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
it comes to heavy hauling, than can be 
done by two horses acting singly. We 
recognize this all through our social or¬ 
ganization by combining into families, 
groups of families, communities, coun¬ 
ties, states, and at last and finally into 
nations. 
The interests of the horticultural peo¬ 
ple, however, are likely to be so varied 
that there is a great deal of reluctance to 
give up the personal independence that 
comes from going it alone. However, 
it is very certain that if three fruit grow¬ 
ers mutually agree to handle their stuff 
in exactly the same way and in the form 
adopted by the best grower, more efficient 
service will be had and a larger profit 
accrue than by each going it by himself. 
The cjuestion of co-operation or no co¬ 
operation is more largely founded on the 
inherent sentiment of everyone regarding 
himself to be superior in all respects to his 
neighbor. Practical experience, however, 
has shown that this is an erroneous way 
of looking at our existence. 
The basis for much of our trouble in 
Florida is this one fact that apparently 
every man thinks he knows more about 
everything than does anyone else. I meet 
this constantly, and especially is it true of 
the man who knows the least about any 
particular subject. Take an illustration 
from the field in which I am most likely 
to be spending my activities,—the citrus 
grove. The man who comes to the State 
and has had about six months’ experience 
in handling citrus trees is the one who is 
most likely to importune me very greatly 
about advice and recommendations, and 
then in about thirty minutes prove to his 
satisfaction that I do not know anything 
about the business. 
W e know so little about practical and 
thorough co-operation in Florida that we 
are very unwilling to take up the yoke 
and follow the other fellow’s dictation 
as to how we shall pack our fruit, when 
we shall market it, when we ought to 
spray and what other operations we 
should carry on. 
The Florida fruit industry, however, 
has gotten into some very serious difficul¬ 
ties from pursuing this independent and 
“go as you please” method. Just as soon 
as our fruit production reaches the point 
where we nearly supply the demands of 
the existing market, our prices drop so 
low that it is absolutely impossible for the 
average grower to come out even with his 
expenses. 
The Florida Fruit Exchange was or¬ 
ganized in 1884, according to the Florida 
Dispatch, (March 23, 1885, p. 272) with 
a capital stock of $50,000. This was in¬ 
creased the next year to $300,000. This 
exchange handled citrus fruits, vegetables 
and pineapples. One of the objects of 
the exchange was tO ! force the buyers to 
come to the state. This it succeeded in 
doing admirably and the results of the 
working of the exchange were satisfac¬ 
tory to quite a number of the members. 
On April 24, 1894, a convention was 
held in Orlando to formulate plans which 
matured in the formation of the Florida 
bruit and Vegetable Growers Associa¬ 
tion. The immediate cause for the form¬ 
ation of these two organizations was that 
both fruit and vegetables were brinffinsf 
O o 
15 
Fla. Agriculturist, 1894, Feb. 14, p. 97. 
