Fruit Growers' Associations. 
7 
run under the inspector’s standard, the entire load must either be 
placed in a lower grade or else be repacked. 
It will be seen that a great deal depends on the inspector, and 
that it is a difficult position to fill. Upon him depends the repu¬ 
tation of the association, so he must be entirely free to do the work 
as he sees fit. 
Each man’s fruit is kept track of by numbers, as in the former 
case. 
Most of the associations have now adopted the latter system, 
although nearly all have tried the former. The ideal method is, no 
doubt, to have all packing done at a central building, but a limit to 
the amount of fruit which can be handled is soon reached. It is 
found difficult in practice to keep track of a large number of pack¬ 
ers at a central point, and careless work is the result. But when 
each grower looks after his own packing, he has a wholesome 
respect for the decision of the inspector. It is very expensive to 
repack a lot of fruit, and if he is obliged to do this, or else let it be 
sold as a lower grade, even on a single load, it usually results in 
greater pains being taken in the future. But with the best of 
systems, poorly packed fruit will occasionally find its way to market. 
The association charges a commission on all sales, usually five 
per cent., to defray expenses. Then, in case the packing is done by 
the association, an additional charge is made to cover the cost of 
the box and packing. Any surplus is, of course, distributed as 
premiums. Any fruit grower may become a member of the asso¬ 
ciation so long as there is stock for sale, and the owner of one share 
is entitled to all of its privileges. The number of shares one in¬ 
dividual may own is limited. 
The growers are generally asked and, in many instances, re¬ 
quired to furnish an estimate of their crop. In the smaller associa¬ 
tions, the manager sometimes secures this information by visiting 
the orchards in person. This estimate is made early in the fall, or 
not until damage by worms and other causes is practically over and 
the crop is secure. With this knowledge in hand, the manager can 
enter into contracts for delivering certain amounts of various varie¬ 
ties or grades. 
The system of selling has been radically changed within the 
past few years. Formerly practically all of the fruit was consigned 
to commission men, who, as a class, it may be truthfully said, are 
inclined to do the best they can by their constituents. But too often 
the experience has been otherwise. Not infrequently has it hap¬ 
pened that shipments consigned to a distant city have been reported 
as not being up to grade, or not in good condition, so the market 
price could not be realized. In such cases, though the manager 
may be certain that his fruit is as he represented, he is often unable 
