The herald., 1893-10-02
THE MARKETING OF FRUITS,
Discussion by the State Horti-
cultural Society.
Faster Railroad Time win Lower
Freight Rates.
The Evils of Lack of Organization
Among Feuit-Growsrs-The Oucs-
tion OF Freight Charges--Ofi-
GERS Nominated.

held at 220 Sutter street yesterday
afternoon, Gays the San Francisco Ex-
aminer OF Saturday. II was TO consifel
the question Of distant marketing O
California fruits. -
J. $. stabler of Yubss City opened th,
discussion.
"There is one point to which think
the attention Of all fruit-growers should
be called" he said. II think there is O
lack Of organization. In every fruit.
growing section, whether large or small,
there should be q sec e.y to regulate the
general marketing, and the majority oi
the organization ought to govern. BY
this plan petty rivslries will be obvia-
ted and all will be benefited. Concert
OF action is what is needed. Although
the decision of the majorityonay not be
always for the best, yet it is safer to
| trust to them than for one man to de-
pend on his own wisdom.
I'm one district where I am ac-
| quainted the benefits OF organization
have been distinctly felt. The re-
suit is that the fruit is gathered
at convenient point of shipment,
and has been well handled. Here.
tofore shipments have been made
in desultory manner. A fruit-grower
would get small quantity of products
together and try to get them to market.
The result would frequently be that he
met with loss, and sometimes it hap
pened that he never heard OF his fruit
again.
BENEFITS OF COOPERATION.
"This year in the little section that
speak OF an organization has been at
work, and the effect has been just what
would be expected. The fruit has been
shipped in full, equare carloads, and
has been shipped to tho very best ad-
vantage.
1.-The experienced and wealthy grow
efs felt the good OF the plan az we'll as
the smaller growers. One young man
who had never tried frnit growing be.
lore, found his interests thoroughly pro-
tected and made profit, where il he
had been alone ho would have suffered
loss. A widow, who knew nothing
about business, entrusted her fruit to
the association and got out OF it three
times az much as II she had attempted
to handle it herself"
CANNED FRUIT AND DRIED FRUIT.
A. q. Freeman spoke OF the import
ance OF attention to the canned and dry
fruit product.
"Who or what makes the market or
the market prices OF q product?" asked
Mr.. Freeman. "We admit that manu-
fscturers of certain article which goes
into general consumption, in other
words necessity, may control the price
to certain extent by manufacturing
Just 30 much as consumers need. This
involves controlling the entire product,
which is often attempted but rarely
achieved. But that the producers of any
agricultural product of any considerable
product we most emphatically deny, and
claim that all attempt at organization
and cooperation for the purpose OF con.
trolling the price 10 time and money
thrown away.
I'VE say that dried peaches are worth
s cents per pound; that prunes are
worth cents, that raieins are worth
certain prices. What makes them worth
these prices? Is it not q fact that the
fundamental laws of eupply and de.
mand, of production and consumption,
make the market or fix the price OF any
product? II 30, when we cay dried
peaches are worth 8 cents per pound to
the producers in California, does it not
mean that the consumers will pay the
price, plus freight and selling charges,
with the wholesalers and the retailers
charges added? claim that the market
price OF all products is primarily gov
erned by the law of supply and demand,
OF production and consumption. That
the market price of product is often
lower than 1t should be before il goes
into consumption and often higher than
it should be when controlled by Hpecu-
lators, admit, and as evidences of the
first proposition l will invite your at.
teption to the course the market on
dried peaches and apricots has taken
this season.
DEMAND FOR APRICoTs.
Sowing to the prevailing hard times
and general distrust among tradespeople,
the market price for dried peaches and
apricots at the beginning of the season
was fixed at an extremely low figure,
and the product moved slowly until it
went into actual consumption. The
moment 1t was fairly we'll distributed
into the consuming section the demand
rapidly increased, and we have had q
constantly advancing market ever since.
This advance has been occasioned wholly
and entirely by the prevailing saaglmp.
tive demand, as the tradesmen have
fought the advance every inch and had
no confidence in it.
"That the market price of q product IS
often too high when controlled hv specp
uators is self-evident we need only to
look at the recent collapse in pY9wlsioHs
in the Chicago market as az example %
this principle, or ii we wish 10 look
nearer home, at the ahnormaily high
prices we obtained for orr dried perch 20
in 1891. Dried peaches that we sJld at
20 cents per pound net cash to the pro-
ducer eventually went to tl.e CONES mes
at one-half that price, after having
been carried for six months by the
speculator. There is Gn idea quite
prevalent that the market price ia
largely the creation Of manipulators--
the middlemen-while the truth OF the
matter is these men or firms whom We
call shrewd operators, and whom We are
apt to think of az the makers OF creators
of market prices, are simply the ones
best able to detect the various caprices
and whims OF this most capricious
damsel, the market.
SMALL HOLDINGS GIVE FIRM MARKET.
"a large number of holders with q
small product each 10 more conducive to |
q firm and advancing market than a
small number OF holders each having q
large product. Large aggregations of q
product always give prospective buyers
an exaggerated idea OF the size Of that