The record-union., 1894-04-03
DISTRIBUTION OF OUR FRESH FRUIT.
Importance of the Fruit-Growers
Meeting at FIorin.
n. Weinstock Points Out the Good Re.
suits to Follow County
Organization

Concerning the movement now on foot
to organize County Fruit-Growers' As
sociation, James Rutter of Florin, a
prominent fruit-grower. has forwarded
to the RECORD UNION the following let
ter, embodying some important and
timely suggestions to the horticulturists
and fruit-shippers Of the county:
Ny Dear Mr.. Rutter: | was much
interested in the report published in the
RECORD UNIoN of the fruit-growers'
meeting held in Florin. l trust that you
and the other members of your COM
mlttee will succeed in promptly organlz-
Ing strong county association.
While the organization Of Sacramento
County Association is important, this in
itself Will not be sufficient to insure sue
cess. One of the chief causes for the un-
satisfactory results of last years busi-
ness lay in the fact that the distribution
Of the fruit sent East was not regulated,
and it resulted in many markets being
many times glutted during the season, to
the sorrow and cost of the grower. There
fore, very important step In the dlrec-
liOn OF future success lies in securing
regulated distribution in the markets of
the East. This can only be accomplished
by unity OF action at this end.
Earlier in the history of the fruit ship
ping enterprises represented perhaps so
per cent of the shipments, the condi-
tiOns wer3 not so serious; but with the
growth of this industry and with the
numerous companies and shippers that
have entered the field, it has become
more and more difficult to regu
late the distribution, and the re-
suit has been that much of the ship
ping has been done in the dark, and il
has made IT, impossible to use any judg-
ment in the matter of routing the fruit.
No matter how much experience q ship
per may have possessed it availed him
little SO long as he could not know what
others were doing, and his shipments
necessarily were made. so to speak, in
the dark, resulting, as a rule, in dis
aster.
What is needed, therefore, is more light
and more information. Shippers and
growers must unite for mutual protec-
ton, and must be ready and willing to
exchange information concerning ship
ments, SO that they may avoid each
others shipments in place of conflicting
with each others shipments. TO bring
this desired result about it is necessary
for all the shipping enterprises to come
together and establish what might be
called Bureau OF Information, to be To-
Gated in Sacramento, or some other CEN
tral point, and to be under the care of
competent manager, whose duty 1t would
be 10 prepare daily report, compiled
from all the dispatches, to be received by
him daily from all Eastern selling points
and from daily shipments of fruits for
Warded from this end. a copy of this re-
port to be placed in the hands of every
one connected with the association each
day.
In this way every shipper offruit wonld
have the situation, so to speak, photo
naob rpnrfojpn anH In
could then decide where TO make his ship
ment for that day with the highest intelli-
gence, i'll place of being obliged to do it,
as in the past. With little or no intelli-
gence.
So far as 1 can judge the conditions are
ripe for such an organization to be estab-
lished Nearly all the shippers suffered
last year from glutted markets. and nearly
all of them realize that their greatest
danger in the future lies in a continual
ton Of giutted markets; so that, in my
opinion, as rule, they will doubtless be
glad to avail themselves of any plan
whereby the glutting Of markets can be
avoided.
My suggestion, therefore, is as follows:
That you organize your association as
speedily as possible; that your associa-
ton then issue call for meeting; that
you write to the CdtifOrnid Fruit Gr0We1'
or the Pacific Rural Press, asking for a
complete list of all shippers and cooper
ative fruit companies and fruit associa-
tions that ship green fruits to the East;
that your association then send invita-
tons to these various enterprises to send
delegates to meet at some central point
Sacramento or elsewhere-With a view of
organizing such Bureau of Information.
The whole matter could then be discussed
at this proposed meeting, and there is
every lik kelihood that the wisdom of the
step herein suggested would make itself
manifest TO all present. The cost of con-
dncting such bureau would be infinites-
imal, and, if carefully managed, would
not equal tax of more than perhaps
quarter Of cent box; whereas the bene-
fit ought to be self-evident, and should
prove of very great value TO the fruit in
terests of the State.
The fruit-growers of Placer County are
alive to the importance. Of such step.
and, | am sure, can be counted upon to
cooperate with you.
1t might be well for you to place your
self in communication with NJ. B. Var
den of Auburn, Secretary of the Fruit
Growers Association in Placer County,
who, l am sure, would be glad to work
with you and to do all that is possible to
be done to carry ont the suggestion made
and to bring ii 10 successful issue. With
personal regards, believe me, very truly
yours, I'll. WEINSTOCK.
EARTH AN ACADEMY"