The record-union., 1897-11-18
Fruit=Growefs' Convention Discusses Them
Yesterday.
A Question of Whether Not Growers Should
Organize for Shipment.
Stephens They Should and That They Do Not
They Are Lost
Commission Men, and the Convention
Declares in Favor of Organization.

the establishment of the fruit exchange,
which would keep the growers posted
as to markets and prices, and regulate
the shipment of fruit, and the cost of
conducting it would be nominal, while
the benefit would be great. 1t could
handle the dried fruit product at small
cost, and have warehouses where fruit
could be graded and sold in carload
lots, lessening insurance and the cost
of transportation.
f. G. Adams asked whether the ex-
preston in the committees report had
not been satisfactory to many of the
growers" meant that it was satisfac>
tory to only a few, or that it was un-
satisfactory to many.
Mr.. Stephens said that it meant that
the great majority of the growers We're
not satisfied but he was perfectly
willing to have the language made un-
eQuivocal.
WANTED, A PLAN.
Mr. Filcher said that fruit growers
We're painfully cognizant of the facts
stated in the report, and what is need
ed is a remedy. An organization IS
hinted at for the purpose of marketing
their own fruit. That concurs largely
with his own idea, but in his expert
ence as he had said yesterday, he had
found that there were few or no ship
pers in California that had a large
enough supply to ship on order. There
is now a representative of a large Ger
man firm on this coast, who is anxious
to make arrangements with some pro-
ducer to sell for cash on the order OF
his house, but has not yet found one.
Each neighborhood should have an or
ganization to which the fruit can be
brought and sold in large quantities.
The iobbers in Germany had told
him that the goods he showed would
sell, and asked him where they could
get them The whole continent of Eu-
rope is waiting to be supplied, but it
will never be until proper organization
is perfected. He moved that the com
mittee be requested to formulate a plan
of organization by which growers can
| be enabled to dispose of their products.
The growers should pull together.
| Mr.. Berwick said that in the past the
! farmers had made several efforts in
various ways to pull together, but they
| had not succeeded. The latest way was
| by means of Farmers Clubs.
| Mr. Filcher's motion was seconded by
| Mr.. Stephens and carried.
| FARMERS CLUBS.
Mr.. Dore explained the plan Of or
ganization of the Farmers Clubs. They
! had organized one in Fresno, TO which
| all owners of the soil were eligible. II
! had regular dues and thirty members,
besides the President Vice-President
and Treasurer were elected an Execu-
| tive Committee, which was divided
into six committees - orchard, vine
yard, general produce, livestock, poul-
try and bees and legislative. The club
meets monthly and discusses subjects
selected by the Executive Committee.
| One was the matter of Southern Pa
cifc tracks through the city, and on
| their conference with the officials OF
the company the latter willingly put
on a force Of men and put the tracks
in good condition, a result which all the
| Grand Juries and other persons had
been unable to do. The club has made
| its room a pleasant place for the farm
ers and their wives, and it has re-
| suited in a great influence for good.
His experience had been that in or
der TO build up an organization you
must begin at the bottom-the founda-
| tion-and too many organizations have
| tried to begin at the top and build
| downwards, without success. In re-
gard to the raisin crop, the agents be-
/ gan before the vines had fairly bios
| somed and sent out circulars TO the
| East, fixing the price at which they
would sell the coming crop. The farm
ers found what they were doing, and
rose in indignation They induced the
growers to meet and agree to start to-
gether in setting the price on their ow,1
crop. They did so, and placed the price
at 2la cents a pound in the sweat-box
| The agents told them they were wild
and that the conditions Of the trade
| would not allow any such price. The
! growers persevered, however, and
finally raised the price fixed to > cents
and they received it, too. That is wha;
Farmers Club did that commenced
TO build from the bottom. an elective
body instead of an appointive body
that begins at the top.
| in answer TO a question by Mr. Ad-
ans. ne stated that he did not think the
club would have met with any success
| if 1t had not placed the dues at a fig
ure that gave it an adequate income for
the various expenses ii incurred. He
! thought that with such clubs formed
through the State, with comfortable
and pleasant rooms to attract the mem
/ bers. and State Club formed from
them, would WELD a more powerful in
fluence for the betterment of the farm
ers than any otner plan has ever
/ achieved, because it builds from the
bottom.
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES.
/ Mr.. Mcdonald of Sonoma asked 4
there was any Horticultural Society
there. and was told that there was
/ not. but the club had asked for aid
from the university in the matter OF
Farmers Institutes.
Mr.. Mcdonald said that Sonoma
! County had live Horticultural So
ciety that took charge of the institutes.
! The question OF beet sugar culture
came Up. and a large meeting was held
and the matter referred 70 the Horti-
cultural Society. No matter whether
/ you call them farmers clubs. institutes
! or by any other name. they are COM
posed mainly of horticulturists. The
/ difficulty is always 10 get them to
eombine. and stick together. When
they do so and form a horticultural
| association. they will WELD great in
| tuence in the affairs of the State. to
| their own benefit
Mr. Adams said he knew of but two
Farmers Clubs in the State that had
any dues to amount 10 anything. and
a club that has not sufficient dues for
| its uses viii not hang together. When
| we undertake 10 change current affairs