The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1897-07-05
THE MELON GROWERS UNION.
The Melon Growers Union, Thanks to
the Able Guidance Of Manager
Chambliss, has solved Trouble.
some Problem for the
Growers of Florida.

ing the past TWO months, and
which has demonstrated the bene-
fits to be derived from concert of
action and systematic business
methods applied to the handling
and marketing Of many products
of Florida.
The causes which lead to the
formation Of this "Union" were
the lack of care on the part of
some of the melon growers in
properly selecting and grading
their fruit; the indiscriminate
shipments to the different mar
ket centres and the lack of know
ledge of reliable commission
houses to handle the product
where it reached those markets.
Mr.. Z. G.. Chambliss Of our city,
who has for several years past
been 4 large grower at Oxford,
Sumter county, became convinced
that the industry could only be
made profitable to our farmers
by applying common sense meth
ods in their shipping operations.
After canvassing the matter at
several of the largest shipping
points, a call was issued for a
meeting to discuss ways and
means to be held at Wildwood,
April gath 1897. At this meet
ing a plan for organization was
formulated and Mr.. Chambliss
was selected as manager of the
newborn Melon Growers Union
of Florida.
The cardinal principle of the
association was TO encourage a
home market, in other words, to
so conduct their business that the
buyers would come to the growers
and pay them cash at the ship
ping point, thus reversing the old
method of sending forward on
consignment. Only in the event
that melons could not be sold at
home, were they to be consigned
and then only to the houses Sc
lected as agents in the different
cities. Instructions as to grad
ing and packing melons were
issued to every grower and cars
were sold by grades. Some very
flattering letters were received
ny the manager, in which credit
was given the union for shipping
all ripe melons in the first cars.
Dealers had learned to expect
many green ones.
At the opening of the season,
about the middle of May, the
weather proved a potent factor
to discourage the new reports
come in not only from the north,
but from as far south as Mobile,
that the temperature was so low
that there was no demand for
melons. Growers were advised
by the central office to hold back
shipments which they did, and
thus the early cars were cleaned
up at fair prices and the market
left in good shape for continued
shipments. The work of the
union has been eminently salts
factory from the first car, which
sold on the track here for two
hundred dollars, to the end of th'
season which is just closing, goOe
prices have been maintained
good cars setting here on th'
track after shipment began a
one hundred dollars each and {
few at one hundred and twenty
five dollars. We are Informed
by the manager that severa
growers who did not come into
the union because they had beer
into similar organizations with
out benefit, or who were unde
obligations to commission mel
for advances, have come forWar'
admitting its great benefit t.
them, and have paid to him tn
regular commission paid by mem
bers. In the few instances wher
results were not up to expecta
tion, the union and it's manage