Smyrna times., 1900-04-04
FARMERS MEET IN SMYRNA
INTERESTING MEETING UNDER AUSPICES
FARMERS PRODUCE ASSOCIATION.
Addresses Made by A. N. Brown and E. q.
Packard.-JOseph E. Carter Appointed
Solicitor for Smyrna.

Solicitor fOr Smyrna.
There was an interesting meeting of
farmers at Odd Fellows Hall on Sat
urday afternoon, at which about forty
or fifty of our representative farmers
were present The meeting was held
under the auspices of of the Farmers
Produce Association. The meeting
was called to order by James G. Rob
inson, and E. G. Packard was the sec
retary.
The first speaker of the afternoon |
was E. G.. Packard. The movement,
he said, was for the financial interest
of the grower. 1t wasn't a question of
how much we can grow, but how can
we obtain more remunerative prices
for what we are producing. The plan
as outlined by the Farmers Produce
Association, is one that will benefit the
grower, benefit the commission mer-
chant, and benefit the consumer. The
Association was organized the 14th of
February, and the movement taken up
by it is now interesting some OF the
best and most progressive farmers of
the State. Mr.. Packard went on to ex-
plain the principles upon which the
Association was founded, and appealed
to the farmers of this community for
aid in making the movement one of in
huence in Delaware. 1t is the purpose
to encourage honest packing. The AS
sociation will have a copyright label
of some conspicuous color, on which
each shipper will have his individual
number. At each shipping point on
the railroad and at boat lines, ''ship-
ping agent will be stationed, whose
duties are to see after the interests of
the members, and to receive the mar
ket reports by telegram, as will be pro-
vided for by the Association. Each
member applying for labels will be
provided with dating stamp, to pre-
vent labels from being duplicated by a
fraudulent shipper. Cases of dishOn-
est packing will be dealt with accord
ing to the judgement of the Associa-
tian. A rigid course will be adopted
to prevent rascality. If the methods
of the Farmers Produce Association
are carried out it will give the buyers
confidence to buy fruit from members
of the Association, and will eventually
create a demand in the city markets.
The shipper in all cases is free to ship
his produce where ever he wants tC
and by whatever route most conven
lent. He also has the benefit of al
cash sales made at the station. Th'
membership fee is $1.00 year; the la
bells 80 cents per thousand; and tn
rubber stamp, % cents piece. One
and one-half per cent. of the usual al
lowance of per cent for commission
will flow in the treasury, and the ship
ping agent will retain the other on
and one-half per cent. This with tn
initiation fee will be the only incom
the Association will have to meet cul
rent expenses
The next speaker was A. n. Brown
president of the Association. He e2
planned how the Association wa
founded, and did not wish the farmer
in this vicinity to get the impressio
that it was formed to raise the price O
tomatoes mainly. The getting togetl
er on this question was an importal
one. The main object of the Farmer
Produce Association was to get MOI
remunerative prices, by better ham
ling of fruit. The strawberry al
Kieffer pear crops are possibly IL
most important in Delaware becau'
they represent and put more none
into circulation. One of the prime o
iects of the Association is to raise Il
standard and the quality of the goo'
for marketing purposes. He said tn
California had popularized their fru
by neatness in handling, and he SO
no reason why Delaware should n
adopt the same course. Pack yo
fruit right; guarantee it to be the sar
all the way through; let your guara
tee be indicated by the trade mark
the Association; and send nothing b
good fruit to the markets. Just as
chain is so strong as its weakest lin
so is fruit just as good as the poort
in it. Mr.. Brown referred to the col
storage system as being proftable,a al
in the matter of transportation, he adv
Gated the use of refrigerator cars
the safest and in the end, the me
profitable way.
A few of the farmers joined the A
sociation and at the suggestion of t
chairman of the meeting, Joseph
Carter was appointed a solicitor
this vicinity.