The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-09-25
Horticulture.
FRUIT GROWERS SHOULD ORGANIZE.

Prof Mccarthy Tells What Others Have Done
and What North Carolina Fruit Growers
Should Do.
The Progressive Farmer last week
referred to and heartily endorsed the
efforts of Prof. Gerald Mccarthy to
organize the fruit growers of the
State. His address appears in full
below:
To the Fruit Groo0ers Of North Caro-
lima:
Manufacturers, trans por tati on
companies and merchants generally
have organizations for fixing prices,
for preventing discrimination and
imposition by middlemen and for
Obviating the wastefulness inevitable
by many small, separate and unor-
ganized efforts.
AS now conducted, fruit growers
of this State and the Atlantic Coast
generally are at the mercy of the
transportation companies and COM
mission men, over whose actions
they have no control and for whose
honesty nobody vouches. This is
not rational way of conducting any
business; nor is it inevitable. The
fruit growers of California have had
for some ten years past, a very per
rect organization. The inundation
of the Eastern markets by California
green fruits dates from the time of
the organization of the California
Fruit Growers Union. The success
of this invasion of our markets is
undoubtedly due to this organization.
The result has been disastrous to US.
By means of this organization the
California fruit grower is able to
secure refrigerator express service
from San Francisco to New York for
little or nothing above what the
North Carolina fruit grower pays
for similar or poorer service between
Raleigh and New York.
We must organize or cease to COM
pete with California fruit in North
ern markets. It is not proposed to
restrict consumption by raising
prices to the consumer, but to secure
for the producer a larger and more
just share of the retail price of the
fruit.
To secure this end strong organ
ization incorporated and capitalized
is necessary. The following program
is suggested for the cOnsiderat ton of
the proposed organization
1. Organization of fruit growers
exchange to secure uniform grading,
packing and labelling of fruit grown
by members.
g. Auction sales of graded fruit by
agents Of the association at both pro
ducing and consuming centers.
g. Control of shipments by the as
sociation for the purpose of prevent
ing gluts in some centers and in
sufficient supply in others.
4. To contract with carriers and
dealers or otherwise control sales as
to secure for the producer the high
est possible percentage of the retail
price of the fruit.
5. To establish or control fruit
evaporators and canneries at fruit
growing centers with capacity suffi-
cient to take care of the surplus crop
and prevent waste.
6. To secure better transportation
facilities and lower rates than we
now have
2. To purchase fertilizers, crates,
spraying goods and other necessaries
at wholesale prices and furnish the
same to members at net cost.
8. To collect and disseminate
among members statistical and tech
nical information calculated to in
crease the profits of fruit growing.
It is proposed to organize a non
political business association Of fruit
growers on the lines which have
proved so successful on the Pacific
coast. All fruit and truck growers
in North Carolina are eligible and
are invited to attend a meeting to be
held in Raleigh during the week OF
the State Fair. To insure the sue
cessful launching of the new assecia-
ton, it is desirable that every com
mercial fruit and truck grower in
North Carolina shall be represented
in person or by proxy at the initial
meeting.
outlined and desire to join the pro
1ooo5 ocCOciafiOn are requested to