The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-11-13
MARKETING PEACH CROP.

Growers association, for the purpose of marketing the peach crop of the south to better advantage. The articles referred to met my views exactly, so far as you have gone on the subject. That some bet ter method than the ones which have been used in the past for marketing our fruits and vegetables Is needed, not only for peaches, but for all our fruits and vege- tables, Is certainly apparent to all.
 have had this matter in mind for some time and have been studying as to whas could and should be done to remedy the the Farm and Banch at very opportune time, and furnish me a good opportunity for commenting them and expressing my views upon the subject.
 l had not settled definitely upon any plan, but 1 have been thinking what good idea it would be to call conven- ton of tho leading growers, or rather convention of delegates selected by tho growers associations from all parts of the south These delegates should repre- sent all our shipping interests, fruits of all kinds, potatoes. melons. onions and to- matoes. My idea is that these men, chosen as delegates, should not only be the largest and most successful growers, but they should also be we'll informed men, men of great business capacities and men who can cope with all perplexing questions of shipping and marketing
 Good Delegates NeeQed.
 We know that there are men who make a success of almost everything that they undertake, while there are others who fail. The market conditions as they existed the past season certainly were bad enough to cause to lay aside all jealousies and select as delegates for such a con- vention men who can be fully relied upon for promoting the best interests of the growers. At this convention let these dele gates formulate some plan for organiz- ing. or better still let a permanent or ganization be effected at this general convention. whose duties 1t will be to inspect, ship and market all perishable fruits and vegetables of the south. Each industry or crop could be represented in this convention. and an organization of each effected the same as suggested for the peach crop. There are the onion, po- tato, cabbage. bean. melon and tomato growers, all of whom could be represent ed, and each of these needs an organiza- ton for the marketing of these crops, the same as suggested for handling the peach crop.
 think that In convention of this kind made up of the best men of the south, some wise measures could be arrived at that would bring about very radical change to the benefit of the growers. would suggest that we hold two such con ventions, one to be held early In Jan uary, 1906 at some convenient point in north central Texas, and the other in the latter part of January at some con venient point in the east, Atlanta or Bir- mingham. l cannot take time nor space here to give in detail all the reasons why we need some action along these lines for the protection of our interests; but l would call the attention of the reader to the conditions as they were the past spring and summer, and ask Are not these enough to arouse us to action and should we not wake up and protect ourselves?
 Way Is Open.
 The way Is open and one of the beauties of the matter is that we can protect our selves in this matter without injurIng anyone else, unless it be few thieves who have been making their fortunes out of the illiterate, disorganized growers of the country. These vuitures should be killed off, but the honest dealer in our cities, as well as both the growers and consumers, would be benefited by such an organization, who would see to 1t that none but the best of everything was shipped.
 Here is point in the articles referred 10 that struck me very forcibly: No goods which were not wanted should be placed upon the market" I have been telling this to our people all along the line; telling them how unwise 1t is to snip poor article of any kind I tell them that this is only financial suicide, and that they have to come right into competition with this poor stock, and that good stock in the same car never will pull the poor stock up in price, but the poor article will always pull down the price or the good. Here is where I think one or the greatest results would be derived from such an organization as suggested TOT II should have the power to ship and sell, as well as inspect and reject.
 f,f. right along the importance of feeding up Ill refuse, or poor grades of fruits and vegetables. turning these into cream. pork and poultry, and shipping nothing but the very best-that which would bring the very highest prices. There is a class oi soous mat VIII always sell, and there Is class which will never bring pavinp prices, especially when such stock has to be shipped long distances The interests or the beginner and the small growers should be carefully guarded. and as our president says, Every man should he given square deal"
 Here Is where the oreanizatio, l. 4. meet its greatest difficulty. fin the ,nsnec' ton and grading of stocks, for If Ia nara matter to get a grower to ,os1,va lhat ms stock is not as good as the hest But we must have education along tbese lines more widely diffused among oIr growers. Such plan as outlined hv Farm and Ranch would in the end wo,I no hardship on anyone. but as stated above would be of great benefit vUb,n once established to all parties concerned The growers the buyers, the sellers. tbe consumers and even the railroads as car riers would be greatly benefited. for when good stock only is shipped good prices are realized and there is less complaint ahout the high freight rates.
 Evil of Present System.
 Under the present system many cars of poor stuff are shipped and in many in- stances the stock fails to pay the freight. The result is that the commission ner. chants and the railroads are accused of collision to rob the growers The past summer l saw cars of berries. peaches. tomatoes, potatoes and other fruits and vegetables come to market in the northern cities which were rotting in the cars and could not be used at any price, Of course the freight had to be paid on shis worth less stuff. How much better would 1t have been for the growers if this stuff had been subjected to inspection by such an organization as here suggested, rejeeted and kept off the market. We mignt stop again and ask. could conditions be much worse and what are the conditions at present? Are not the growers everywhere discouraged and demoralized? During the present season I have visited growers in nearly all parts of the south and south west, from Norfolk, Va, to the onion growers of southwest Texas. and in all sections I hear the same story of dissatis- faction.
 What are the conditions of many of our fruit and vegetable growers associations